[RamAir]

Interesting perspective in the Spectator:

http://spectator.org/articles/61238/...killed-pontiac

[Alvin]

"And it would prove lethal. Not to Chevy-which was still Chevy.
But to Pontiac, which had become Chevy-in-drag."

[Wareagle]

Great article - Pontiac's Turbo engine program if allowed to develop would have been a Corvette Killer - imagine it even with Twin Turbo's - intercooler etc. here's a 80 301 Turbo T/A Winning Stock in NHRA Class Racing @ Vegas running low 12's

[goatwgn]

That is a good article. And I agree. Was funny to read some of the typical trolling comments from morons below the article as well.

[72projectbird]

I'll agree..... to a point. Cadillac, GMC, and Buick seemed to survive with corporate engines.

Besides for the Trans Am Pontiac stopped making anything worth buying starting in 82, with maybe the exception of the 2+2. All the cool cars disappeared. Couple that with cheap imports that were reliable and cheap invading the land its hard to compete. I don't thing Pontiac ever really found its market after the 2nd gen birds stopped production. I would have to say Olds did the same thing. Buick really honed in on their customer base, as did Cadillac and GMC.

I actually have a 1994 Pontiac dealer brochure in front of me and besides for the T/A everything in it looks terrible. Obviously the 90's weren't kind to any auto manufacture, but everything looks bland and has no direction on what market it caters to.

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

I'll agree..... to a point. Cadillac, GMC, and Buick seemed to survive with corporate engines.

Besides for the Trans Am Pontiac stopped making anything worth buying starting in 82, with maybe the exception of the 2+2. All the cool cars disappeared. Couple that with cheap imports that were reliable and cheap invading the land its hard to compete. I don't thing Pontiac ever really found its market after the 2nd gen birds stopped production. I would have to say Olds did the same thing. Buick really honed in on their customer base, as did Cadillac and GMC.

I actually have a 1994 Pontiac dealer brochure in front of me and besides for the T/A everything in it looks terrible. Obviously the 90's weren't kind to any auto manufacture, but everything looks bland and has no direction on what market it caters to.

That year (1982) Pontiac also stopped production of the (real) Bonneville and Catalina, (B body), and rebadged the Lemans into the Bonneville Model G Buick did get to keep and develop their 231 V6, and Cadillac got their own engine most of the time (4100 was crap, however).

[hurryinhoosier62]

Interesting take on GM corporate politics and government interference in the auto industry BEFORE the GM/Chrysler bailouts.

[robertf]

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

I'll agree..... to a point. Cadillac, GMC, and Buick seemed to survive with corporate engines.

Besides for the Trans Am Pontiac stopped making anything worth buying starting in 82, with maybe the exception of the 2+2. All the cool cars disappeared. Couple that with cheap imports that were reliable and cheap invading the land its hard to compete. I don't thing Pontiac ever really found its market after the 2nd gen birds stopped production. I would have to say Olds did the same thing. Buick really honed in on their customer base, as did Cadillac and GMC.

I actually have a 1994 Pontiac dealer brochure in front of me and besides for the T/A everything in it looks terrible. Obviously the 90's weren't kind to any auto manufacture, but everything looks bland and has no direction on what market it caters to.

So true!


I remember reading an article, maybe in C and D or MT, about the new 1982 firebirds. The quote that still sticks out in my mind about Pontiac in general, was screaming chickens and air dams don't really square with where Poniac is heading, which is to be your all around European car company. I remember that their big "euro sedan" was the 6000STE, which was a warmed over Chevy celebrity. Yeah the 80's and 90's GM cookie cutter cars helped kill off Pontiac.

[grrrrregg!!!]

United Network Command for Law and Enforcement

[Chris65LeMans]

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

Obviously the 90's weren't kind to any auto manufacture, but everything looks bland and has no direction on what market it caters to.

The Japanese made some great cars in the '90's, which widened the gap even further.

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by Chris65LeMans

The Japanese made some great cars in the '90's, which widened the gap even further.

I should have said "any American auto manufacture".

To be fair I think Pontiac was coming back in the late 2000's with the G8 and Solstice. They were finally building something that fit their old brand image, but it was too late.

[2002Z4CSS]

Originally Posted by Chris65LeMans

The Japanese made some great cars in the '90's, which widened the gap even further.

And they all rusted out very quickly.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Originally Posted by ramair

Interesting perspective in the Spectator:

http://spectator.org/articles/61238/...killed-pontiac

Fair read for 2014. Great read for encapsulating History across that 1979-2014 window.

Thanks.

[goatwgn]

I always imagined how much better and more interesting the 1986-87 Pontiac "2+2" would have been with an injected turbo 301/2004r instead of that POS Chevrolet 305 they installed in there. Another case of Pontiac needing their own engine in the '80s. or a 1994-'96 "B" body car like the Impala SS. Could have been called a Catalina 2+2.

[carbking]

Interesting read, no doubt. Possibly even some truth.

I personally have been convinced for at least 30 years that todays vehicles would be cleaner than they are, would have been cleaner much earlier, and wouldn't cost nearly so much as they have/do had the government NEVER passed a smog emissions law!

Jon.

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by carbking

Interesting read, no doubt. Possibly even some truth.

I personally have been convinced for at least 30 years that todays vehicles would be cleaner than they are, would have been cleaner much earlier, and wouldn't cost nearly so much as they have/do had the government NEVER passed a smog emissions law!

Jon.

X2! And people talk about the "merits" of newer cars. I personally am most unimpressed. They should be a lot farther along than they are today. Look at the difference between a 1915 and a 1965 car. Now look at the difference between a 1965 and a 2015 car.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Originally Posted by goatwgn

X2! And people talk about the "merits" of newer cars. I personally am most unimpressed. They should be a lot farther along than they are today. Look at the difference between a 1915 and a 1965 car. Now look at the difference between a 1965 and a 2015 car.

Yeap: the Sparkplug hasn't changed.

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by goatwgn

X2! And people talk about the "merits" of newer cars. I personally am most unimpressed. They should be a lot farther along than they are today. Look at the difference between a 1915 and a 1965 car. Now look at the difference between a 1965 and a 2015 car.

My point being that their have been no "groundbreaking" innovations in a very long time with the basic automobile.

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

And they all rusted out very quickly.

Thank goodness for that LOL. Didn't want to look at those any longer than I had to.

[Donovan]

alright who's going to be the first one to source a stock turbo 301 and drop it into a 3rd gen? Sounds like it will be mind blowing.....