Lifestyle
PONTIAC R.I.P.
JUSTIN PRITCHARD
Fall 2009 |
Some 20 minutes later, I arrived at the building to pick up my keys from Brenda, the receptionist. Generally easygoing, happy and bubbly, her mood that particular morning was solemn quiet-just like everyone else in the building.
“Did you hear the news?” she asked.
“Yes, just now.” I replied.
“Lousy, huh? I don’t know…We’ll just hope for the best, I suppose.”
Why the Pontiac brand? That’s hard to say, really. Like many automakers, GM’s various brands have their strengths and weaknesses. Choosing any single brand for elimination must have been a tough call, with no choice being the “right” one.
Pontiac had been doing well, too. Their popular Vibe had won an important award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) only months prior to the news. The Pontiac G8, a hugely anticipated performance sedan, had finally come to market, too. A high-performance variant of the G8 was even planned to do battle within the re-emerging muscle-car scene.
It was back in the muscle car era of the 1960s and 1970s where the Pontiac brand got its roots to begin with.
“They had sports car and family car models, and some great looking machines like the Grand Prix, Sunbird and Bonneville,” said Claudio Durigon, a long-time Pontiac enthusiast who lives in Sudbury’s South End.
Although the particular models he mentions are now relegated to the history books, Pontiac’s aspiration for building athletic, fun, and affordable cars has remained to this day.
In addition to a sporty 2006 Pontiac G6 GT, Durigon also has a 1969 GTO and a 1974 Trans Am drag-car in his stable. Like many Pontiac fans upset by the news, you might call Durigon a die-hard.
“My first car was a 1975 Pontiac LeMans GT sport coupe, and now I’ve got a Trans Am, and a GTO that’s restored to factory original condition.”
Fast forward a few decades, and Pontiac’s products are still popular with young enthusiasts and tuners alike. In terms of appealing to a loyal buyer, the brand definitely had something good going on.
Most of the Pontiac models will cease production after the 2009 model year, though two will carry on for 2010.
Pontiac was a big part of Durigon’s life that’ll be missed when it’s gone.
“I will be sad, yes.” he says. “All along, this was considered a working-man’s car. They had a model for everyone. It wasn’t just the price that was attractive with Pontiac, but how they covered all the bases, too.”
Durigon says he’s a GM man for life. His next vehicle purchase will probably be a Chevrolet.
About the writer: Justin Pritchard lives in Lively and specializes in writing about automobiles.
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