Charles Phoenix JOYRIDE - 1959 Pontiac Bonneville
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Space-age style wise and otherwise, Pontiac’s iconic original wide-track 1959 Bonneville is in a
class all by itself … and this RARE SURVIVOR CLASS California car with factory original paint,
interior and chrome is nothing less than a mid-century motoring miracle to behold … so sit back,
relax and enjoy the JOYRIDE!
Nobody - NOBODY!! - presents space-age American classic cars as well as Charles Phoenix! Perceptive, detail-oriented and enthusiastic, with a great sense of humor, his videos are not to be missed!
"No brakes? That never stopped me before!"😄 That makes my day!!!
Who needs brakes? They only slow you down.
@@mervscanlan1789 LOL!
I understand that todays cars are in general more efficient and require less maintenance; kind of like a disposable pen. But dang, if manufacturers put as much effort into their cars as they did that trunk light, imagine how cool they would be?! Truly, they don’t make ‘em like they use to.
I fully agree Nathan.
Yep, they don't make em like they used to, and I for one, am convinced they aren't capable.
Definitely one of my favorite years for Pontiac ... and also the cause of a neighbor's divorce. In 1960, my dad bought my mom a beautiful blue 1960 Pontiac Star Chief Vista 4dr hardtop. It was stunning. Our neighbor across the street was a real social climber. She'd forced her husband to go to law school and was determined that they would be somebody. (Our neighborhood was very middle class.) She was very jealous of my mom when the new car arrived and began pressuring her husband for a new car. He was financially strapped at the time, but was determined to get her a new(er) car. Soon, he brought home a 1959 Pontiac Catalina sedan (a year old and the lowest priced Pontiac). His wife was livid ... and everyone on our block knew. She was screaming on the driveway the day he brought it home. Within three years, they were divorced. I'm sure there's more to it than a car, but the car was a big indicator of marital problems. Loved this video.
That's a familiar story, only our neighbor was screaming at her husband over a '60 Thunderbird. The ending was the same. The husband remarried and lived happily ever after with someone who was not so demanding.
Women eh!!! Whatever happened to equality? Can't they buy their own car?🤔🙄🤪
It wouldn't surprise me if the husband's name was "Edsel."
This is a great memory for me. My grandmother worked at General Motors in Detroit and was tired of taking the bus everywhere. She picked out a new white 1959 Bonneville just like this one and had the salesman teach her to drive on the way to Dept of Motor Vehicles to get a drivers license. The best accessory was a white cat in the back window with green eyes that lit up when braking.
That's some 'first car' for a brand new driver! I'm 76 & my friend had one in 1966
& we drove it from NY to Florida! We averaged 75 mph (legal then) for 22 hrs. &
the car didn't 'break a sweat' I believe it also was the widest production car ever!
Hello. When did Grandma work for GM ? My Uncles were engineers at GM /Pontiac and Chevrolet. And Dad was in thr Art Department.
Factory A/C in a 59. You would have had neighbors lined up to see that. Most people didn't have A/C in their homes at that time.
"Cosmic Carriage!!!"
I was 13 in 1959. I remember that I and almost every adult I knew thought this was THE CAR.
Beautiful car, thank you for not destroying it by restoring it
Those old Ponchos always had THEE WILDEST interiors...
I knowwwwww!
TOTALLY !
Thanks for spoiling us with the splendor of this galactic
...Bonneville. What an absolutely out of this world, gorgeous piece of GM metalwork art. Why do we drive square boxes of computer driven menagerieies know a days. Everything is ugly and of course expensive. Oh to only dream of such beauties.😊
Nice car. Looks great for 63 years
Incredible reverse lights
Yeah 57-63 are the Golden years for me!
Miss Thing, you're so very flamboyant over the top descriptions of these beauties are a treasure to behold 😁
What a remarkable find! Simply amazing! So worth preserving for future generations! They're only original once! 😁👍🇺🇸
Very True
Charles, how do you do it? You just keep becoming more and more FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you!
