The Life and Death of Pontiac: RCR Car Stories
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- A look into the life of Pontiac, and the decisions that led to its death. What made Pontiac so important to automotive history? And what lessons can be learned from its demise? It's an all-new RCR Stories!
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13 years later, and I still lament the loss of Pontiac.
My dad had a Trans Am my whole childhood and my first car was a Bonneville. Pontiac will always be in my blood. R.I.P.
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Holy crap.. How did I not know that GM had war factories on both sides of WWII? I am a car nerd who's worked in the industry for years and a history nerd who especially loves learning about WWII. Thank you RCR. I now have something new to research!
AMC, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Mercury well missed too...😔
Ford did the same.
Actually, while not widely known, WW2 was actually started over Pontiacs. Japan wanted to import them for thier Royal Emperor's personal use while parading around Tokyo...GMC elected to refuse to do so as they were having trouble keeping production up to meet demand here in the states, so Japan, in anger, frustration and retaliation, lobbed many bombs onto Pearl Harbor. Until the very end of thier production, Pontiac steadfastly refused to ship ANY Pontiacs at all to Japan and, over time, Japan steadily got angrier about it!! This finally came to a head when the USA dropped the first ever atomic bomb directly onto Japan's largest Toyota plant!
Fords River Rouge plant has like 10 different basements. In the lower levels with control valves, the valves still have Swasticas in the center…
Rip Pontiac, Holden, Impala SS and Monte Carlo. You are all individually worth more than Buick in my heart
Modern buick, yes. Buick had damn good engines back in the day. 3800 V6 will outlast us all
"the only thing a car enthusiast values more than a car they can't have, is a car that they once had, but lost"
This is too much truth for a day.
I'm gonna look for an old Honda. Probably a poor decision, but oh well.
I miss my 2002 Accord coupe like none other! I totally get it.
There's a car sales next to the Love's truck stop in quartzite az that has your honda
Miguel- Great comment!!
Yeah i once wrecked a 1970 Opel Manta. Only increased in value by 80x since then...
My first car was a 1968 Pontiac Tempest with a 428 it had a dispute with a tree...the tree won...
As a G8 GT owner, I am never tired of hearing the story of Pontiac, even though my car is actually a rebadged bogan rocket made by Holden. I will never take the Pontiac badge off the steering wheel because seeing it everyday reminds me of the fact that I'm driving a car of a brand that is long gone.
Thank you Roman for sharing the story to a broader audience.
Would owners, which there are probably few left of T1000s feel the same?
row2noob
G8’s can be bad ass rides.
@@toyoscio Surprised the T1000 was not mentioned. It was the first major brand engineered mistake foisted on Pontiac. It was truly a sign of things to come, not only to Pontiac, but GM as a whole.
G8 gt, trac off, sport shift, floor it, THE WORLD
@@williamepps9519 Lol so so true.
For those of us that were children of the 1960s and teenagers of the 1970s, PONTIAC will forever hold a special place in our hearts and memories. They were ABOUT something!
Until them and Saturn became victim of GM's badge engineering! It's a shame that the G8 didn't make it, as it was the right car at the wrong time due to the 2008 recession and everyone wanting fuel-sippers.
I still have my tiger tail..flew it out of the trunk of '65 goat..
@@PlymouthNeon dont forget oldsmobile
My parents had a Catalina.
@@oilsmokejones3452 Theres a tiger in the tank! lol, what a cool time for cars. Im only 30 but even I can see the amazing spirit and appeal of the 60s n 70s and even some 80s cars. Like we will never see a production car with a huge hood scoop, aggressive styling and pinstripes with a giant phoenix painted on it in this era. Hell, even the fun of t-tops have completely disappeared. All cars now stink of design by committee with absolutely no risks taken.
This is better than anything on TV, thank you.
that line got me "the only thing a car enthusiast values more than a car they can't have, is a car that they once had, but lost" i miss my 89 prelude those pop up headlights would pop up my mood every time
I hear you. I still miss my '89 Buick Electra Park Ave. If I ever win the lotto, I'm tracking it back down and dumping $50k into that old boat.
I miss my '89 Pontiac Grand Prix with its 5 speed. At some point I'll find a nice one and put it in my garage.
I so agree with you I loved my 86 t-type but completely adored my 06 spice red metallic gto that was my dream car the first car I ever named. her name was Audrey I mourned her when I got hit by a drunk driver and I still miss that car I am going to get another 06 gto and yes I know it's a Monaro but here in georgia where I live she's a gto and it's still my number 2 obtainable dream car
I miss my 1989 Thunderbird. Yeah, it was a beater, non-supercharged, and I basically had to fix /everything/ on it (and had so many "works for the most part" bits), but I miss it.
Maybe someday, I'll get one that gen w/ Supercharger. Someday.
So true. If someone said "Hey, I have a Black, 1991 Mercury Grand Marquies LS for sale" I would be all over them. Or an '03 Marauder. We ALL love that first car we lost.
Having sold and serviced Pontiacs for over 40 years this was a trip down memory lane thank you for a great story.
Thank you for your service(s)
@tum wish they were still around had meant bunny's and a 67 lemons ho was a good on a lemons platform 389 gto int lemons exterior
Wow! You're my hero. Just like one guy I know, he was workin on the Fiat 125p and 126p cars his whole life. He knows every single bolt, you can wake him up at 1 o'clock a.m. and he will fix that car :-)
I shake your hand giving you much respect! I own a Pontiac G6 and will always replace what it needs and hang on to it! when i was 9 i remember watching my mom rebuild a motor on a convertible GTO! I still cherish those memories! she was absolutely amazing! she's now a 71 yr old retired certified mechanic! she tough me everything! 🥰
@@scottsmith596 - Either English is obviously NOT your native language (or) you are DRUNK.
What are you trying to say?
My first car when I turned 16 was a '51 P0ntiac four door Chieftan. I sold my bicycle for $25;00, borrowed $10;oo from my Dad and bought this car. Straight-8, Hydromatic, 200,000+ miles. It ran great and polished up brighter than my Dads '61 Merc. Loved that car. (DH)
My very first car was a '54 Pontiac with the straight 8 motor I bought in 1960. Over the years I have always either owned a Pontiac or at least was Pontiac powered. Today I drive a Pontiac Fiero...V6 5 speed, which I bought almost ten years ago with less then 20K on it (It had belonged to a Pontiac dealer in MN, who, because it was the last year of production, placed it on his showroom floor for seven years then moved it to Florida, where he drove it as his personal car only when on vacation. It is my only car now and has about 75K on it. My mechanic has his eye on it and I have promissed it to him when I'm through with it.
For decades I had a boat with a V-drive powered by a Pontiac 400 and spent many hours on Lake Shasta cruising. About 15 years ago that was the first 'date' my Austailian 2nd wife and I had....a day spent cruising around on Shasta Lake.
Excellent film. My first car (when I was 19) was a 1965 Grand Prix, bought from the adult children of its recently-deceased original owner for $2200. What a fine car: comfortable, reliable, and with presence for days.
So you didn't call it Christine then?
@@nickibanks5185 Nah; it was yellow and black, not red and white!
Real talk. My grandmother has a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (modified not numbers matching). I am currently in the process of trying to preserve the car through regular maintenance, and replacing parts that need replacing (replacing the stock carb with a Edelbrock 600 4-barrel) It's going to be a long process, but I am determined to do right by the old bird.
Please keep it going! It deserves to be tearing up the roads
Grandma shudda got a Grand Am instead! :P
There's a small cradle that supports the 2 trans coolant lines on their way from the radiator to the trans and back. Wire brush these clean and squirt the area full of 50 year pure silicone as this cradle tends to accumulate moisture and rot holes in the trans lines. Unless yours is a stick-shift. That was the only trouble I had with my '88 bird that I could have prevented. Also be aware, like the Mustangs, the inner door handles snap off and unless you gentle with them, you'll be opening the windows to grab the outside handle to let yourself out.
I love waking up to one of these videos and sit down with a cup of coffee and listening my morning away.
Or apparently one year later on the train
My teen years coincided with Pontiac muscle car development. My grandfather was in management then, my uncle in their design and my father worked there and I got to drive a couple of development cars. Long story short, you presentation was well produced, made with heart and more accurate than any I have seen. Thank you!
Going to be honest. Pontiac holds a special place in my life. Grew up in a 99 Grand Prix being driven everywhere. That car was and is still a trooper. I plan to keep it as long as I live.
God Damn. 1 hour and 20 mins of RCR? MY BODY IS READY!!!
That's what i said, until i heard romans horrible, breathy, spit-slathered voice and i almost puked.
Roman is a beautiful man and shall be respected.
@@frick4914 not by me he shall not
Ian Holmquist unbelievable
Hey hey hey. This is a family channel
Bro.... this is a full-on documentary. Great job!
will not like... because 69
and allways good for a rewatch
Excellent 👍 documentary on the birth the life and the demise of the Pontiac brand.The last words about the brand was Especially poignant.
It was like a eulogy of the life and times of a loved one , of a loved famous person, of a friend... Something that is memorable and precious as a ❤️❤️❤️ automotive enthusiast could imagine.
During and after the 2009 crisis I was saddened by the deaths of Phymouth and earlier in the 2000's Mercury BUT , Pontiac really struck a cord within my automotive loving heart .... First like any death of something or someone special there is shock, then denial, then hope that all is not true and hope of a Resurrection from the grave.
And then... There's the realization that it a done deal and there's nothing else left except memories of what was and what could have been.... R I P .. Pontiac....😫
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it does say “the life and death of pontiac”
I wish I had my friend’s 67 GTO . I was so blessed to live as a teen in the sixties .The muscle car era was the best .
what an amazing profile picture for someone born in the 50s and someone that cant even spell sixties correctly, Thank you for faking the fact you were a teenager in the 1960s, decades before you were born
@@qrud LOL Nailed it! have a like sir
IT'S 1:30 IN THE MORNING, WHY DID I HAVE TO DISCOVER THIS NOW
2:18am just finished the walk down memory lane LMAO
You guys made a History channel car movie...😁
Fuck history channel lol
I don’t see any aliens in here....
The History Channel is now the alien conspiracy theory channel.
You're lacking in Pawnstars, Pickers, alligator hunting, Aliens, searching for non existent Nazi gold or historically inaccurate period series (oh the irony). So you're so much better.
@@Ideo7Z Like Pickers and Pawn Stars. By the way you forgot Counting Cars
The movie Smokey And The Bandit made the Trams Am a bigger hit in 1977. Every one wanted to be the bandit.
I did have a 78 Trans Am, and wished I had a girlfriend like Sally Field.
I remember Burt Reynolds telling a story (probably here on CZcams somewhere) of when they made Smokey & the Bandit and how popular it made the Trans-Am by seriously increasing it's annual sales. He said the head of GM called him and, in their appreciation, GM pledged to give him a "free T/A every year for life". Burt said he graciously accepted the offer and sure enough, every year around the same time a brand new T/A would be delivered to his home until one year he didn't receive one. No T/A, no letter, no call, no nothing... just silence. He hesitated even calling them about it but he eventually did and they promptly told him there was a new man in charge of GM and he said "We aren't doing that anymore". Burt said, "Okay, thank you very much", and that was that.
I thought it was really cool of GM to send him a new T/A every year like that but it was a really shitty thing to do to just not say anything about it when they decided to retract their original offer to send him a free T/A every year. You would think at the very least GM would have sent a letter or simply called him on the phone beforehand, but to just do NOTHING was a truly low-class move on the part of GM. I get that they would eventually cease doing this because there comes a point where, as great a movie as it may be, it no longer does anything for their sales. Be that as it may, when a company as big as GM promises to send you a new car every year for life, you should at least contact the person in question should you choose to cease honoring what you told them you would do "for life".
When I saw that video clip my opinion of GM has never been the same, as I didn't really have a problem with them no longer sending a wealthy movie star a free car every year. It was simply the WAY they did it which I didn't like.
