Pontiac faded to black on Halloween 2010—the perfect day for gloomy news.
Prior to that infamous day, Pontiac left a major legacy behind with a massive list of famous and cool car models.
Despite the obvious challenge, I decided to pick five Pontiacs I really like because they’re cool…and off-the-beaten-path cars.
Jerry Sutherland
The best way to do a list like this is from oldest to newest, so the 1951 Pontiac Catalina two-door hardtop (or coupé if you’re European or a pretentious North American) was the first pick.
I chose this car for a few reasons, but the biggest one was that it’s an early two-door hardtop (or coupé if you’re European or a pretentious North American). Not only that, the ’51 Pontiac had a very distinctive roofline with a wide V-shaped, C-pillar and a low-cut rear window.
This hardtop profile really confused custom guys back then, because there was nothing you could do to add cool factor. The 268.4-cubic-inch inline-eight with 116 horsepower and the four-speed HydraMatic were other assets because nothing was smoother on the road in ’51.
The 1958 Pontiac Bonneville tri-power convertible is my second choice. They only built 3,096 of them, so you won’t be seeing one at your local drive-in show.
I like this car because it represented true late-50s excess better than Elvis Presley. The 300-horse 370 cu. in., triple two-barrel Rochester carburetors, Strato-Flight four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic sold me too.
It was also the 1958 Indianapolis 500 pace car. What more do you need in a Poncho?
I picked another Bonneville for my third choice. The 1961 Bonneville Sports Coupe (or coupé etc. etc.) was another perfect roofline.
The Bonney had a rope-thin C-pillar with a massive back glass because it was part of the ‘bubble-top’ line at GM in ’61. The ’61 Chevy Impala bubble-top gets all the press, but the Bonneville was an underrated version—in my opinion.
Add in finned rear quarters and a really cool three-taillight treatment and this Space-Age Poncho was ready to head to the moon. The optional 389-cubic-inch 333-horsepower, 425-A V-8 with the four-speed Hydra-Matic would probably get it there too.
I moved into the 70s with the fourth pick—the 1974 Pontiac Ventura GTO.
Purists will argue over the GTO name on a re-badged, X-body Nova, but remember– the GTO came from the humble Tempest platform.
The ’74 Goat had a 350-barrel and a functional Trans-Am hood scoop. In other words, Pontiac worked with what they had in the dark days of the smog era, so they only built 7000 of them in ’74. That makes them rare and cool–and unlikely to be spotted at most car shows.
My fifth choice jumped over almost three decades in the form of the 2009 Solstice GXP Coupe (or coupé).
Most people remember the roadster version of this car, but the roof came late in the life of the Solstice–and Pontiac. I’m not sure I’d fit in one of these cars, but it does have a targa roof. The biggest thing about this Solstice is how it looks look more muscled-out with a roof, plus the short-deck/long-nose look is classic.
They’re light and quick, so the little GXP with a 260-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter Ecotec four does 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds with a 13.7/102 mph quarter-mile time. I call that a pretty decent passing gear.
I know. Where are the Pontiac GTOs and the Trans Ams? Be happy with these choices—there were a few wagons I really liked too.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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