The Death of Pontiac

Heartbreaking to see the demise of the Pontiac brand. The news is that GM may be cutting the division…following their decision to eliminate Saturn by 2012 in an effort to restructure and survive. I’m sad for the brand and its owners…not for the decision makers who drove it into the ground over the past decades (see Aztec). And I can’t believe that they’d rather keep Buick around, keeping it on life support to try and sell a few more land yachts to retirees.

Pontiac was always a bit flashier and faster than Chevy, but also cheaper than a comparable level Olds or Buick. It was more sporty, all about performance….. “loud and proud,” and had a more youthful image/marketing campaign. Like the Judge…

I owned a ’69 Firebird convertible for a few years….in sea foam green. The “green machine” was a great ride and was reliable enough to be a daily driver in Atlanta. Our dog loved riding in the back seat on the way to Zesto on Ponce.

But what I really dream of is a late 70’s Trans Am with a screaming eagle on the hood and t-tops above. However, mint ones are running well over $25K these days. I can’t afford to pay my respects that way, so instead I’ll organize a Smokey and the Bandit marathon. Enjoy the original trailer: