Pontiac Bonneville: from fuel-injected convertible to full-size flagship

The Pontiac Bonneville is a model line of full-size and mid-size cars built by Pontiac from 1957 until 2005. In station wagon form the Bonneville and its platform partner the Grand Ville were among the largest Pontiacs ever made, just over 230 inches long and weighing 5,000 pounds or more.

Pontiac Bonneville at a glance

This page covers the first three years of the Bonneville, the part of the English article that is written in detail.

History of the Pontiac Bonneville

The Bonneville name first appeared in 1954 on a pair of bubble-topped Motorama concept cars called the Bonneville Special, which looked like the Chevrolet Corvette; it also began Pontiac’s tradition of French model names. It entered the production range in 1957 as a high-performance, fuel-injected luxury convertible version of the Star Chief, loaded with leather, a power seat, windows, steering, brakes and top as standard, everything except air conditioning and a continental kit.

The standard engine was Pontiac’s first fuel injection, a mechanical Rochester system similar in principle to the Chevrolet Ramjet. Pontiac gave no official power figure, saying only that it was above 300 hp; road tests suggested it was slightly inferior to the Tri-Power engines but more economical. At $5,782 the Bonneville cost more than twice the base Chieftain it was built on, and a fully equipped car could cost more than an entry-level Cadillac Series 62. Only 630 were built in that first year, all fuel-injected, making it one of the most collectible Pontiacs.

1958: a model of its own

For 1958 the Bonneville became a separate model as a two-door hardtop or convertible and paced the Indianapolis 500. Its price fell sharply to $3,586 for the convertible and $3,481 for the coupe, because most of the luxury equipment moved to the options list, and a 370 cu in V8 of 255 hp with a four-barrel carburettor and dual exhausts became standard. Fuel injection remained an option at $500, against $93.50 for Tri-Power, and only about 400 cars were made before it was quietly dropped. 1958 was also the last year for the Silver Streak styling feature, first used in 1933.

1959: senior series and Wide Track

In 1959 the Bonneville became the senior series with four-door hardtop and Safari station wagon body styles added, while the Catalina became the junior series. That year brought two of Pontiac’s best-known marketing ideas: the split grille and the Wide Track slogan, with a front tread of 63.7 inches and a rear tread of 64 inches against 61 inches for other GM cars. A “skeg”, a downward fin, jutted outboard at the bottom of the rear quarters. The wider track was not just advertising, and the Bonneville was regarded as one of the best-cornering full-size cars of its time.

Design and features

• Fuel injection in 1957: Pontiac’s first, a Rochester mechanical system, standard only on the Bonneville.
• Luxury as standard: leather, power seat, windows, steering, brakes and top on the first cars.
• Wide Track: a 63.7-inch front tread in 1959, wider than other GM full-size cars.
• Split grille: introduced on the 1959 car and kept until the brand ended.

Pontiac Bonneville versions

• 1957 convertible: 630 fuel-injected cars based on the Star Chief.
• 1958 hardtop and convertible: a separate model and the Indy 500 pace car.
• 1959 series: four-door hardtop and Safari wagon added, split grille and Wide Track.
• Canadian Parisienne: the name used for the Bonneville in Canada until 1981.

The Bonneville grew out of the Star Chief and shared its range with the Catalina and Grand Ville. More models are in the Pontiac collection.

Video: Pontiac bonneville 1966

Video by Ilkka Vanhatapio on YouTube.

Sources

• Pontiac Bonneville, English Wikipedia: history, prices, engines, styling