Editing Pontiac (automobile) (section)

=== 1961–1970 ===
[[File:1964bonneville.jpg|right|thumb|A 1964 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham]]
[[File:Pontiac 8-Lug Rim.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Full-sized Pontiacs from 1960 through 1968 were available with finned, eight-bolt wheels, that helped to cool the drum brakes.]]

Most of Pontiac's models built during the 1960s and 1970s were either styled like or were siblings with other GM makes (except Cadillac). Pontiac retained its own front- and rear-end styling, interiors, and engines.

The 1961 models were restyled. The split grille returned, as well as all-new bodies and a new design of a perimeter-frame chassis for all its full-size models (something which would be adopted for all of GM's intermediate-sized cars in 1964, and all its full-sized cars in 1965). These new chassis allowed for reduced weight and smaller body sizes. The similarly styled Chevrolet still used the "X" frame from the early 1960s.

A new compact [[Pontiac Tempest|Tempest]] was introduced for the 1961 model year. It was one of the three Buick-Olds-Pontiac (BOP) models introduced that year, sharing the platform with the [[Buick Special]], [[Buick Skylark|Skylark]], and [[Oldsmobile F-85]]. A four-cylinder engine was also introduced in the Tempest model line.

All three BOP cars were unibody, dubbed the [[GM Y platform|Y-body]] platform, combining the frame and body into a single construction, making them comparatively lighter and smaller. All three put into production new technology pushed by [[John DeLorean]], on which GM had been working for several years prior, but the Tempest was by far the most radical.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/5567/carmakers-sometimes-build-strange-things-heres-one-of-the-strangest |title=Carmakers Sometimes Build Strange Things – Here's One of the Strangest |last=Preston |first=Benjamin |date=14 October 2016 |website=TheDrive |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref> A flexible steel shaft rotating at the speed of the engine delivered power from the front-mounted engine through a "[[torque tube]]" to a rear-mounted transaxle. This provided close to a 50/50 front-rear weight distribution that improved handling as well as incorporated four-wheel independent suspension. The design almost eliminated the large floor "hump" common to front-engined, rear-drive cars.

Though the Tempest's transaxle was similar to the one in the [[Chevrolet Corvair|Corvair]], introduced the year before, it shared essentially no common parts. GM had planned to launch a Pontiac version of the Corvair (dubbed "Polaris"), but Bunkie Knudsen—whose niece had been seriously injured in a Corvair crash—successfully argued against the idea. The Polaris design apparently made it to full-scale clay before it was canceled. Instead, DeLorean's "rope-shaft" design was green-lighted.

The Tempest won the ''[[Motor Trend]]'' "Car of the Year" award in 1961. Toward the end of 1961, an upscale version of the Tempest called the [[Pontiac LeMans|LeMans]] was introduced.

The Tempest featured a {{convert|194.5|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} inline slant-four cylinder engine, derived from the right bank of Pontiac's 389 V8, enabling it to be run down the same production line and reducing costs. the engine received a crankshaft designed for four cylinders, but this did not completely solve its balance issues. The engine gained the nickname "Hay Baler" because of its tendency to kick violently, like the farm machine.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Preston |first1=Benjamin |title=Pontiac's Half-V8 Was Simultaneously Great And Terrible |url= https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/5567/carmakers-sometimes-build-strange-things-heres-one-of-the-strangest |work=The Drive |date=14 October 2016 |access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref>

An optional Buick {{convert|215|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} V8, was not popular when it was available for 1961 and 1962 in the Tempest. For 1963, Pontiac replaced it with a new "326" that was actually {{convert|336|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} V8 with a bore of 3.78 and stroke of 3.75 (same stroke as the 389). It was based and shared parts with the 389, but an altered, reduced bore. The car's body and suspension were also changed to be lower, longer, and wider. The response was that more than half of the 1963 Tempests and LeMans (separate lines for that one year only) were ordered with the V8. The next year, the 326 became a true 326 with a new bore size of 3.72. The Tempest's popularity helped move Pontiac into third place among American car brands in 1962, a position Pontiac would hold through 1970.

In November 1961, Knudsen moved to Chevrolet. [[Pete Estes]] now became general manager of Pontiac and DeLorean was promoted to Pontiac chief engineer. Both continued Knudsen's work of making Pontiac a performance-car brand. Pontiac capitalized on the emerging trend toward sportier bucket-seat coupes in 1962 by introducing the [[Pontiac Grand Prix|Grand Prix]], taking the place of the Ventura, which now became a trim option on the Catalina. Although GM officially ended factory support for all racing activities across all of its brands in January 1963, Pontiac continued making larger engines with more power available across all model lines.

For 1963, the Grand Prix received the same styling changes as other full-sized Pontiacs such as vertical headlights and new body lines with a squared-off roofline with a concave rear window, along with less chrome. The concave rear window was replicated on Tempest/LeMans four-door intermediates in 1964 and 1965.

For 1964, the Tempest and LeMans' transaxle design was dropped and the cars were redesigned under GM's new [[GM A platform (RWD)|A-body]] platform - frame cars with a conventional front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout. The most important of these is the [[Pontiac GTO|GTO]]. In spite of a GM unwritten edict against engines larger than {{convert|330|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} in intermediate cars, DeLorean (with support from Jim Wangers from Pontiac's ad agency), came up with the idea to offer the GTO as an option package that included a {{convert|389|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} engine rated at {{convert|325|or|348|hp|kW PS|0|abbr=on}}.