@@johnhancock6114 I saw the video you're talking about and I also thought it was really shitty of GM to not atleast tell Burt Reynolds they weren't going to do that anymore. Least they could do was to tell him first.
KITT was nice too
My Dad had one when I was a kid and it was a beast!!
I have a 2000 Grand Prix that I ordered brand new in Feb of 2000. It’s Candy apple red with a grey interior! It will be 21 years old in Feb and has 120,000 miles on it! It was rustproofed when new and has a life time guarantee for the original owner! I have had 1 rocker panel replaced! Just had the power steering pump and rack replaced and all new brake lines put in! I love this car!
Still got my 88 Fiero, waiting patiently for a new life. It's a street legal gokart, so much fun!
Take my advice; scrap the puny stock engine and put in something "somewhat" more substancial...like a Sonny's 1000....or something like tha...t
@@cindylawrence1515 definitely, the worn out 6cyl is still is fun but I have a 350 v8 that may go in it
My blood runs cold, my memory has just been sold. My angel is the centerfold, Angel is the centerfold.
Can you imagine a 2020 car coming out with a giant flaming bird on the hood?
I long for the day.
Yes. Yes I can
Actually, if there was a movie which promoted such a beast, sure, it'd be pretty normal. I don't remember many other cars before the Firebird with such graphics
You can buy one . A camaro with a conversion kit. There is a GTO one too. They are expensive, though
With today’s wildly overwrought styling (martian silverado anyone) a car with the screaming chicken on it in 2020 would be comparatively muted. In reality, the (sigh) cybertruck is the cleanest design in years.
I never understood why they kept Buick and killed Pontiac. This video helped me understand. It was still the wrong move, but at least I know why they did it.
Heck, they could bring Pontiac back right now and produce nothing but sporty RWD vehicles. They'd make a fortune.
Exactly mate and they could not only be GM's Mopar but also America's BMW as well.
I'm surprised how it wanted only two brands left, which I think made more sense.
But on the business sense, they have their side of the story.
Oh, that Matiz. Pontiac had strong ties with Daewoo Motors in South Korea. Daewoo eventually got rebranded as GM Korea. I remember seeing the Daewoo Matiz on the expressways all over the peninsula when I lived there. They were just comically small cars. The first time I saw a Daewoo Pontiac, though, was maybe 1993 and I saw a Daewoo Lemans complete with Pontiac badging. :-)
This was a great video and thank you. My grandfather owned nothing but Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs. I remember the time he bought a Grand Prix and he was so very excited because the instrument panel looked like the cockpit of an airplane. :-)
As a native of Flint, Michigan, it's good to see that we're written into the annals of history beyond the water crisis and "most dangerous city" in the U.S..
Alfred P. Sloan as well as the other captains of General Motors have their fingerprints all over Flint. We have a museum named after Sloan, as well as the Buick Gallery and Research Center, a hotel-turned-upscale-apartment building named after Durant, and statues of William Durant, Louis Chevrolet, Alfred P. Sloan, Albert Champion, and J. Dallas Dort in and around the downtown area. Hell, the sit-downers strike and the founding of the UAW could be an RCR story on its own.
daniel bean I fail to see where my feelings were hurt.
@daniel bean go to school Tommy. You still have a lot to learn about reading comprehension.
Flint.....a dirty word recognized worldwide. The only city in the United States worse than east St. Louis
@daniel bean we in Flint lost a lot more than one brand, we lost the Chevrolet, Buick, ACDelco, and Engine plants in town
Barry white. Grow up. Picking on the Jewish people is getting very very old asshole.
Rest in peace, Pontiac. You have joined the great company of lost automotive glories.
Very well done. I was a technician at a Saturn dealer and badge engineering is what killed Saturn. If GM would have allowed Saturn to keep its identity it would still be here today. It started with the L series which was a rebadged Opel and we joked the L stood for Lemon because of all of the issues that car had.
The Saturn Sky was also a rebadged Opel. What a pretty little death-trap.
GM marketing: "We want to try something way weird and different." Bosses: "Give it to the Pontiac Division." (I once owned a Fiero)
Pontiac wanted a car to take on the Corvette, but the board of directors wasn't having any of that. As an insult, Pontiac was told to base their new car off of the Chevette instead. I think they did pretty well under the circumstances.
@@Hathorr1067 that sounds a lot like favoritism to the highest extent
@@Hathorr1067 It's funny considering the c2 was a crtl c and crtl v of the Pontiac Banshee. And GM had a policy similar to Ferrari ie "herp derp you can't make anything more powerful then this". So if you want blame anyone for the death of Pontiac blame the lazy fucks at Chevy that stole their design.
@@Hathorr1067 And they did….at least partially. Some steering components from ‘84-87 crossed with the Chevette.
Another former Fiasco owner. Had an ‘85 2M4, an ‘85 GT (both ultimately for parts) and an ‘88 Formula. Shame that GM didn’t let them build the proposed 2nd generation, where the 3800 would have replaced the 2.8. Would have been a halfway competent sports car.
"A car they Once had and lost" ever time I see a fastback Fiero I cry a little.
@daniel bean bruh
daniel bean ....never nothing so wrong with the Fiero as being under powered and fit and finish were lack lister. They sold a cheap but really lacked punch which was what the care needed. Like the Corvair, engineering wasn't thorough enough but, two great cars none the less.
As an Australian thank you. This cleared up so much and was just a monster info dump about the brand that was pretty much unheard of here and I loved it.
I brought your GTO. Its the Holden of USA.
Pontiac was axed instead of Buick, strictly because China was a huge market and Buick was the most prestigious name in cars in China, because The Last Emperor and his bureaucracy were Buick fanboys and later Commie officials were also Buick fans., perhaps just by happenstance, because they were the cars available to China way back then, through kits, license, import., or whatever it was, when most Chinese were lucky to have sandals, much less a car! The Feds , when they were bailing out GM during the 2008/2009 economic crisis, told GM they'd need to choose, so GM knowing there was a built in huge market in China for Buick, killed off Pontiac, even though Pontiac clearly was more popular than Buick, back in the States, because, unknown to most people in the States, Buick was huge in a huge market, with huge potential!
