◐
Written by
on 

What's Your Favorite Pontiac? - Jalopnik

A Pontiac Piranha concept

GM

Daniel Golson recently asked y'all what dead brands you want to see make a comeback, and one answer rang out clear across the blog hinterlands: Pontiac. You want your Pontiac back. So let's talk about it. I want to know what car you think is peak Pontiac. What do you love about this long-lost brand, and what car made you love it? 

My mom grew up in Pontiac, and my parents met in Pontiac, so I have a few warm feelings for the city where the Oakland Motor company originated. The car company is named for the city of Pontiac by the way, not Chief Pontiac, the Ottawa general who led an attack against Fort Detroit while it was held in British hands. The city itself is named for the Chief, which is a roundabout way of getting to being named after a badass Ottawa warrior. When William Durant, GM's founder, bought Oakland Motor Car Company in 1909, the Pontiac brand name came with it. GM introduced the brand as a companion to the expensive Oakland cars in 1926. Oakland faded away, but Pontiac remained. 

The best Pontiac

The lede image of this post is the Piranha concept, the favorite Pontiac of Chris Davies, but it got me thinking about my own favorite Pontiac concept: the 1985 Pontiac Trans Am Kammback. This baby is pure '80s cool in a wagon. According to Barrett-Jackson, "this concept put into service as a Pace Car for the PPG and IMSA Race Series for 1985." But it never made it to the roads. Luckily this lovely example was saved from the crusher. I can't believe this baby never made it to the dealership. Just look at those wheels! And who doesn't love a Trans Am. Hell, who doesn't love a Kammback? 

If I had to pick a production Pontiac, it's probably the Pontiac Catalina. It just encapsulates so much of what made the brand fun. The company rolled the dice on a car that was far too ahead of its time. With names like Fury and Firebird and Fiero and Banshee and Sunfire, Pontiac made its fairly average cars really pop. Pontiac gave the average man something cool to drive, which is why, I think, we all love the brand so much. Which one do you love the most? You know the drill. Leave your picks in the comments and I'll sum up the best answers in a few days.