Those Compacts, Mid-Sized, and Full-Sized Cars were really fast on the roads and were more beautiful, sounded like gambling machines and actual cars with manually operated things being more stringent rather than automatic "press a button" thing (you would have to memorize which button was which and pull on it, making a great sound!) and more roomy and comfortable. It was also a great time when cars weren't strangled by government regulations and the increasing needs for higher gas mileage along with more uglier designs to come in the 1990s (last good era for automotive design was the 1980s) with less powerful engines (yes, it started since 1972 to 1975, but they were still fast-accelerating and were pretty comfortable and awesome to drive around).
Adam, I have no issues with the final design of the 1971 full-size Pontiacs but my shopping for a big GM sedan in 1971 would have taken place at my local Oldsmobile dealer. 😉
There are no redeeming attributes about the modern designs. It can be argued that autos today are safer and more reliable but look at the exorbitant costs for repair.
I actually like that wild Special A Body at 11:35. I think the LaSalle in the drawing at 12:55 might indicate the concept of having the headlights so far inboard. I think a lot of 20's and 30's cars had the headlights inboard like that.
I always liked Pontiacs because they had great body styles & they were solid,durable reliable cars. My dad owned a 69 Catalina & I borrowed it all of the time before I had my own car. I drove it to H.S & work & it always fired right up during a long brutal cold Winter,It had the 400 engine!!! Great car!!!
Wow! The clay Firebird depicted at 10:45 is a looker. I especially love the way the sides of the car are sculpted : It's much more graceful (and sexy) than the car that made it through to production.
That last photo of a Grand Ville looks just like the one my parents bought, except they bought the dark brown vinyl roof. Theirs was made after the strike and assembly quality was definitely not up to the prior Bonnevilles they owned. The car was always garaged being my mother's car, but it took only a couple of years for those separate-styled rear taillamps along with the trunk lid louvers to start rusting. We all loved the all-foam front seats and my father didn't like hearing the vent fan running all the time though fortunately for us the a/c was usually on and working ( and very well! ) This was the last new Pontiac my parents bought after 25 years of brand faithfulness; they both bought Peugeot cars after this and loved them. They just found the Pontiac quality wasn't there on the Grand Ville.
A neighbor of mine has a final year Grand Ville convertible. It disappeared from his driveway this Fall. But it came back just in time for warmer weather. He's also got a Mitsubishi 3000GT Turbo mothballed in his garage.
In what year did GM switch to the “bolt on” front and rear ends? It allowed them to offer basically similar vehicles within their size group, but with the individual marks styling. In my opinion it turned GM into a cookie cutter manufacturing company. They used bumper fillers and fiberglass plugs to fill in the gaps. You could buy an Electra, Bonneville, 98 Regency, Caprice and to a lesser extent a de Ville.
That's why they called it "Generic Motors". They started sharing the same basic bodyshell by the 1940s. But to be fair, they all did. And figured out cheaper ways to share more components with different "bolt ons" as you put it. '70s would usher in fender end caps that could be switched out.
That's why I never figured out why the public was suddently so offended in 1982 by the similarity of the front wheel drive A-bodies. GM had been platform and body sharing for decades by then.
Thank you Adam. Thank you for the designer sketches. I see some of the 1973 LeMans in these design sketches. The Cadillac Lyric has the door handles like the design proposal. You mentioned the many cars that got this as well. There was a four fender theme proposal for the Oldsmobile Toronado. I have seen designers talk about it calling it the four fender farkle. As you went on the designs kept getting closer. The front end design in marker you see the Grand Prix grille design. Thank you for sharing.
The first sketch was a fever dream, but the second is definitely a PONTIAC. The grill is a reverse-proportioned "lowhead dam" grill (as opposed to "waterfall grill") of the '76-'78 Grand Prix
Fantastic history Adam. But still I pass on the 71 Pontiac. But I can see how they got to this point. And when you think of where Pontiac was in 65, where do you go from there? They were awesome.
What a horrible reaction to your dream. You were old enough to be looking forward to your future, and could have been pointed in the right direction. Drafting, design, engineering, art school; you name it. These are lucrative professions.
That's fucked up. I hope you have since learned that what others believe means little. I was always told if someone isn't feeding, fucking, or financing you then what they think means nothing. Be free and live your life and dreams my friend. Don't waste time. It can't be bought back at any price.
The term is designer, in the 60's GM sponsored car design competitions for middle school kids who would build scale clay models of their own designs. GM Representatives would present this program at schools and support was available thru newsletters and brochures. I still have my literature. If you were motivated and interested in 3D design, it was a good first exposure to the design industry. I ended up in advertising as an ID in 3D design/illustration and as a design/creative director for cosmetic in-store and other brand merchandising programs. Good to see the marker concept sketches, I still think it's a better presentation format.
I really enjoy your detailed explanation of the featured car of your posting. Obviously you do your research and describe how areas of the subject interacts with style of other models of the manufacturer. Great work. Keep it up. Maybe you have a inkling to be a car stylist back in the 1950's to early 1980's. Also enjoyed the last posting of the 1971 Pontiac salesmen training video. Finding those old car sales training videos are gems themselves
I hated the looks of these Pontiacs when they were new and my feelings have not changed. Adam, your video is exceptional and my feelings about the final product have no bearing on my positive opinion of your video.
I hated the looks of these Pontiacs when they were new and my feelings have not changed. Adam, your video is exceptional and my feelings about the final product have no bearing on my positive opinion of your video.
Applause! Love your work, especially when it highlights my favorite brand, the only brand that still runs around like a chicken with its head cut off; Pontiac. Keep bringing these sketches; love 'em. At 12:55 believe the stacked inboard lighting is derived from the '37 Pontiac Straight Eight, as opposed to a LaSalle🏁👍🏾💯
Interesting review, thanks Adam! Full-size Pontiacs reached their pinnacle of design in '67, for us anyway. These later ones just seemed to have too much center section protrusion; It always looks out of scale to us.
I posted a video on a 64 Thunderbird which had some very cool design and features. They don’t make them like they use too. Thanks for another interesting video.
The "Twin-Port Intake" design really fit on the Firebirds. Couldn't stop the image of them from overpowering the design sketch results shown here, at least that is how my mind worked. The F-bodies really highlighted that design. My '71 Firebird holds the mantel for this subject of the '71 schnozz!
Oddly, I just accepted the designs at the time - childlike lack of questioning I suppose. Though I LOVED Cadillacs, full-sized Buicks and Oldsmobiles of the era and still do today!
Great videos. Always informative and great reminders for those of us who followed the new cars when they came out in the 50s, 60s and 70. So sad that all of today's cars look like dung beetles.
At 7:16 , The front end looks like an Oldsmobile with a beak pulled out of the middle... And I will bet that all those feature lines on the hood, from the headlights, the hood buldge and the center line all made for a very strong hood.
early styling proposals are always a little way out and are not like the final product. If Pontiac put into production the very pointed Firebird II front ends it would not have lasted past the 72 model year given the 5 miles an hour bumper standards that came into effect for 73. Maybe this played a role in designing the flatter front ends of production models.
I just answered a poll on what car brand people most want to bring back. And so far the number one answer?…Pontiac! Imagine what those interiors must have looked like in these featured cars…
Thanks for this one, Adam.. There were some interesting ideas in all of that. I was not a fan of the 1970 or 1971 direction for full size Pontiacs. I think the 1960s were much better.
The shapes in the "4 fender look" sketched by Roger Hewitt are pretty close to what would be on the second generation Monte Carlo. I thought the first full size clay model had many design elements that would eventually make a production car in the 70s The fender styling remind me of the styling for the first generation Monte Carlo. I think there was even a similar fender skirt option for that first generation Monte Carlo. The fastback shape of the roofline and that big triangle rear quarter window would show up on a lot of the Colonade Coupes. The side window opening shapes look very close to what the second generation Camaro and Firebird had. The full size model from the advance design studio was pretty wild with the fenders. However the whole windshield, roofline, side window opening and even the doors look very much like second generation Camaro/Firebird to me.
If car companies had produced these models they would have been remembered through history for the chance they took to make something completely original. But so many just pussed out.
My father's 1971 Pontiac Catalina Grand Safari Station Wagon, with the clamshell rear and 400 engine. 😃 It was a reddish copper color. On occasion it would fit about 13 family members with adults, children and teens. It had that 3rd row jump seat right on top of the rear differential. By 1978, it finally gave up the ghost and replaced with a 1979 Chevy van. These cars were nothing but squeaks and rattles in NYC's pothole covered streets. At times the noise was so loud, you could barely hold a conversation. The front schnozz was repeatedly broken by vandals trying to steal the Pontiac emblem. I say broken because that whole front piece was fiberglass I believe. So many memories. My father gave it much use both as a family and a business vehicle. Huge monstrocity weighing nearly 3 tons, but put to full use in every way.
My mom drove a 1971 Grand Safari 455 2bbl. The B-52's sang of a Chrysler "that can seat about 20", well that ENORMOUS Grand Safari matched that with all their luggage. The ultimate vacation machine with arctic cold air conditioning.
