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You Showed Us Your Pontiacs : Old Cars Readers Show Off Their Ponchos!

With Pontiac celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, Old Cars asked to see your Pontiac rides. You showed up in force. Here are a few of the Old Cars readers prized Ponchos!

Courtesy of Bill Brech

1949 Pontiac streamliner deluxe

Bill Brecht, of St. Charles, Mo., says his parents had a 1949 Pontiac Streamliner Deluxe when he was a kid. He eventually found his own at a classic car dealership in Minnesota in 2004. “They were auctioning off some of their inventory, and the Pontiac was on the list,” he says. “I visited the dealership about a month before the auction and had an opportunity to test drive the car. It was a stock, numbers-matching car and in decent shape, so I returned the following month for the auction and was the successful bidder.

“I have enjoyed the car now for almost 22 years and have had a lot of fun experiences with it. It is not a perfect show car, but is a good driver. I take it to several local car shows each year where it is the only one of its kind. “

Courtesy of John Linder

1950 Pontiac chieftain

“I found this ’50 coupe in a garage when I was living in a small town in western Kansas,” says John Linder. “I was leaving town for a car show when I spotted it in a garage of an elderly gentleman that was going to live in an assisted living facility. I stopped and asked his daughter if it was for sale and she said that it belonged to her dad and she would get him for me. Upon meeting the gentleman, I asked if it was for sale. He answered saying that he wanted $3,500 for it. I didn’t hesitate and told him that I would return in a few minutes with the money.

“I sent some photos of it to my son, Trent, and he offered to take it off my hands. I hauled it to his home in Moore, Okla., and he got it running shortly after that. He has driven it many miles since 2015.”

Courtesy of Doug Hoffman

1967 Pontiac GTO

Doug Hoffman bought his GTO 55 years ago while he was in the Army. “I spent 20 years restoring it; it has been finished for 25 years now,” he says. “Gold awards by both the GTO Club of America and the Pontiac Oakland Club… I did not realize how rare this car was back then as a 20-something-year-old. All I knew was that it was faster than most. It wasn’t until I restored it that I realized how rare the options were on it. The options include the WS 400 HO engine, four-speed transmission, front disc brakes and ultra-rare transistor ignition. Then added to all this go-fast stuff were an 8-track tape player and factory air conditioning! From my research, less than 100 out of 70,000 plus GTOs were built with these desirable options.”

Courtesy of Merle McIntosh

1985 Pontiac Trans Am

Merle McIntosh, of Porter Ranch, Calif., found this all-original T/A back in 2018 with only 11,500 miles on the clock. “It truly is an original time capsule with T-tops, air conditioning, power windows and beautiful red paint with gray leather interior,” he notes. “It is an original California car and it sports its original California blue license plates. And, of course, the ‘Screamin’ Chicken’ on the hood. It has a little over 20,000 miles on it now and I try to drive it every weekend to keep things working well. I love the car and its originality and will likely keep it for a very long time.”

Courtesy of Richard Sisson

1970 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ

Richard Sisson is the proud owner of this sometimes-overlooked muscle monster. “My car is triple black during the era of the popular ‘earth tones.’ It is rare due to its four-speed M21 transmission,” he says. “Only 199 Grand Prix SJs were built with a four-speed in 1970. Coupled with the 455 HO 375-hp engine, it will make you sit up and take notice. It’s loaded with most all options, including leather interior. It’s in its original configuration with the exception of chrome-plated 15-inch Rally II wheels. It’s always been garaged and was never ridden hard and put away wet. I’m the third owner and know its history from new. When I talked with the original owner, I asked him what he was thinking of when he ordered it up new and he said, ‘I wanted the performance of a GTO and the luxury of a Grand Prix.’”

Courtesy of Annmarie Fini

1963 Pontiac Bonneville

“My father (Al) has this beautiful convertible,” says Annmarie Fini. “At 87, he still takes it out for Sunday joy rides in his home state of Massachusetts. This car was assembled at the GM plant in Edison, N.J., and he bought it from the original owner in 1977. The car was never restored. As such, the condition — including all chassis parts, body panels, chrome and interior — are as they came from the factory. It is [painted] Grenadier Red with black Morrokide interior. Under the hood, the engine has matching numbers and is a 389 mated to a Hydra-Matic transmission. This top-of-the-line car came with factory-installed power steering, power brakes, power windows and power top. The ’63 Bonneville is a great example of Pontiac’s forward-thinking style during the early years of the ‘Wide Track’ era.”

Courtesy of Ron Green

1955 Pontiac Custom Catalina

Ron Green, of Camp Hill, Pa., has owned his 1955 Pontiac Custom Catalina for 30 years. “It is a late car off the assembly line and has been restored to original condition, mostly by me, many years ago,” Green says. “It has held up well and it is now driven regularly. I grew up in a Pontiac family and my father owned two used 1955 Chieftains. Though its show days are long over, it has been featured in several magazines, won many national awards and was on the TV show ‘My Classic Car’ with Dennis Gage at the Amelia Island Concours.”

Among the car’s many accessories: auto/home shaver; thermaster refrigerator; thermaster hot liquid container; Autronic Eye, factory curb feelers; ladies purse holder; rear window defroster; rear speaker; continental tire kit; fuel door lock; dashboard illuminated compass; outside spot light; glove box spotlight; dashboard magna tray; dealer jack bag; 6-way manual seat control; and Carter four-barrel carburetor.

Courtesy of Douglas Menzies

1978 Pontiac Phoenix

“This car was bought new off the showroom floor at Kilgus Pontiac-Cadillac in Manchester, N.H., on Sept. 26, 1978, by my mother and father for $4,555,” recalls Douglas Menzies, of Lancaster, N.H. “This car was put up every fall, never driven in the winter and always garaged. It now has 45,000 original miles. I acquired the car in 2007 after my mother’s passing. It has a 231 V-6 engine and, interestingly, the sales invoice makes specific mention that it is an engine provided by the Buick Motor Division! I believe that GM got into some hot water during that period by not declaring that their engines were being supplied by different GM Divisions.”

Courtesy of Randy Redman

Randy Redman, of Kronenwetter, Wis., bought this 1970 Firebird Esprit in April 1971 when it was a few months old with 9,619 miles on it. “The sale price was $2,995!” he says. “It was just a step up from the base Firebird with a 350 V-8, two-barrel, three-speed on the floor, tinted windows and upgraded interior. No air, no power brakes or power steering. The car was built in June 1970.

“I sold it in November 1974 with 63,712 miles on it for $1,900! I kept the owner’s manual with mileage data and the original sales receipt. A friend bought it and kept it until spring 2022. I knew where it was this whole time. I did ask if he wanted to sell it a couple of times, but he always said no. Another friend then bought it and got in touch with me last summer. I got to see it and drive it. I asked if I could buy it. He said to take it for a while and drive it… I took him up on his offer to drive it a while and had it nine weeks. The wheels are similar to what I had on it, 14×6 gray spokes and polished rims. Now it has 15×7 front and 15×8 rears. I never dreamed or thought I would be driving that car again when I sold it. It’s almost 56 years old and still fun to drive.”

Courtesy of Tom Baldino

1968 Pontiac GTO

“In September of 1967, l ordered my 1968 Pontiac GTO convertible from Stein Cadillac/Pontiac in Asbury Park, N.J.” says Tom Baldino. “It arrived in early November, the first new car l was able to purchase myself. I chose the Verdoro Green with a white top and parchment interior. I also ordered the hidden headlights with the 400-cube/350-horse engine mated to a four-speed transmission. I drove many enjoyable miles, until my next-door neighbor decided to sell me his 1969 Lincoln Mark III. The story doesn’t end there as l sold the car to my younger brother, who still has it…When l drive it, I still feel like the 20-year-old l was when l purchased it!”

Courtesy of Jay Leahy

1972 Pontiac LeMans Sport

Jay Leahy, of South Hamilton, Mass., bought his sweet LeMans in Beverly Hills, Fla., in 2017 and later swapped in a Pontiac 455 V-8 for the original 350 two-barrel. The Poncho also has the Endura styling option; console and AM radio; air conditioning; power windows; power front disc brakes and aftermarket oversize anti-roll bars with gas shocks. “It now has more than enough power for my driving style. The Turbo 400 transmission remains in the car with the addition of a shift kit,” he says.

Courtesy of Tom Morrick

1962 Pontiac Catalina

“I bought this car from my best high school friend’s family, after he passed away,” says Tom Morrick, of Grand Island, Neb. “He owned it 19 years, I have had it 5 years. I was a Pontiac nut from the start — the first car I drove was a ’51 Pontiac. This car left the factory with the base 389 and three-speed manual, and a locking differential. Later, the original block was bored to 400 and fitted with a tri-power intake, and the three-speed replaced with a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed; 8-lug wheels were added. It is a fun, reliable driver. I was fortunate to become a Pontiac dealer in the late ’80s. Unfortunately, in my view, the cars just were not as fun as the cars from the ’50-’60s.”

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