The entire Pontiac lineup was selected as Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 1965, the third time Pontiac received this recognition. The February 1965 issue of Motor Trend was almost entirely devoted to Pontiac's Car of the Year award and included feature stories on the division's marketing, styling, engineering, and performance efforts along with road tests of several models. The GTO was split from being an option on the Tempest LeMans series to becoming a separate GTO series.

The 1966 model year saw the introduction of a completely new overhead camshaft (OHC) 6-cylinder engine in the Tempest. The 1962 [[Jeep Tornado engine]] was the first post-World War II U.S.-designed mass-produced OHC engine while the Pontiac OHC I6 was available in popular-priced domestic cars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inside the Sprint Six - Pontiac's Overhead Cam Surprise |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/inside-the-sprint-six |website=hemmings.com |access-date=January 15, 2023 |date=September 24, 2018}}</ref> In an industry first, plastic grilles were used on several models.

The 1967 model year saw the introduction of the [[Pontiac Firebird]] [[pony car]], a variant of the [[Chevrolet Camaro]]. Intermediate-sized cars (Tempest, LeMans, GTO) were mildly face-lifted, but all full-size cars and GTO lost their Tri-Power engine option, though they did get a larger {{convert|400|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} V8 that replaced the previous 389. Full-sized cars got a major facelift with rounder wasp-waisted body lines, a name change for the mid-line series from Star Chief to Executive as well as a one-year-only Grand Prix convertible.

1968 introduced the Endura 'rubber' front bumper on the GTO, the precursor to modern cars' integrated bumpers, and the first of a series of "Ram Air" engines, which featured the induction of cold air to the carburetor for more power. The Tri carburetor deletion came from the 14th floor of GM banning multiple carburetions and was headed by GM president [[Ed Cole]]. The Ram Air V option was not popular. Full-sized cars and intermediates reverted from vertical to horizontal headlights while the [[Pontiac 2+2|2+2]] was dropped from the lineup.

[[File:1969 Pontiac GTO, front 5.19.19.jpg|thumb|1969 Pontiac GTO]]

For 1969, Pontiac moved the [[Pontiac Grand Prix|Grand Prix]] from the full-sized lineup into a G-body model of its own based on the A-body intermediate four-door modified from {{convert|116|in|mm|1|abbr=on}} to {{convert|118|in|mm|1|abbr=on}} wheelbase chassis, but with different styling and long hood/short deck proportions to compete in the intermediate-sized [[personal luxury car]] segment. Pete Estes, who like Knudsen had moved to be general manager of Chevrolet in 1966, and DeLorean, general manager of the Pontiac division, needed a car to take the place of the sagging sales of the full-size Grand Prix, but the development cost of the car was too much of burden for Pontiac division alone, so Delorean went to his old boss at Chevrolet to gather support for the development cost of the new "G" body Grand Prix. Estes agreed to share in the cost and allow Pontiac to have a one-year exclusivity on this new car; the next year Chevy would follow with its version which was called [[Chevrolet Monte Carlo]]. The new Grand Prix was such a sales success in 1969 as dealers moved 112,000 units - more than four times the number of Grand Prixs sold in 1968. Full-sized Pontiacs were also restyled but retained the same basic under-body structure and chassis that debuted with the 1965 model — the roof-lines for the four-door pillared sedans and [[Pontiac Safari|Safari]] wagons were the same as the 1965 models, while the two-door semi-fastback design gave way to a squared-off notch-back style and four-door hardtop sedans were also more squared off than 1967 and 1968 models. The GTOs and Firebirds received the Ram Air option, the GTO saw the addition of the "Judge" performance/appearance package, and the Firebird also got the "Trans Am" package. Although originally conceived as a {{convert|303|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} model to compete in the Trans Am racing series, in a cost-saving move the Pontiac Trans Am debuted with the standard {{convert|400|CID|L|1|abbr=on}} engines. This year also saw DeLorean leaving the post of general manager to accept a similar position at GM's Chevrolet division. His replacement was [[F. James McDonald]].

Pontiacs built in the late 1960s conformed to new U.S. [[Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards]]. These included energy-absorbing interior parts such as steering columns, steering wheels, knobs and handles, dual-circuit hydraulic brake systems, shoulder belts, side marker lights, and headrests.

The 1969 Firebirds received a heavy facelift but otherwise continued much the same as the original 1967 model. It was the final year for the overhead cam six-cylinder engine in Firebirds and intermediates, and the Firebird convertible (until 1991). Production of the 1969 Firebirds was extended into the first three months of the 1970 model year (all other 1970 Pontiacs debuted September 18, 1969) due to a decision to delay the introduction of an all-new 1970 Firebird (and Chevrolet Camaro) until February 26, 1970.

In addition in the late-1960s, GM directed their GM and Pontiac divisions to develop concept mini-cars called ''commuter cars'' for urban drivers. GM developed a gasoline-electric drive hybrid, the [[General Motors XP-883|XP-833]], and the [[Pontiac X-4]], a rear-wheel drive mid-engine car that was powered by a radical X-shaped aircraft type air-cooled two-stroke radial engine where the standard crankshaft was replaced by a unit called a [[Scotch yoke]]. While the GM car was fully tested, the Pontiac concept was not. Neither was placed in production.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=EyoDAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+science+1930&pg=PA63 |title=Amazing Radial Engine in Pontiac's Mini-Car |first=Jim |last=Dunne |magazine=Popular Science |date=April 1969 |volume=194 |issue=4 |pages=63–65 |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref>