Alternators for Pontiac Automobiles

Pontiac, the one-time performance division of General Motors, began life as the Oakland Motor Company.  After the 1909 purchase of Oakland by GM, GM introduced the Pontiac name as a companion marque for Oakland in 1926.  In 1931, the two divisions were consolidated under the Pontiac name.  The mid 1950s were a monumental point in Pontiac’s history.  Engineering chiefs E.M. Estes and John DeLorean, along with brand general manager Bunkie Knudsen, worked together to overhaul Pontiac’s brand identity which, at the time, was encroaching on the mid-level luxury segment of Oldsmobile and Buick.  The 1957 Bonneville convertible, featuring Pontiac’s first fuel-injected engine, became a strong contender against higher-end cars--even against the likes of GM’s own Cadillac.  John DeLorean’s engineering mastery helped reshape and redefine not just Pontiac, but the automotive world.  DeLorean is credited with pioneering the “rope shaft” drive shaft, the famous Pontiac “Wide Track” stance, and ushering in the muscle car era of the 60s with the Pontiac GTO and Firebird.  As rising insurance premiums, the 1973 oil crisis, and pressure from the US government to produce cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles, the muscle car era died and Pontiac turned their attention to station wagons and personal luxury, revamping their Catalina-based Grand Prix to compete alongside GM’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Oldsmobile Cutlass.  The 1980s saw a newly-refreshed Firebird with groundbreaking wedge-shaped aerodynamic bodywork, the 2-seater mid-engine Fiero sports car, and an all-wheel-drive version of the otherwise pedestrian 6000 that toted some revolutionary features that have become standard today such as steering wheel-mounted controls and anti-lock brakes.  The late 1990s were a return to form for Pontiac.  Pontiac dug deep into their rich history and brought performance back into the forefront.  The classic “Wide Track” chassis made its return on the 1997 Grand Prix, as well as a new supercharged V6.  This same engine found its way into the redesigned Bonneville sedan and the Firebird received the Corvette’s LS1 V8 engine in 1998.  In 2004, Pontiac resurrected the GTO name with an Australian-built captive import from GM’s Holden division.  The new Pontiac GTO, which was known in Australia as the Holden VZ Monaro coupe, was packed with the Corvette’s V8, a fully-independent sports performance-tuned suspension, and traditional rear-wheel drive (with an independent rear versus a solid axle) layout which stood out in GM’s portfolio of predominately front-wheel drive cars.  The Bonneville was given back its V8 engine option in the form of a Cadillac-sourced Northstar from the DTS.  In 2005, Pontiac attempted to reinvent their brand image yet again.  However, this was less than successful.  Their classic nameplates like Grand Am, Grand Prix, and Bonneville were all discontinued in favor of the “G-number” nomenclature.  The mainstream market was left confused and Pontiac brand loyalists saw this as treason.  However, two bright spots in Pontiac’s lineup at the time were the Solstice 2-seat compact roadster, which competed against the Mazda Miata, and the spiritual successor to the Grand Prix and Bonneville, the G8.  Like the GTO before it, the G8 sedan was an Australian captive import from Holden called the VE Commodore.  Also like the GTO, it featured a massive V8 engine, independent suspension and rear-wheel drive.  The G8, often compared to the elite BMW M5, won critical praise for its performance and driving dynamics but unfortunately, was not enough to save Pontiac from being discontinued in 2010 as part of the US government’s bailout of GM.  The G8 found life after death as the foundations for the 5th generation Chevrolet Camaro and as a relative to the 2014-2017 Chevrolet SS performance sedan.



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