Australian cars are really interesting to me, on the one hand you have lots of Japanese imports and some European brands that Americans never heard of... and then you have huge engined huge bodied cars too! Not to mention the utes, and putting huge American-style engines in tiny imported European cars in the 70s and 80s.. it's a really interesting bag there.
@@sparky6086 gm did Pontiac dirty. As a Oldsmobile fan boy i feel their pain
I factory ordered a 1965 LeMans with a 326 V-8, dual exhausts w/marvelously mellow mufflers, 4-on-the-floor, bucket seats w/center console and a Midnight Blue exterior. Best car I ever owned and boy, what I wouldn’t give to have it back!
I am loving this channel, learning about the cars I only know from movies and TV is just so much fun.
When you say the Firebird defined the 70s you are not kidding, I mean when James Gardner was asked what car he wanted to do his own stunt driving in on The Rockford File he chose the Firebird. It doesn't get much more iconic than that.
I know who who Alfred P. Sloan was after hearing his name before so many PBS shows I watched as a kid, so thanks for that.
When I was a kid in the 90s I thought Pontiacs were the most boring looking cars on the road that were not minivans, who's idea was it to take the brand from being cool in the 70s to dull in the 90s?
I said it before and I'll say it again. GM should've axed Buick or GMC instead of Saturn or Pontiac. I feel that towards the end they were innovating while GMC's and Buick just make rebadged Chevy's to this day.
I can agree with axing GMC instead of Pontiac but Saturn should've died. At least Buick was profitable in China and axing Buick would disrupt GM's overseas market share.
I understand. I just remember being real impressed with the sky and ion back then and it really felt like they where trying something new towards the end, probably too little too late at that point, while Buick wasn't doing it for me. I know it makes business sense when they cut the 2 companies I just wish they would've went with the other two since they were playing it safe and releasing mediocre cars.
The absolutely should have axed Buick. But I think their demographic for Buick and Pontiac were so different. Buick was for elderly. Pontiac was fighting for the same ground as GMC. GMC sold trucks. That's why they kept it.
Idiot Online Wondering Aloud - uhh yes they do. Plenty of rich white people driving NEW Escalades. You’re thinking of people driving 10-15 year old Escalades
...Good point
"Sensible Six" - that was my nickname back in high school.
Your video made me realize I probably experienced some of their best years when I worked there. I got to drive exciting GTOs and Firebird Trans Ams, the nice looking Lemans, and Grand Prix, the luxurious Bonneville. You showed me there wasn't too much of interest after that time.
I had a 1964 Parisienne ragtop, in the 70s, and loved that car!
For many years my first wife drove Pontiacs and both of my sons learned to drive on a 57. Myself, I've driven a Fiero since 89 and currently an 88 Fiero V6 five speed, which I bought seven years ago with 20K on it. It had originally belonged to a dealership in Mankato, MN, and the dealer placed it on the showroom floor for seven years, then took it for his own personal car, shipped it to Florida and only drove it when he was on vacation.
I also drive a 58 GMC pick up with a 60 389 Pontiac engine. It's been breathed on a bit with later heads and roller rocker arms...and has surprised many over the years.
Am I the only one that got slightly emotional watching this..?
RIP Pontiac. You have been, and forever shall be missed.
probably . no one misses their pontiacs. they celebrate having finally rid themselves of em' . no kiddin.
@@newbiepee7273 With 90% of post-80s Pontiacs, I would agree with you. They didn't really make the best (or even good) consumer-grade cars... But the death of a significant part of American muscle car history is a sad thing to see pass.
RIP Trans Am and GTO.
@@CurtDegree ya the non boomer era plastic ones for sure. just nvr see the old school rear wheel ones ever anywhere since like 2000 or lil before.
GM ;
“Giant Mistakes “
You can rightly blame GM management for the murder of
Pontiac AND Oldsmobile !
They were both fantastic cars , I owned both over the years.
GM mgt failed to foresee the future and build smaller more fuel effecient cars, then ( get this) they covered their asses by charging that both these fine divisions had run their time and horridly closed them down.
@@jnstonbely5215 ehh i mean theyre all the same POS. esp the 90s and 00s . saturn was the only off brand clone brand that shoulda coulda hung arnd. nowaday an elec. ion would prob do well or since cavis are dead bring out a new SC w. like a rs sport option/package, i saw a teal trailblazer the other day and was little much on one those but that teal paint looks great. i had lota sunbirds and SC1 and 2s but wouldt really want anything to do with like a 90s+ era cavalier. maybe a real early boxy one w. v6 but those ones where the whole freakin dash has to come out uhhhhgggg noo way. gimme 30 dodge neons or better yet Elantras but id be damned if i purchased or willingly drove like 2 decades of those shitty cavs or the plasticy ass ugly grand ams. there was a kid who put yellow lightening bolt body length decals on a forrest green sedan god it was ugliest thing ive4 ever seen. glad they nixed most of their ugly cousins and siblings , waay too many and they all sucked.
The G6 based on an ATS chassis would be brilliant. The ATS with the V6 is a brilliant car hampered by needless fake luxury setup. I'd love to have a G6 with the 3.6 V6, a manual and rather simple interior.
you mean a Camaro?
@@cpt_bill366 Something you can see put of would be nice too. I rented a Camaro SS a few weeks ago, it didn't particularly blow me away, it felt really large and the 10 speed transmission was infuriating, laggy, slow to respond. It was a great vehicle at wide open throttle, else it was frustrating at mid throttle. The interior was great, the best interior user interface I've come across in the center console of a vehicle in a long time.
Didn’t GM just kill the ATS?
Shame they didn't offer the ATS 4dr sedan with a n/a V8, rwd as a Caddy, Pontiac or Chevy...would have been a nice follow up to the Chevrolet SS/Holden Commodore/Pontiac G8/V1 CTS-V.
John Pearson the g6 was actually a pretty good car, many of them still on the road today. The current 3.6 v6 has quite a bit more power than the 3.5 v6 offered back then. That 4 speed auto was the g6s Achilles heel. Put one of the current autos in it and it would still sell. A 300 hp sedan that gets 30 mpg would eat into Camry and accord sales.
I had 2 Sunfires and preferred then over the Cavalier. They ran everyday reliably until accidents! I still am looking at Pontiacs for my daughters first car. They are out there in large numbers still running well.
27:46 the most beautiful Bonneville of them all -- the '57 convertible.
Hey RCR. Just wanted to say thank you guys. I work graveyard shifts, and don't really have many friends, so having your videos play in the background at work is a great escape. Keep up the great quality content, I love the longer vids like this, and the shorter car reviews too. All in all, awesome fucking channel.
Who needs friends? LOL
toyoscio
Exactly. They only use you. I prefer to be alone.
@@chrisj197438 There's nothing wrong with that.
I bought a new Pontiac GTO in 2004. It was awesome. But it didn't come with a 6 speed manual transmission. So I bought another one in 2006. The last year of GTO. This time I got the 6 speed manual. The engine was bumped up from 350 horsepower to 400 horsepower. It was so fun. I put it away every winter and broke it out in the spring. I loved it. Then my son said that he wanted to live in China for a few years. Not having the money to finance his adventure, I sold my GTO. I have missed it ever since. Oh Well.
This guy is low key funny. I like it. I'm learning something on these RegularCar Stories videos, even on subjects where i already knew something. Well done. Please keep them coming.
Came close to buying a used 64 GTO w/3 duces progressive linkage in 66. Couldn’t afford the insurance. Probably just as well, I’m still here to tell the story.
Great job, from a Pontiac enthusiast and owner of a 66 GTO, 60 Catalina convert, 76 Firebird not in that order,lol
Pontiac is my favorite car company and I drive one and love it like it's my life. This video came out on my 18th birthday. Thank you
What Pontiac do you own?
@@gregorymarsh9504 2000 grand prix gtp I'm the middle of a full motor rebuild on the supercharged 3800
My father owned 3 GPs from 1977 to 1985. When they started on the rounded body styles in '88 he was out. My mother had a 4 door '71 Catalina. She only turned the A/C on when we drove from Dayton, OH to Humboldt, TN. Literally, ice would form on the vents. I loved those old Pontiacs, even though now like Nissan's if somebody tells me they're going to buy one I try to stop them. Had great times in that '85 Grand Prix Brougham. Less than 2 hundred horsepower but enough torque to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again.
That was amazing. Such a truly sad story, ending so disrespectfully for Pontiac. You presented and delivered this incredibly, that was the shortest hour twenty I've watched in a while. Fantastic work!
Growing up in Pontiac it was interesting to see the old Oakland plants and Fisher body. The Foundry. Plus Truck & Bus.
Now the city has hit the skids.
Its like the entire town is an abandoned mall now. Very walking dead ish.
I once worked in the Phoenix Center on Wide Track Drive, just outside the city were beautiful estates
Legend has it that very G6 is still sitting in a dealership parking lot .
It was built to fill a fleet order, so no.
Well it's definitely sitting in some parking lot anyway, just a rental lot in this case.
Fleet vehicle from 10 years ago? At best, that thing is on the fourth owner, hooned out and leaking oil on someone's street.
@@zestymordant Yep. I'm sure you could build quite a hoopty fleet of clapped out $250 G6's, spraying out their fluids like the ghetto porn stars they were always meant to be.
The G6 was quite popular, which is why there were still fleet orders for it despite the brand being killed.
You are absolutely correct in the Le Mans being a version of the Tempest during the early 60s. Even in 1968 they still made a Tempest Le Mans. Identical body style as my 1968 GTO but minus the Enduro bumper, the 400CID engine and the Muncie 4 speed w/Hurst shifter. I still miss my GOAT. SIGH.
I was nearly asleep, but this was a great detailed tribute to my favorite car brand.... I currently have 7 Pontiacs from 63-75 and just FINALLY sold my 2005 Vibe, bought new on 9/22/04. Pontiac was indeed coming back, and it is really a shame that GM didnt let Waldron give it a go. So many great slogans, "The Mark of Great Cars" "Pure Pontiac", Wide-Track... "We build Excitement" Put a tiger in your tank.... Grrrrr... Well, those of us who keep the memory alive, can just enjoy our head turning on lookers when we cruise down in a Stacked headlight, coke bottle, Wide track in one of those signature colors... Thanks so much for the effort on this... I just wish that 66 Grand Prix was in better shape..
Great video. I always wondered why Pontiac was sacrificed but it makes sense to amputate a more youth and fun oriented brand in a time of austerity when young buyers where struggling to make ends meet.
Exactly. Business
Though that creates a long term problem of its own. Yeah older generations like boomers may be the only ones with money for the most part, but what happens when they stop driving and buying? I think it was a bit funny Roman didn't make mention of the new GTO , when it some ways just kind of actually shared the G-8 issues about... Its rollout not catching enough Gen Xers, a few of whom might have the damn money but had due to various doldrums basically lost interest in newer cars that were attainable as mostly just front drive and bloat, instead of shouting to the rooftops 'This isn't just a gussied-up imitation Accord! It's a mad Holden for America! ' I know I wasn't following much new-car news at the time, but if I'd *had* a different income bracket I probably would have needed my attention actually grabbed. (Frankly, US car *ads* even seemed afraid to say something even was rear drive or could be had with a stick, thinking these weren't what most consumers wanted to hear, but for halo cars, you bet, yeah.
It's kind of like the mistake Ford made with the weird-looking 'Mercury Merkur XR4ti' which just looked lumpy and weird and probably could also be assumed to be another front drive thing with a weird wing setup, and no one knew the potential pretty much cause they were pretty much sold to Lincoln Mercury customers. If they stuck like the Cosworth name on that, people would have noticed here.
@@OllamhDrab well, what ends up happening when they don't pay attention to the Gen Y generation until it's too late is the mid-engine Corvette. A car that pisses off the older Generations, but it's really not meant for them. It's meant for the guy that's in his mid-thirties that makes six figures a year and wants a fun sports car that's like a Ferrari, without a Ferrari price tag. And there you have it. The demise of brands like Pontiac have led to other GM automakers now scrambling to revise themselves as more appealing to millennials at the last minute. And it looks awkward honestly.
