Bonneville: A car of records and firsts
The Pontiac Bonneville was introduced in 1958, and for almost 50 years, it served in completely different roles and designs across its ten generations. The original Bonnevilles were some of the largest and heaviest cars that Pontiac ever made, rivaling even contemporary Cadillacs in size and weight.
The nameplate was bestowed in honor of the Bonneville Salt Flats out in Utah, an incredibly flat stretch of land where many land-speed records have been set since the earliest days of U.S. automotive racing.
The Bonneville was also the first Pontiac production car to feature a closed-loop, continuous mechanical fuel injection system as standard. This particular example was purchased by the late husband of the current owner on St. Patrick’s Day, 1967, and served as his daily driver until 1980. It is now available for sale after single-family ownership.
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Sleek dark horse in the night
The original Starlight Black still gleams in the light today, a testament to just how well cared-for this machine has been over the last 59 years. The neat thing about these fourth-generation Bonnevilles is that the quad headlights and bar along the grille almost make it look like a reflected, symmetrical image at first glance. There is a pronounced nose poking into the chrome at the center, with the bumper then dipping slightly before sweeping back out. A slightly raised line works back from this nose all the way down the hood, ending in some louvered grating up by the windshield.
A single round mirror is present on the driver’s side, while two triple sets of squared taillights sit atop the more squared rear bumper. Oversized antennae sit symmetrically on the back, while the rear wheelwells sport pronounced fender skirts. The replacement soft top and tonneau cover are color-matched to the Parchment white interior, and the owner reports a slight tear at the bottom-right corner, which must be guided when the cover is raised. Rubber meets the road with 14″ wire-covered steel wheels shod in Auburn tires that sport a whitewall strip around the inner wall.
A four-seater convertible that’s as much boat as car
As mentioned above, the color for most of the interior is a Parchment white vinyl, covering the front bucket seats, rear bench, door panels, and sunshields at the top of the windscreen. The dash is a padded black with a dark brown wooden face, the center console is brown with metal trim, while the carpets are also black with tan floor mats.
An aftermarket Hurst shifter has been installed, and some of the other amenities are showing their age: air conditioning is reported to blow warm, the Pioneer Craig radio does not work, and the attached 8-track tape player may or may not still work.
Power windows and power locks still function fine, as does the tilt-adjustable three-spoke steering wheel clad in black leather, with slender silver spokes connecting to a small central circle over the steering column. A massive, sweeping speedometer registers all the way from 0-120 mph, while additional instrumentation consists of a fuel gauge and a few warning lights.
Plenty of life left in these old Bonneville bones
Under the hood of this behemoth sits a whopping 428ci (7.0L) V8 linked with a four-barrel carburetor for 360 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque in ideal conditions. All of that power is pushed to the rear wheels by way of a four-speed manual transmission, which also features a Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential. Power steering and power-assisted drum brakes at all corners are also factory standard. The owner reports that the five-digit analogue odometer has “rolled over once or twice” before landing on the current figure of 32,000 miles, so she’s definitely got some miles. on her. Still, everything appears to be in good shape overall, with a good bit of life left in these old Bonneville bones.
Final thoughts: Dream condition for preservation
It really doesn’t get much better than a single married couple owning this machine since it rolled off the lot, using it as a daily driver for only a couple of decades before it became a garage princess. There are certainly a few blemishes that need to be addressed, but taken as a whole, this is truly a diamond in the rough with an almost show-grade preservation. If you’re as excited by this opportunity as we are, make sure to check out this auction before someone else snaps this treasure up!
