Why did Pontiac die in 1981?

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Posted July 8 2009 11:04 AM by KevinDiOssi
Filed under: Editorials, Kevin DiOssi

Pontiac died in 2009, not 1981...

I have seen common complaints that any Pontiac built beyond 1981 is not a true Pontiac.

For me, Pontiac is a style and a mindset. We dwell on the GM corporate takeover that killed off the true Pontiac block. What makes you feel so strongly against the Chevy engines that power the Pontiacs from '82 on? The Firebird and Trans Am saw such great powerplants as the LT1, LT4, and LS1. The GTO came with a 350-horse LS1 and a 400-horse LS2. The G8 was available with 361-horse L76 and 415-horse LS3.

From a style standpoint, there hasn't been too many cars that can compete with the classic lines of the Original GTO's and second generation Trans Am. But, with that being said, the fourth generation Trans Am is one of the coolest looking cars ever built.

I just helped my friend move his 2000 Trans Am WS6 down from Georgia and it had no front bumper, just the WS6 hood. The hood and body shape alone made me sit back and appreciate how cool these cars are. (Yes, I will be owning another one soon.) Yet I still find people discrediting them as a true Pontiac? What makes this car a Pontiac is that it has personality. There is something in the car that makes it different than all the other junk on the road.

In 2002, this was all over. The Firebird was killed off and a new breed of cars was brought in. The G5, G6, Solstice, and Torrent all wore the red arrowhead. For comparison's sake, the G5 is way cooler than the Cobalt. The G6 is an extremely nice car with crisp lines. The Solstice is light years ahead of the Miata in cool points. Nobody really cares about the Torrent but I would buy one before an Equinox. To be honest, the Torrent is pretty cool and they make a GXP version that was very fun to beat the snot out of.

When I look at the brand in 2003, I don't see much interest. But 2004 brought the GTO which was a remarkable car...not really a GTO in my opinion, but a true muscle car. (I own one, so don't kill me!) In 2008 the way-cool G8 was brought over and this thing is great. The GT and GXP make for one hell-of-a daily driver.

Yes, the glory days may be gone for good but I feel those died way before 1981. I think we should consider ourselves lucky that Pontiac still managed to build great cars for us.

So, answer me this question: Why did Pontiac die in 1981? If you believe that then why are you upset over the brand's failure and dissolve in 2009?

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Reader Comments:

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1. You really don't want to open this can of worms again!!! In looking back 1981 is when government motors began Killing off the pontiac brand by killing off it's engine division.They actually did it in '78 and used up the last of the 400's in '79. GM has always treated pontiac as a bastard child in favor of the chevy. The famous "new"corvette design in 68 is ripped off from the '64 banshee. Pontiac stopped being a performance brand in 2002 when the last Trans Am was built.(The LS engines are very corporate by the way having nothing in common with the famous small block chevy.)But you really have to stop calling that G8 and the abomination with the GTO badgeing muscle cars.It just doesn't matter now as the current govt. is going to screw up the auto industry for good in the next few years.Green cars? global warming? You think we are buying this liberal B.S.?Come to wisconsin in 3 months and show me global warming. Not only is pontiac dead but soon you will get nothing but a econobox deathtrap.

creepyracing - Posted July 8 2009 01:19 PM

2. Pontiac died in 1981 because that is when they quit producing there own engines and put junk under the hood.
I also think that those power numbers are over rated and there is nothing great about the newer Lt and Ls motors they are a insult to the old original LT-1 first gen small block.
The newer gto was a major insult to the real GTO and I do not see anything great about it.
Oh and i'm not upset of the brands failure and dissolve in 2009 because that really happend in 1981.

Pontiacman8 - Posted July 8 2009 02:42 PM

3. Keep 'em coming.

KevinDiOssi - Posted July 9 2009 06:17 AM

4. Take away the Northstar engine, and Cadillac hasn't made their own engine in decades, but no one says they are not Cadillac's because of it. I bet most don't even realize that the Northstar is unique to Cadillac. They are buying the brand, the styling and the prestige, not because it has its own unique engine.

The new GTO and G8 are better than any GM car built in the last 30 years. Drive one of them some time and you'll see why.

Steve Baur - Posted July 9 2009 07:21 AM

5. new gto and g8 Better than any car built in the last 30 years that's a laugh.

Pontiacman8 - Posted July 9 2009 08:07 AM

6. No one doesn't say anything about cadillac because we do not care about cadillac.

Pontiacman8 - Posted July 9 2009 08:10 AM

7. Instead of resenting the '81-09 Pontiac, why not enjoy them instead? Have you driven a new G8 GXP or even the older LS1 Trans Am?

They are phenomenal cars, much better then the Pontiacs of the 80's and 90'and arguably much better then the Pontiacs of the early era.

Not to say they have the same personality, but a car is, at some point, a car. And driving something with 400+ rwhp on tap, having a classy, well built interior and a modern appearance really is worth something.

So, my question to the purists is two fold.

1. What do you currently drive (everyday)?

2. Have you actually spent time in a new G8 or GTO, and if so, what did they 'corporate engine' do that made the actual driving experience sub-par?

Justin_at_GMHTP - Posted July 9 2009 12:23 PM

8. True pontiac fans will never fold.
Nothing these days is well built.
They are not much better than the pontiacs of the early era.
The things you are saying are only said by people who are trying to sell this new ill manufactured junk and the quality is just not there in the new cars and most likely will never be there again.
Sad but true weather people believe it or not.

Pontiacman8 - Posted July 9 2009 12:37 PM

9. Do you have a metric for determining this lack of build quality?

Justin_at_GMHTP - Posted July 9 2009 04:22 PM

10. ONLY 400 HORSE? My wife drives a 99 grand am that looks like the G8's clone.I drive a 00 monte carlo,Last of gm's 2 door cars.Just as going to work vehicles. Thats what I'm saying the G8 and the GTO(Blasphemy to call it that) Have no style, no pizzaz,No turn the heads look. When I drive the 79 TA I turn heads. The corp engine has no torque to get those fat pigs off the line either. I have driven a new camaro SS and see GM missed the mark here as well. Not retro enough and a piece of tupperware on top of the engine. No the 2002 bird was the last Styling poncho. The 79 was the last real pontiac. The last 7 years have been nothing but ugly cars. Still can't figure out what you see in a G8 4 door? what a waste of a V8.

creepyracing - Posted July 9 2009 05:14 PM

11. I got my very first car two days ago. It's a 2009 pontiac Vibe 1.8l and i parked in a extra foods parking lot next to a 67 gto and said to myself i am damn happy that car in making my brand look good. Then a couple cars down i see a new(er) astra with the same 1.8 and was disappointed knowing that my car isn't a pontiac it's a gm.

cupar - Posted July 9 2009 11:05 PM

12. Alright I agree that pontiac did die in 1981. i drive a '86 TA daily. Other than a few styling mods here and there. It is the same as a camaro of the same year. the other difference is that my TA ways some where in the neighborhood of 4000lbs. Verses the camaro that ways a little over 3 thousand. The regular GM motor just doesnt get the job done.

86Trans_Am - Posted July 16 2009 07:23 PM

13. Those regular or corporate (Chevy) engines never have got the job done when compared to a Pontiac engine.

Pontiacman8 - Posted July 17 2009 08:04 AM

14. You would have a better argument if you said pontiac died when Wagners or De lorean left, not when a name on an engine changed. You have very strong opinions that arn't likely to be changed, but let me tell you mine. If I had to choose between any of "true pontiac motors" in a daily driver or my 6.0, i would choose 6.0. Not to say I don't love a SD or HO. But come on these LS motors are great. We will all believe what we want. I just wish we could have had more Bold executives that would find and exploit the generals loop holes like those GREAT ONES.

allyearsallmotors - Posted July 17 2009 11:20 PM

15. You all know our beloved pontiac motors of old wern't going to come close to passing new emissions. And most of the population didn't have the balls to buy performance back then any ways, if GM would have tried to keep that game going they would have killed off the pontiac name before the berlin wall came down. You love'em you hate'em, thats just part of being a family. Love you PONTIAC!

allyearsallmotors - Posted July 17 2009 11:36 PM

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