Charles your knowledge of art deco form is quite amazing. What is also amazing is that every element in American 'over the top' styling is so back in vogue in interior design. Stylists of the day were way ahead of their time. Your narrative is so pleasing, well informed and entertaining.
They 2 dr Bonneville is great, but the wagon you bought is awesome. The 1959 pontiacs really are what dreams are made of.
Love the survivor cars and that one is amazing. I hope the owner keeps it exactly like it is to show how these cars looked when they were 6-8 year old cars.
Ok, I just sat down with a nice tasty coffee, flicked on the television and you found a 59’ Pontiac somewhere in this Vast Hemisphere.
Wow what a Pontiac & wicked story of this classic.
Yeah leave all the Patina everywhere and just maintain the mechanicals.
There are no words worthy enough for the Body of this baby.
The interior details are mind blowing.
Charles you not only knocked this one out of the park, the ball landed in another Stadium. 😎👍🇨🇦
I've always loved the '59 Pontiacs, especially tri-power 4 speed!
Had to LOVE the interiors and the trim of those old beauties, EVERYTHING was chrome
GOR JUSSSS!!! Love the interior colors! The roof seems to "float above" the car. They used a trowel to apply all of that chrome. LOL! Died when you said car has NO brakes. "Well that's never STOPPED me before..." Fabulous lines, curves & fins on this beauty. To bad they no longer make Pontiac's. Great survivor story. Thanks Charles!
Incredible styling and has plenty of fins. Love the intimidating look of the grille too.
In 1961, my first grade teacher "Miss Clifford" had a 59 Bonneville Convertible with red and white interior. I loved that car.
Beautiful car ! Also,what a lovely looking neighbourhood too 😎
One of the most beautiful Pontiacs ever designed. You can see why it was Motor Trend "Car of the Year". My folks had this in the 4 door Hardtop Vistadome. White/Corral Top with matching interior. One of the most beautiful dashboards ever ! I was 16, so I was on "cloud 9" !
Thank you, Charles, for showcasing this outstanding Bonneville. She is a beauty!
That's a hoot and a holler. Amaaazing car!
Absolutely stunning. Peak Americana. 👍🇬🇧
"The 1959 Pontiac Bonneville looks like it's a mile long and three blocks wide!" - Automotive Expert Tom McCahill in his review of this amazing car in Popular Mechanics magazine in 1959.
Th Bonneville has extra length in the trunk area I think. Because the Catalina trunk was sooo short.
@@emjayay The '59 'Bonneville also has a longer wheelbase than the Catalina.
I thought Tom only wrote for Mechanics Illustrated in 1959. I miss his wit.
Had one of these babies at age 17. It was a factory 3 speed on the floor. Will never forget the light blue carpeting with the silver weave thread. Today you cannot get that carpeting anywhere. Outside was a medium blue color - beautiful!! It had an incredible dash with all kinds of gadgets - multi - color paneled seats .
Nice. I like that it has a speed minder too. I had a survivor 60 Catalina, with 25,000 original miles a few years ago. I did videos of getting it back on the road after 37 years. It was a super nice fun car.
Love! the fact that that you take the time to show the emblems…and interior in great detail. Most car guys motor right past that. Love the 50’s narration and the 50’s sound effects. Don’t ever stop being unique!
Saw one like this one, restored, (absolutely spotless) at a local show. I would bet all 59 Bonnevilles were not white, but these two are, very much identical. Seeing a 59 Bonneville in person, it is hard to overstate how phenomenal they present. I know new cars are tech, but they don't/can't out glamor these beauties. Kudos to the owner for having the wisdom to leave it alone. It is gorgeous as is.
I was 11 in 59 and a car nut. We had a 59 Olds station wagon. Over the years the stylists had great fun coming up with new rooflines and this two-door hardtop was one. This design lasted through the 1961 model and then in 62 they went with the faux convertible look. I thought the space-age look of the GM 4-door hardtop for 59 & 60 was so cool; all that glass! It was gone in 61.
Thanks for your wowie-zowie reviews. So much chrome, so little time to polish it.
Simply an amazing interior!
Very cool indeed. Love it !
What a MACHINE ! ( I’m talking about Charles )
...Erik has a great original '59 Bonnie, in Cameo Ivory, and the wonderful tri-color vinyl interior...
...its flaws are testament to its life as a snazzy ride in SoCal..
Almost the same car as the Parisienne convertible Sid Barrett owned in the late 1960s after leaving Pink Floyd. From what I've read, he never tried to navigate the narrow streets of London in it and it was eventually towed away, but his most memorable photo session included this piece of automotive artwork.
Amazing. Car....Thanks for sharing
The dash, the dash, the dash...the dash! It’s out of this world.
That rear arm rest looks as wide as a bed.
And the exterior scooped side streaks on the rear quarter are the best. It’s mid-century design +. Love that tail light design in the larger same-shaped surround. A great survivor of 63 space age years...
Yes. THAT'S a dashboard!
BOYYYY. DO I REMEMBER THIS. WORK OF 🎨 🖼 🎭 ART !!!
Hey Charles, this 59 Bonneville is absolutely gorgeous!!! I am so glad you are posting your Joyride series, you showcase fantastic cars, I really enjoy every video!!! 👍👍
Now that truly is a stylish coupe, absolutely love your uploads
Wonderful video. When I was a young boy my parents had a 1961 Bonneville Safari station wagon. Power windows, antenna, and tailgate window. I loved that wagon, we drove cross country in it. It was handed down to my oldest sister for a while, then it was sold when she got the car she wanted in 1972. It had the red tri-color interior.
Flash forward to 2000 and I finally found another one after years of looking. This one is tan with white top, manual crank tailgate window and other windows, but, factory air conditioning! I still have it. It is all original, needs restoration. Same big 389 in it. A really special car and I am planning on starting restoration end of this year.
You made my day Charles! Esp after a grueling PT session. What a gem of a car..."they are only original once".
A thing of pure beauty!
I'm getting serious THE BIG LEBOWSKI "Dude" vibes from the owner of this one...anyone else????....the car is downright magical...
What a car. Not a bad neighborhood. That was the largest gathering of birds of paradise I've ever seen. Outside of LA's Union Station. I'll see you at WCM. Meet Me On Mars.
Gorgeous car. I've always wondered how they pressed those rear fenders with the fins.
I bet two sides and a separate V piece with seams under the stainless strips.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and did I mention Beautiful ??? Brings back memories when cars of the 50's, and 60's were made of metal and one could tell one car from another. Now days most look all the same. They don't make them like they use to. Lots of chrome, sparkle, powerful engines, and smooth ride.
Beautiful Pontiac Charles!! 👍👍👍
The best of the best for 59. Thanks for showing those rear indicators.
Look at a Vista four dr, h/t. Bonneville!
What a beauty, a real treat….thanks Charles!
I remember the sparkle Carpet and the Fabric Seats had sparkle. I balled my eyes out at 9 years old over the deck lid in 1972 when dad sold it. I wanted the guys to go away that bought it. But, my dad felt so bad he had me go with him to the FORD dealer to pick out the new Family Truckster we had for the next 6 years.
GM did some strange things with Pontiac as far as the styling of the grille during those years. 1959 saw the first year of the “split grille”, but then they totally forgot about it for 1960.
It made a return for 1961, and that cue remained all the way until GM killed it off in ‘09. 😟
My father had a 4 door ‘61 Tempest; I remember that grille.
The '60 4dr HT is my absolute favorite Pontiac from that time period.
The '60 grille coming to a point was a precursor of the Pontiac prow into the 1970s.
SIDEBAR.....Mom had a '59 Star Chief sedan [copper sunset over white] when I was in high school.
BEAUTIFUL SURVIVOR!!!! Thank You Charles for another AWESOME video!!!! 1959 Pontiac 🔥
Extremely striking Pontiac...
On a cereal box when I was age 5 or 6 donno. In love with that car ever since
Beautiful survivor car!
So beautiful. The blue interior details are awesome. My Granfather had a 59 in green. He had the same bubble covers on the seats. My Mom had the 59 in copper color.
My dad had a '59 Bonneville. Maroon with a white top. Simply beautiful.
My very favorite year of Pontiac!!
Absolutely beautiful. Just barely before my time. Gorgeous !
Love the fins on these old cars!! You may need to head to Amarillo on I-40 to see Cadillac Ranch!! (Also known as Carhenge!)
Can't beat 50's car's! Keep em comin' charles! Also Emily Twirls home is amazing.! Rock&Roll forever.!
Factory in dash air was rare because of price. GM started offering under dash from the factory to compete with the numerous aftermarket offerings. Charles you should get an academy award for your heart and soul presentations. Keep up the good work Thank You.
One of my favorite cars of the late fifties, without a doubt. The body styling was incredible, I loved the interior color design on this era of Pontiacs...but I had no idea the dash was so incredible...maybe the most spectacular and outrageous dash of all time. Thanks for the tour of this fantastic car. I'm surprised you sold your '59 wagon, Charles...that might've been even cooler than this car!
The double tail fins are tres fantastique! And the bumper fins are just beyond all reckoning! 🥰
Glad you like them!
@@_charlesphoenix Your joy rides are always entertaining. If you did a '57 T-bird I would freak out! 😄
This car...among others from this age...are absolutely gorgeous!
My Dad had a Catalina, sold it when I was about 5. He taught my mom how to drive in it. Poor mom! When you see them in person they are BIG! Neet too see, thanks!
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 In 1983 -84 I drove a 4 Dr hrd 1960 Catalina to highschool. One of the funest cars to own and drive.
That 4 door hardtop for 59 and 60 was really space-age. Lots of glass.
Best looking car of '59
Agree with you about this one. That long trunk is the length of an aircraft carrier. Thanks for postong this
the american space age cars from 57 to 60 was an absolut crazy moment in industrial car design ever. nothing can beat this !! cars build for the drive to the moon !
IM 67 YRS OLD. X STREET. ANTHONY HAD THIS CAR. WHITE RED INTERIOR.
PART OF MY YOUNG LIFE MEMORIES THX PHOENIX
In 64, I got my license and my dad gave me his 59 Olds 88. What a beast! It was mint green lol
My Favorite car growing up! We had the Star Chief Flat top.
Classic
all the 59 general motor design was beautiful...
Thanks charles great car love those yrs in cars
Glad you like them!
A symphony of stainless indeed.
Insanely long wheelbase
absolutely beautiful all that interior chrome is blinding me :) the 1958 had a ton of interior chrome too.
love that car!! reminds me of my past car Chrysler 1965 Newport
I remember when I was a kid in the 60s a little old lady got her pedals confused and drove hers well into the Gino's restaurant in Perry Hall Md.
Fun action for a kid in those days!
👍👍
Thanks Charles.
Erick, love the survivor treatment you gave it. Clean and shine and enjoy the ride.
Wow!! Wow!! What a pure AMERICAN RIDE, SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL.!!
We agree!
That car is Epic!
Nice. got a thing for American 65 -78 looked a little at pre 1965. Found this - that car. THAT CAR. like a drug rip. so glad i found this. 1959 Bonneville. A pretty lady.
Very beautiful 59 Pontiac Bonneville brother.
love this pontiac x
thanks this is on youtube great car
Charles, nobody brings more dazzle into my life than you do with these surprise masterpieces.
I’ve just begun my day and there is nothing that’s going to put more sparkle into it than remembering how lush and extravagant was American automotive design in the late 50s and early 60s.
Thank you for what you share with us.
I have owned for 26 years a survivor, 59 Pontiac Bonneville 4dr Vista hardtop. Very nice
condition, not perfect driver status. Great tri-tone interior. 300 horse 389 cu in engine.
They don't make them like this any more .
Beautiful car my friend!
It sure is!
1959 when you were driving a Bonneville you were in style ...myself always wanted 1960 same but 421 3..2carbs..
Wide Track ! My Uncles were Engineers on these in Detroit