The Pontiac Bonneville grew and grew over its first 19 years in production, finally reaching its maximum size in 1976.
Introduced as a specialty model in January of 1957, then expanded to a full product line in 1958, the Bonneville was Pontiac’s flagship for years—the biggest, the most luxurious, the most well-equipped car the General Motors division produced. Except, that is, for a brief interlude from 1971 to 1975, when the short-lived Grand Ville took over the top spot. (Read about it here.) But for 1976, the the Grand Ville was cancelled and the Bonneville returned to the uppermost rung of the product ladder, big and grand as ever.
At 226.2 inches overall, the ’76 Bonneville was even longer, by a single inch, than the famously named Buick Electra 225. (But by then the big Buick had outgrown its name, sprawling out to 233 inches.) Body styles were limited to three: a Colonnade two-door coupe, a four-door hardtop sedan, and the four-door Grand Safari station wagon—the wagon sported an advertised curb weight of more than 5,000 lbs. For the coupe and sedan there were two trim levels: Bonneville and Bonneville Brougham (naturally). The latter included standard power windows and more Brougham-like interior trim.
With pricing in the $5,300-$6000 range, the Bonneville landed in the same bracket as the Oldsmobile 88 and Buick LeSabre, and actually, all three were based on the GM full-size B-body shell, sharing a 124-in wheelbase. So while this Bonneville was the biggest Pontiac yet, it was merely typical for a GM car in its market category. Power steering and brakes were standard, as was a 400 cubic-inch Pontiac-built V8 and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. The 455 CID Pontiac V8 was available at extra cost, but with a 8.2:1 compression ratio and a catalytic converter, it was rated at just 200 SAE net horsepower.
The Bonneville would continue in 1977 but greatly reduced in size, with its overall length shrunk to 213.8 inches. Like all the GM B-body cars, it was treated to a comprehensive downsizing for ’77, losing 700 lbs. (The Grand Safari wagon shed 1,000 lbs of fat.) Pontiac’s biggest V8, the 455, was discontinued as well. In 1981, the Bonneville shrank one more time when the badge was moved down to the GM A-body intermediate platform. In 1987 the Bonneville joined GM’s front-wheel drive fleet, where it remained in the Pontiac lineup through 2005.
Tugboats were optional.
Step 2 in the death of GM (the Vega was step 1). Those cars were absolutely abysmal. I always found it interesting that my father, an ex-Chevrolet dealer (1950-65) who bought a full sized Chevrolet ever two years at minimum hung on to our 1970 Caprice Estate Wagon until the 1977 model year, and never once considered putting a 71-76 GM anything in the family garage. He knew cheap and tawdy when he saw it.
How did we ever lose our way?
I’d say because of crappy cars like this.
But oh those seats. Huge and comfy, you could sink into them while you floated down the road. Cruise ships need not worry about 0-60 or turning radius.
This is the same size as today’s Rolls Royce Phantom and probably rides and handles similarly. GM should have kept them and charged more money, while at the same time making reliable smaller cars for the rest of us.
The problem wasn’t that they were too big and luxurious. It was that they had no power, had poor build quality and were unreliable. If they could build a brand new 1976 Bonneville now, with today’s improved technology, there are some that would want and could afford one.
Same question as 3rd comment?
How did we lose our way?
Answer ask the politicians how and why?
Because they allowed the corporations to put their hands 🙌🏾 in their pockets as usual and lie to the public and took away the privileges of having, owning and driving real rides like 👍🏾 the Pontiac Luxury Land Cruisers, Land Liners and Land Yachts 🛥️, the same thing with the personal Fully Sized 2Dr Luxury like 👍🏾 the Grand Prix from the IIJ, LLJ and SSJ Personal Luxury Sports ⚾️🏀 🏈⚽️ Series.
Like 👍🏾 I have mentioned and said before in previous comments I’ve made and I’ll say it again. I’ll pick and choose all of the Antique, Classic and Vintage Rides of all the Big Three Ford, