1960 Pontiac

 Pontiac was the second best selling car in the Dominion of Canada  in 1960. 

From St. John’s to Victoria folks were in an expansive mood as the 1950s closed. Citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador marked their tenth anniversary in Confederation. National pride swelled as the Conservative government poured money into opening up the Arctic, our own back yard. The Montreal Canadiens had won the Stanley Cup four years straight. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, came to open the St. Lawrence Seaway and join in the national festivities on Dominion Day. Prime Minister Diefenbaker went to Outlook, Saskatchewan to preside over construction ceremonies for the new $185 million South Saskatchewan River Dam project. Major General Georges Vanier was installed as the first Francophone Governor General. In 1959 we were a nation of people who was sure that we could tackle anything and do it well.  

The 1959 Pontiac Parisienne Safari.

Against this vibrant post-war backdrop, automobile owners in this country discovered a love affair with Pontiac. It continued throughout the 1950s and just wouldn’t quit. Every year consumers bought more than they had the year before. By 1958 folks were so enamoured with their value and style that Pontiac displaced Ford from its traditional number two spot. 

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Brand new for 1959, Pontiac sold very well. There was no reason to mess with success and the hot selling car was mildly facelifted for the 1960 selling season. Tucked under a heavy brow of a hood, last year’s massive split grille gave way to a series of thin, horizontal slats, vee-d outward ever so gently at the centre and divided by a simple single vertical chrome bar. This was flanked by a round parking light-turn signal and quad headlamps. The sides were elaborately sculpted. A deep ridge and valley ran nearly the entire length of the body, disappearing briefly in the front door. A midline bow was perfect for brightwork accents and a speed line emphasized the rear wheelwell opening.  

The 1960 Pontiac Laurentian two-door sedan cost $3,468 when equipped with the 4.3-litre (261-cubic inch) six-cylinder engine and weighed in at 1 873 kilos (4,130 pounds).

From the rear, Pontiac was unmistakable. Dual fuselage taillights topped the leading edge of the trunk lid that curved out gracefully to meet the large chrome bumper. Stylists added a javelin-like turn signal-backup lights and emphasized them with deeply cut curves that drew the eye to the centre of the trunk and the Pontiac insignia. 

The 1960 Pontiac Parisienne Vista four-door hardtop convertible.

The greenhouse was extremely generous; the rear window cut high into the roofline. Vista was the name given to four-door hardtop convertibles and Sport Coupe designated two-door Pontiacs without a B pillar. 

Advertising admonished Canadians to be proud of the designers who had developed and perfected the formidable lines of the 1960 Pontiac. Invited to the showroom to examine it for themselves, salesmen told consumers they would find the new Pontiac’s clean styling to be as fresh as a winter morning.

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The value leader for the Pontiac tribe was the Strato-Chief, represented by a single two-door sedan and four-door sedan with a $2,905 price tag. Modestly trimmed they might be but they were still pure Pontiac and powered by GM’s 261-cubic inch six-cylinder engine. 

The 1960 Pontiac Strato-Chief two-door sedan listed for $2,389.

For an extra $124 one could ditch the six and have the power of the 4.6-litre (283-cubic inch) V-8 under the hood. In addition to the sedans, a pair of tough and practical two-door Safari wagons was offered with six- or eight-cylinder mills. The two-door wagon sold for $3,261 when equipped with the six and $3,386 with a V-8. This body style was not seen in the US this year and it would not return to Canadian showrooms for 1961. The two-door Safaris joined a pair of six-passenger, four-door Safari wagons, again with a choice of six- or eight-cylinder power plants under the hood. They sold for $$3,344 and $3,464, respectively. 

Besides the sedans, six-passenger and eight-passenger, four-door Safari wagons were available a la Laurentian. The four-door, eight-passenger wagon listed for $3,762.

The Mid-line Laurentian family was better dressed than Strato-Chief. Laurentian boasted a two- and four-door sedan, a two-door Sport Coupe and a four-door Vista Sedan. The fancy hardtop listed for $3,555 and came equipped only with the V-8 power plant. The thrifty owner would opt for the 4.3-litre (261-cubic inch) six-banger while the hotfoot could pony up the extra pennies for the 4.6-litre (283-cubic inch) V-8 mill. 

The instrument panel of the 1960 Pontiac Parisienne was exceptionally clean.

The ooh! la! la! top-of-the-line Pontiac was the sophisticated Parisienne. Here one found the usual two- and four-door sedans, a stylish Sport Coupe for $3,375, a four-door Vista Sedan with a price of $$3,850 (the most expensive Pontiac in the lineup) and a sensuous convertible could be had for $$3,715. All Parisiennes were decked out in chrome, brightwork and upscale appointments. In addition, there was a pair of luxuriously trimmed six-passenger Safari wagons. 

If the homegrown Pontiac clan didn’t possess the necessary pizzazz, certain imported Catalina, Ventura, Star Chief and Bonneville models were available to the consumer for a premium price. If the full-sized Pontiacs were too big to own and operate, the dealer stocked the compact Envoy, a badge-engineered Vauxhall, sourced from GM in Britain. The choice was up to the buyer.

The 1960 Envoy was sold by Pontiac dealers Canadawide.

Dressing up one’s Pontiac with optional equipment was as easy as watching snow fall. One could buy an electric antenna to go with the Sportable radio or the Wonder Bar Radio. To keep toasty warm there was the Circ-L-Aire heater and defroster unit or the Direct Aire heater and defroster. Power steering, power brakes, power windows, the self-shifting SuperHydramatic Transmission all made driving more pleasant. Perhaps the most distinctive add-on for the 1960 Pontiac was the Continental spare tire and wheel cover.

General Motors of Canada celebrated a banner year. Pontiac sales amounted to 64,785 units for the calendar year. The Oshawa, Ontario-based manufacturer broke production records that it had set back in 1953. Passenger car production for 1960 gained a whopping 16.6 percent over the 1959 mark. The company was riding high and told the press that GM’s Canadian production represented a full 27 percent of all GM vehicles built outside of the United States. Oshawa boasted 13,500 employees and payroll was $73 million—a full $8 million more than the previous year. Stretched to the bursting point, a $3.5 million warehouse and office building was erected in Montreal to better serve the Quebec market. 

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 Copyright James C. Mays 2007 
All rights reserved.

1969 Pontiac

The entire Pontiac tribe was graced with 
polyurethane nosebumpers,
 giving the cars a  highly distinctive look.

Long a favourite with buyers, Pontiacs appeared in showrooms from St. John's to Victoria wearing stylish new Wide-Track looks for the 1969 selling season. The whole tribe was given attractive nose jobs as stylists employed the latest technology to deck the design with an Endura colour-keyed centre bumper insert that most attractively split the new plastic grille in half. These fine road machines glittered in a dazzling array of 15 Magic-Mirror colours—a full dozen of them new this year.

Pontiac’s pride was the Grande Parisienne line, consisting of a sassy Sport Coupe and a smooth Sport Sedan. Powering the new beauties was the 350-cubic inch V-8, an upgrade from the longstanding 327 cubes traditionally stuffed under the hoods. Billed as “Wide-Tracking with the luxury touch,” the Grande Parisienne was said to shout good taste and to whisper luxury. It was easy to remember one was riding in a Grande Parisienne; interiors were accented with a simulated walnut trim. Spotting a GP from the rear was easy, too. It was the car with the ultra-modern, colour-keyed plastic Endura insert running the length of the rear bumper.

 The 1969 Pontiac Grande Parisienne could be
ordered with an extra-cost vinyl top. 

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With its “strong masculine look of action,” the new fast and furious 2+2 series was unleashed. These were not to be trifled with. A Sport Sedan and a convertible comprised the line. Its list of standard features was longer than a country kilometre. Strato bucket seats were finished in a high grade of Parchment Vinyl, special wheel covers adorned the models, simulated louvres kissed the front of the rear wheel wells, colour-contrast racing stripes added their blessings and an embossed vinyl headliner were all bestowed upon the 2+2. 

 Geared to performance and speed in a luxury package, Pontiac 
fielded a Sport Coupe and a convertible in the 2+2 line.

Optional equipment for the 2+2 was geared for performance. Variable ratio power steering gave 3.1 turns from lock to lock and power assist front disc brakes both made for some very exciting driving.

Engine choices in the 2+2 gang were all V-8 and ranged from 350 cubic inches to a thundering 427 cubes. Power from the massive mills was mated to a buttery smooth four-speed manual transmission or the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic for shiftless driving.

Designers gave Pontiac’s 2+2 line a unique instrument
panel  that carried highly identifiable cues to set it apart
 from other models in the family.

The Parisienne family was by far the most popular with the public and buyers could choose among the Sport Coupe, Sport Sedan, a four-door sedan and a convertible. Cabins were finished in Reveille Cloth to give the look and feel of luxury car upholstery. The ragtop sported an all-vinyl interior.

The 1969 Pontiac Parisienne

The base engine for the Parisienne was the 250-cubic inch powerful but ever so thrifty six-cylinder mill. With more than a million miles under its belt, the 150-horsepower engine was no slouch. Pontiac engineers were so confident in its power that a Superlift towing package for trailers and boats was offered. A three-speed or four-speed manual gearbox was available to move the package along as well as GM's Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission.

The venerable and vaunted Laurentian nameplate returned for its 16^th season. Two value-packed offerings included a new Sport Coupe and the familiar four-door sedan. The Laurentian appealed to buyers who were seeking luxury on a shoestring budget. 

The least expensive Pontiac in 1969 was the Strato-Chief.
A modestly dressed Sport Coupe and a four-door sedan were offered.

Billed as the “full-size car at the small car price,” Strato-Chief was the least expensive Pontiac on the showroom floor. Even here one could buy a Sport Sedan or a four-door sedan. Though more modestly appointed than its kin, the Strato-Chief had been recognized since 1958 for offering extras in the base price and this year they included such niceties as armrests fore and aft and carpeting.

For those long family holidays back East, down East, wandering west or nosing north, Pontiac fielded four station wagons, all in the Safari line. The Number One Highway was just that much more attractive when graced with Pontiac wagons. 

All Safaris came with vinyl upholstery, a Two-Way Swing-Gate at the rear-- convenient for third-seat passengers or hauling cargo. That cargo area, by the way, added up to a virtually cavernous 94.1 cubic feet of loadspace. Dual purpose in nature and good on the job, advertising bragged that these Pontiacs were “true workhorses with all the grace and style of thoroughbreds.” 

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Magic-Mirror colours for the 1969 Pontiac lineup included: Antique Gold, Burgundy, Cameo Ivory, Crystal Turquoise, Espresso Brown, Liberty Blue, Limelight Green, Maize, Matador Red, Palladium Silver, Starlight Black and Verdoro Green. If that wasn’t satisfactory, an assortment of vinyl tops could be had to dress up one’s car for a few more bucks.

Pontiacs could be dressed up with almost as many options as there are fiddleheads growing along the St. John River in the springtime. There were AM radios and AM/FM radios or AM/FM stereos with or without 8-track tape deck, air conditioning and power accessories for absolutely everything that could be kissed with a power button including an electric release for the trunk compartment and a trunk light to go with it. Cruise control, a speedometer speed warning indictor, remote control mirror, an electric clock, a rear window defogger, tilt steering wheel, a mirror-mounted map light, air booster shocks, Safe-T-Track differential, door edge guards, rear fender skirts, vinyl tops, rally wheels and a light monitor were among the goodies up for grabs. If an extra-cost item desired didn’t appear on the list, potential buyers were exhorted to “Check with your Pontiac dealer if you have any unusual requests. Chances are Pontiac already has just what you want!” 

When the dust had finally cleared from 1969 the facts would show Pontiac able to hold onto its third place in sales for the calendar year. With 51,973 units delivered, sales placed it behind Chev and Ford. The Number Four spot belonged to West Germany’s Volkswagen.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2005 All rights reserved.