N.O.S. Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 GM announced today it will drop the Pontiac brand (which first appeared in 1926) by next year. Would now be an appropriate time to review the products of the WW2 U.S. automotive industry which carried this great name? Over to you all :coffee: (I know I've seen the brand in connection with mvs but cannot name any I'm afraid!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Pontiac saloons and estate cars were used by the US m8ilitary in WW2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Elsdon Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Burt Reynolds, Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper Pontiac Transams and Firebirds, responsible partly during my earlier years for an interest later in life for big yank V8 cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 I remember seeing the name in connection with Staghound armoured cars. An interweb search reveals they were in fact a product of the Canadian Chevrolet plants, but.... the U.S.-built engines for these and some other CMPs came from the Pontiac plant. They were a 270 cu.in. engine but with slight differences to the normal GMC 270 2 1/2t truck engines. (This info was gleaned from a highly detailed discussion on the Mapleleafup forum). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynx42 Rick Cove Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Colin Anderson of Shepparton victoria Australia has this 1941/42 Pontiac ute. These were built at GMH (General Motors Holden) in Australia. The rear body is masonite on a hardwood frame. Don't know how many were built but the number is listed in Norm Darwin's History of Holden book. This photo was taken on the way back from Tocumwaal Vic. where we had been viewing the largest single span timber structure in the southern hemisphere. This is a hanger built by the American Forces in 1941/41. The car behind is my 1940 Chev Staff Car. The Chevs camo is Syria 1941. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goanna Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 That Ponti brings back memories Rick... I Bought it in 1981 , from a elderly chap at Geelong..he had purchased it in 1946 ..it came down from Queensland where it was demobbed . He fitted sedan doors to it and metal panels over the masonite.. he had a caravan hire business and he drove the car to qld each year for holidays . he had a brake hydraulic connection on the tow bar, which was tapped into the rear brakes of the car ..he hooked up the caravan brakes onto the cars brake system ! ! he had just let the 46 rego lapse .... I drove it home along Geelong road among the traffic ... it was a sickly emerald green , with badly dented front end ..he hit many fences in his back yard with it . Geelong was playing at home that day and the football crowds came out to head home . The motor was tired and the manifold cracked . I sold it to Colin who had one already . Colin salvaged a 41 Ponti sedan ,it had been a hire car during WW2 , had a good front end on it . Oh and I rebuilt the brakes on it,, I fitted Falcon rear wheel cylinders on it , fitted perfectly. the king pin bushes were stuffed and I jammed some shim steel down em to make it more solid.. colin says its still running OK ! he fitted a early 50's Pontiac motor in it . Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimh Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 All well and good but they also built the Aztec so on balance it is probably time for it to go the way of Ol' Yeller. My eyes. My eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 At least it shows that not only our great British brands can be wiped out. It's just taken the septics twenty years to catch up! It won't be the last, either. Bloody shame whatever we make of modern crud. I see badge engineered Chevrolets (ex Daewoo) every day in sunny Essex. Some people must be spinning in their graves.. MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry.ice Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Didn't Pontiac make the Otter amphiebious vehicle in the 50's/60's or was it just their engine in it? Would be a shame to loose another classic name but as has been said already it won't be the last. How cool we all thought the Firebird was when at school, all image over substance, but that was the American way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Burt Reynolds, Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper Pontiac Transams and Firebirds, responsible partly during my earlier years for an interest later in life for big yank V8 cars. You and me both Adam! Also add to that Jim Rockford's brown Firebird, but that was nowhere as exciting as black 6.6 litre Trans Ams............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Poor old Pontiac... they did make some lovely cars back in the 40's n 50's... but then most of the US manufacturers were making nice stuff... up to about 1960... after that hmmm 'not so much' Mind you some of the new mechanical mutants sporting the Dodge badge make me want to wretch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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