13:28 why is that LaSalle there? Because the headlights are inboard, tight next to the vertical grille, and the sketch for the '71 is using that same idea.
You mentioned the wheels on the model at the 10:00 minute mark. I know what those are - look at Firebird II - I believe I've read that those wheels were the brake drums - it had decorative brake drums with cooling fins on them. I see that design echoed in the wheels on the model.
Classic Detroit Styling (a melding of straight lines and curves into a harmonious integated whole, now present worldwide) had been achieved by GM by 1965. GM had been "knocking on this door" since about 1959. Ford was close. The 1961 Continental had achieved this, although in a rather straight-lined , slabsided but now modern classic design. Chrysler and AMC would eventually get there. Ford wasn't far behind GM overall. GM being the most dominant auto company could hire the best and most stylists. Until this Classic Detroit Styling was achieved American (and other) stylists were casting about in the unknown, not knowing how to style a "modern" automobile. Stylists would still "cast about" a bit in some cases as with this Pontiac.
'71 Pontiacs were beautiful and ugly at the same time. '72 removed the ugliness and kept the beauty by replacing the horizontal parts that connect to the main grille and are under the headlights and go to the turn signals with a beautiful metallic bumper. They finally made it more beautiful in '73 by changing up the front end. '74 was less beautiful than '73 and '72, but not as ugly as '71. '75 to '76 would be the most beautiful Pontiac Full-Size Sedan to my eyes, while '77 to '79 would be a more downsized GM/Pontiac to comply with customers demanding for more smaller and fuel-efficient cars while keeping the big size and space.
The 78 Bonneville was the most visually appealing in my opinion. Radial tuned suspension was the smoothest ride of any GM car except for the 1990's Fleetwood Bougham d' Elegance trim.
The early 1970 FIrebird concept looks very very european. Much more so than the production Camaro which also had some european styling cues before the mid 1970's facelift.
Most all cars design of the 70s are from our yesterYEAR of the 30s 40s like the 4 bulge fenders are from the AUBURN 851 to the Monte Carlo,the one pictured with the SKIRTS its my favorite design The 1973 Pontiac luxury lemans Beautiful lines,the front 70s Grand Prix is Duesenburg they even used the SJ on model,Chrysler Cordoba Is Jaguar front end you could even see it on the 70 73 Chevy Camaro Only with the turn signal between the grill and headlamp NOT the one that goes underneath the bumper,,,The Dodge Magnum you have the front grill CORD 810 With its square bulge,70-73 Buick Riviera boattail the AUBURN,,, The 70s Eldorado rear fender Replicated from 40s Coupe de ville, The 70s was a beautiful years for car design as well as Fashion clothes. Even the disco music used 30s 40s songs The late 70s and early 80 we had furniture design of the ART DECO ERA. So when the car designer brought back THE ART DECO on their cars everyone else follow suit.
Add 5 mph bumpers... modern design hit the wall. Literally. It was a forgettable era for clothing, fashion and design-especially coming on the tails of what's now called "mid-century modern".
Have you herd anything about Pontiac coming back Adam? I am wondering what GM are going to do for Nascar now they Chevy dropped all cars and focusing only on SUV's??
Many of the horsepower numbers published by car companies in North America prior to the 70s were grossly overstated. Horsepower is one of those things that doesn't mean what most people think it means, so the concept is very easily twisted by the unscrupulous. That's why in Europe engine power ratings are expressed in kilowatts. American car marketing people were not above telling fibs...outright lies actually...about the cars they were tasked with selling. Don't believe the published HP numbers from the sixties and certainly don't believe the lie about engines being 'underrated for insurance purposes'. You can fool the general public but you can't fool the insurance companies.
Actually, 1 horsepower = 747 watts. This has line been defined. There were different testing methodologies, like SAE gross, SAE net, DIN. The exaggerations you claim were in Europe also, especially Italy. And, as a matter of well- proven fact, some American engines were underrated and their performance was demonstrably better than advertised. And are you claiming that insurance companies had better info than the buying public did? Proof?
The '71 looks bloated to me. I also think the sketch where the headlights aren't up as high with the hood flat on both sides of the nose looks much better than what made it into production. I didn't really care much for the full sized Pontiac styling in the 70s until the rectangular headlights came out. I've always thought the 1970 full sized Pontiac looks much better than what came after. Still, they were good cars. My Grandfather had a red '73 Catalina or Bonnevillle with a white interior. He loved that car almost as much as the '72 Olds 98 he had.
I love these videos, but I don't love the original Firebird concept cars. The open-wheel motif, I guess they were trying to evoke race cars, is a complete failure IMO. It looks like a car where the fenders have been stolen, or just not installed in the first place, completely unfinished.