@@jlcii Hrm. Being a Gen Xer I'm pretty dismayed about most cars seeming to be made for blithe acceptance of completely computer-and-battery-dependent cars without even physical keys, for pity's sake, touchpad screens you can't use by feel and will be hugely expensive if not impossible to replace by the time they hit the used market bracket I'm usually in... and so are many of my friends.... A lot of the problem is a lot of my generation and especially the ones after just don't have the scratch to *be* new car buyers in the mass numbers some would prefer, so they try to get everyone in crossovers or sedans.
I'm not alarmed about the C8 in particular, though, not in the market, even at that price, but some fans have wanted that for decades and it looks pretty slick. There's still the C7 for those who want FR configuration, and I think they basically got that right, by the sound of things.
Pontiac was axed instead of Buick, strictly because China was a huge market and Buick was the most prestigious name in cars in China, because The Last Emperor and his bureaucracy were Buick fanboys and later Commie officials were also Buick fans., perhaps just by happenstance, because they were the cars available to China way back then, through kits, license, import., or whatever it was, when most Chinese were lucky to have sandals, much less a car! The Feds , when they were bailing out GM during the 2008/2009 economic crisis, told GM they'd need to choose, so GM knowing there was a built in huge market in China for Buick, killed off Pontiac, even though Pontiac clearly was more popular than Buick, back in the States, because, unknown to most people in the States, Buick was huge in a huge market, with huge potential!
I was and am sad to see Pontiac go. But GM tried to have a brand for everyone with little more than badge engineering. It's really too bad.
F in chat for SAAB...
GM gives everything, swede need only restyle....
They even change wheelbase
it was only this way starting in the 1980s. Just like the centralization of department store chains in the US-- just greed, stupid/laziness, and "bigger is better" mentality vs the "innovation and brand-building is better" mission GM was guided by for all the decades before. Each division was actually its own independent operation-- developing its own technology, engines, platforms and body parts. The history of GM and what Sloan did to create an upwardly mobile divisional branding system to keep buyers in GM cars as they graduated income and lifestyle levels was a fascinating and innovative strategy-- and waay ahead of its time when he came up with it in the 1920s. It would be like if Toyota Camry's, Chevy Pickups, Chrysler 300s, and Dodge Challengers (dodge wouldb e the closest thing to "pontiac"s function today), Lexus and Cadillac were each as they are now - but produced under one company's leadership, today.
Excellent Documentary, well-done 👍🏽
I cracked up regarding the reference to the Yonkers accent, living in the NY Metro burbs I can appreciate that one. I owned a Gen3 Firebird a nice looking car but build quality was certainly lacking. Personally I liked the look and concept of the Solstice and as you said any Pontiac
differentiation went out the window with the rebadged Saturn Sky...The Pontiac Aztec failure reminds me of Ford's Merkur XR4TI.
Excellent upload. My first car was a Pontiac............which I do sincerely miss. It was an absolute lemon, but I'll be dammed if it wasn't my first love on 4 wheels 💔
We need this level of documentary on the 90's motorcycle speed wars :)
Yeah, good idea! I was a bike nut in the 90's, but when the Hyabusa came out, even as young and stupid as I was, I thought "ENOUGH ALREADY!!!"
Heck yes.
Suzuki wins. There ya go. Saved you a ton of time.
Yes we do
They said they wanted to do it.
All I want for Christmas is a 65 Pontiac GTO 389 Tri-Power.
Invidious Ignoramus I do as well and my dad does as well.
@Umbra Mortis oh, a 64? Not a fan of the stacked headlights of the 65?
You're gonna laugh, but what I've always wanted was a '64 Catalina 4-door, with a 401 and just swap out the trans for a Richmond 5-speed...
I know it's not a GTO, but I'd love to just drive it every day. I'm not sure if it'll work in the winter though.. Most people use 60s muscle-cars as some kind of week-end toy, but I'm thinking, at one point these weren't collectible vehicles, they were just regular transportation, so they must have some kind of heater or rear-window defroster, right?
@Umbra Mortis I was afraid someone would mention rust.. Guess I'd need to think of sending it off to get stripped, rust-proofed, painted and coated before really thinking of it as a daily. I live in Romania so that'd be wise, given it would be nearly impossible to get spare panels here in case of rusting.
We also have a thing here, for our old Dacias, a kind of paste that we use to coat the underside of cars, and also grease for the inside of sills. Would be a bit silly to use it on a US import, but physics is physics and would likely work...
Invidious Ignoramus 69 Catalina is what I’d want
I didnt hear you talk about the formula 1 firebird. I had 1 for a short time and it was a street racer on steroids.. 400 sd backed by a 4 speed and 12 bolt posi, rearend... damn that car was fast...
Damn, right when he made the comment at the end about wanting what you once had, he showed a late 60's Lemans. When I was in my early 20's, I had a 67 convertible Lemans V8 that I STUPIDLY sold for $500. This was around the early to mid 80's. My father was furious (but we weren't speaking at the time) since he had initially sold me the car, and told me if I sold it, he wanted first refusal. Other than a rough paint job, the car ran and drove fine, and boy do I still kick myself when I think about it!!
I'm going to guess the Ford Scorpio referenced in the "Ugliest Cars" list wasn't the generation pictured that looks like a big Sierra Sapphire, but the one that followed. It looked like a bad mix of 90s Lincoln and "Ovals Everywhere" FERD (see: the late 90s/00s "Millennial Chariot" Taurus). I think Quentin Wilson said that was the car designed by Ray Charles.
Speaking of ovals, Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth's "cab forward" era was pretty dreadful as well, responsible for the "cloud cars," the neon, and intrepid...
Ford is still around. Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Hummer and Saab have gone to the "dust bin" of Automotive History joining Rambler, Desoto, Packard, Plymouth, Studebaker and other iconic car brands.
Yeah, that one was an eyesore lol.
Still, if you want cheap luxury transportation they practicly give these things away lol
And most of them are still brand new.
Only 65 year old grey man bought those back in the day and only drove it 2 times a week.
It's surprising so many brands we grew up with are gone. I remember the dealership signs were like.... Ford Lincoln Mercury Bobcat dealer.
@@4thstooge75 you forgot Mercury and even though everyone forgets this one the Eagle.
I’m 23 and Pontiac will forever be ingrained in my blood. My father had various Pontiac Trans Am’s back when he was in high school. I kept one for 30+ years. A 78 Black and Gold Pontiac Trans Am. He became morbidly obese Passed away and left the car to me. It’s been my first and only car. And I’m never getting rid of it.
I still have a love affair with the Pontiac split grill. Early 60s Pontiacs, especially from the front view we’re the best looking cars, and at the time some of the best performing!
It's sad how we went from cars like the GTO, the Chevelle, the Mustang, the Roadrunner, Barracuda, etc. to cars of the 1970's like the Vega.
@@mickeymch876 The vega, I always thought they were kinda cool Looking when they were dressed up, but the aluminum block really didn't do it any favors back then.
We really need a Life and Death of Oldsmobile video. This is America's first production automobile and first true musclecar to boot: the 1949 Rocket 88.
Hello RCR,
My grandfather has been into the pontiac brand since the 60's, with the advent of the Tempest G.T.O. He has bought and restored old Firebirds and G.T.O.s, either to keep or for profit. He was very distraught once 2009 rolled around, killing pontiac in the year, as he loved pontiac since they became the affordable performance brand. He also thought "Why Pontiac? Why not Buick?" yet, even he understood how well Buick did overseas. As of now, he takes his personal Gold, Red, Burgandy, Silver, and/or Liliac G.T.O.s to Nationals and nearby carshows. Since I was very little, it was always a treat to hear that V8 rumble.
- H
I've never needed to pencil in time to watch a youtube video straight through before. This is amazing.
The thing I liked about Pontiac was that it's basically GM's Mopar and America's BMW. I think the Coolest Pontiac cars are the Tempest, the Lemans, The GTO, the Firebird, and definitely has to be the Trans-AM from Smokey and the Bandit.
Great list I would add K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider also.
@@stevemilnes8845 Sounds awesome brother
I’ve loved trans-am since I was a kid, and I’m only 24. Such remarkable cars and I loved the look of Pontiac. Always wanted a grandam for my first car lol.
Great video! I'm really surprised that the 2003 attempted re-introduction of the GTO was not mentioned though.
I'm unsure if captain planet would be onboard with a 455 HO...but it was pretty awesome that Pontiac's response to the OPEC oil crisis was...that, with a 4 speed. It was memorable though and I've always loved them for it. (If you're not familiar, everyone else's response was quite different)
The Corvette is my favorite car but Pontiac was my favorite brand. I had a 79 firebird, an85 fiero GT, and a 1995 firebird trans am. I completely agree with Bob Lutz, and appreciate his honesty.
LT1 powwa Baby!!!
As a Japanese, I always ridiculed US car industry as "unreliable, technologically inferior but having too much pride", but after watching this video... I can probably feel and synpathize real gems in US car brands, especially in Pontiac, and now I'm sobbing for the unfortunate death of Pontiac. Yeah, although I would never buy Pontiac by myself cuz of goddamn high tariffs on foreign cars in JP, I can see real potential that Pontiac could become exciting sporty brand like Mazda. This is real shame that it will never happen...😭
Anyway, great video, so great that it really changed my mind on US car brands😘
I'm in Australia . It's the same as the loss of our iconic Holden .. or gmh .. I believe some Holden models were sold in USA as police cars .. time moves on and things fade to Grey
@@steverowland7828 one of the Holden V8 sedans was rebranded as a “Chevy SS” and sold here in the states. It never gained popularity, but it was was one hell of a sleeper and by all accounts from the people who owned them, an absolute blast to drive.
Shame GMs marketing has done so horrible at advertising anything besides the Silverado and Corvette since (probably) the 90s. It definitely could have been a hit with enthusiasts if word got out on it back when it was released.
@@CurtDegree well we will be left to wonder . .. move on as they say .. and go electric .. ultimately fast and " nothing to go wrong " electrical stuff works or it doesn't ! Pretty much
Awesome video, ,,,,,,loved every minute of it!
GM should bring Pontiac back as a performance brand...but then again, they're even cutting the Camaro so what do I know
Exactly, it's a SUV world now
@@toyoscio SUV/ Pickup Trucks
It would've been nice to see Pontiac make vehicles going head to head with what Dodge has now.
chaseman94 hell yes that would be awesome.
Eh I don’t think they’ll axe the camaro. Literally no source has any actual report from gm just speculation
I think the 1965 Bonneville is the most beautiful car ever (followed closely by the 1968 Caprice/Impala). Thanks for this informative and well written documentary. I love some of your comparisons--I LOL'd!
As a child I have always had a fascination towards the automotive world. From playing my hot wheels to watching racing on TV. The one brand that always seem to grace me from time to time was Pontiac and it all started when Knight Rider came out. I was only around 5 and I loved the show, especially that car. My 2nd cousin was so into the car itself he end up a buying a new '84 Trans Am and then a few years later a GTA/trans am. I was always a GM guy and My 1st car was a used '78 monte carlo at 16, but it was my 2nd car was where I truly became a enthusiast, a '87 Trans Am. I had so much fun driving that machine that I kept the car till i turned 23 and end up going to a GTA trans am (couldn't believe I was considering of trading it in for a buick). Car shows ensued and I had a freind with 67 gold GTO and then my uncle wanted in with a bird of his own and end up getting a convertible 67 firebird. It was car shows and fun for quite awhile. The car culture is strong and Pontiac was the 'IT' car to own. I'm in my 40s now, missing those sentimental feels of owning a cool Pontiac and although I dont own my GTA anymore, I don't see nothing on the road today that would want me to buy new. I just recently started looking into a GTP/GTX by SLP thinking why not, it's still a Pontiac, supercharged and it's got some historic significance to muscle cars of yor only it will be considered as modern day muscle. I am brand loyalty and Pontiac is where i'll be till the end...
Hey brother my mom loved Pontiac as well.
CZcams finally recommends me a good vid! I love Pontiac.
The GTO and LeMans were option packages on the 1964-65 Tempest. Beginning in 1966 the GTO was given its on production line and distinctive vin. The LeMans remained an option on the Tempest in 66 carrying a Tempest Body code.
English is a HARD language aint it? L0L
Pontiac is like a mob boss's henchman. "Please, don't kill me boss, I swear, I can change!" and the mobster says "No, you've failed me for the last time!" *BANG*
A random conversation at work reminded me of your channel and I started going back through some of these old stories. You sir have an amazing talent for long form story telling.
Thank you SO much. Great work. I very much appreciate your efforts here.
RIP Pontiac. One of my all time favorite brands. I owned a 2006 GTO and man, what a car. I know, I know, it's a Monaro but I loved the mystique of the badge. I loved that it would surprise people and how balanced the power was to it's comfort. What a shame.
Okay gang, I have to really defend Roman's shameless plug of his other RCR Car Stories. They are all amazing, very well researched and presented. Totally worth the time to listen to all of them. Thank you sir, may I have another...
This is up there with Top Gear specials and Auto Motor & Sport theme numbers quality. The journey in quality of your writing and narration is staggering! you could be the David Attenborough of car documentaries and should be seeking a job with major filmmakers by now, i mean it.
I lived in Hopkinsville, Ky from 86 to 96. The cars around town were a reflection of what dealerships existed in a 100 mile radius. There wasn't much choice. We had a Chevy/GMC/Pontiac/Cadillac dealer Ford/Lincoln dealer (He didn't do Mercury) that was it. No Asian or Euro built car dealers in town at the time.
The GM dealer did not stock every model of every brand. He broke things down.
He stocked Chevy S10 small trucks and blazers & GMC full size trucks.
Chevy was his gas saver brand with Chevette, Sprint & Citation.
Pontiac was his mid size car and sold the most with Grand Am, Grand Prix, Sunbird, Bonneville & 6000.
Big cars were of course Cadillac.
Sports cars were the Camero IROC Z, Berlinetta & Z28, Pontiac Fiero GT(did not stock the 4cyl) & Firebird & Firebird SE.
If you wanted a 6cyl Camero you had to order it. If you wanted a Trans Am=order. Need one of the bigger Chevy cars=order. Want one of the smaller gas saving Pontiacs=order. Want a small GMC truck=order.
How ever he worked out his logic it worked. Pontiac ended up dominating the parking lots and driveways of town since most people purchased in that middle price, midsize range.
You stated the True Blue Oakland Six had 4 wheel disc brakes at 9:11 in. Disc brakes didn't come out until the 1950s, The car had 4 wheel brakes, most cars in its price range at the time only had brakes in the rear
Nick you’re right about the 2 wheel brakes, that was one reason for the demise of the Rickenbacker automobile. Captain Eddie insisted on 4 wheel brakes for his cars, while other auto companies whose cars featured only 2 wheel brakes claimed, rather ridiculously that brakes on th3 front wheels would cause the car to flip over in a panic stop. Studebaker was the first American car to offer disc brakes on the Avanti in 1962.
This is one of my favorite tales in American automotive history. Well done guys!
A bit long but very educational. Owned a Pontiac SSE and an Ssris over the years. Fun driving machines. Put 200,000 miles both.
Loved My Father’s 1967 Le Mans. It was beautiful and sexy car. RIP Pontiac
I love your long form content. Automotive history rocks.
Grand Am/Alero enthusiast community is still going strong. Got my Alero with the V6 up to 300,000 kilometers. Still drivable when i donated it to charity.
I grew up with my parents owning multiple Pontiacs. It was the car I took my drivers test in. So when a 2003 Pontiac GrandAm was offered to me in 2020 I pounced. Purchased for 3,100 dollars, garage kept, 31k millage, original owner with minimal repairs needed. I needed new brakes and rotors and a battery. I still own this car as my only vehicle. I cherish it and take the best of care. Of course the mileage is up now after multiple road trips up and down the east coast. She just rolled over to 64k this week. I plan on keeping her as mint as possible and hope someday she will be ready for some car shows. I call her my "time machine". She still looks brand new and I get asked alot about it from passersby. She's just the SE version but she's bright red with a spoiler. I absolutely would die for this car! I also love when my 11 and 14 year old nieces get jacked about the crank windows, they had never seen them before 😂
Thank you for the lack of adds. I am a die hard pontiac fan and own a G8. I appreciate the history I learned today
Pontiacs styling through the 60s was the best of all the GM cars of the day, especially the Grand Prix.
Agree. I ordered Black on Black 1970 Grand Prix SJ w/ 455. I had distributor re-curved and carb. reworked. Could smoke any and all road runners and mustangs. Would only run on Sunoco 260. What a beauty. Wish i had it now, be worth a fortune.
Also could listen to it idle all day long. What music!
I love the 63 and 64 Tempest/LeMans and early 60s 8 lug Bubble Top Super Duty Catalinas.
They’re beautiful styling continued through the 70’s if you ask me, firebirds, and gto’s looked good through the 70’s aswell.
I hit wrong button meant to be thumbs up!
Nostalgia is sure a seductive liar. Recalling the good ol" days driving this or that Pontiac. I do remember cursing out my Grand Am SE for head gaskets blowing at 60k.
Excellent video.
What year?
Based off my experience with Pontiac " BAD " as far as I concerned all of G.M can go the way of the DoDo bird , Chrysler with them and Ford can bring up the rear , they'd can all go to the junk yard , I'll never buy anything other than Japanese again .
@InfiniteMushroom
When Bush was President, gas was up past 5 dollars a gallon for a time. That toasted the Detroit economy, and every homeowner who worked for the big three, or supplier.
Remember how much better nostalgia used to be lol
@@travishagan8951 🤣🤣🤣
Excellent work and narration! It was fantastic to hear and watch. I couldn't congratulate you enough for the quality of the content! Hats off!
fell in love with Pontiac through my '03 sunfire; dad bought it brand new. It left us last month RIP please send your condolences
😢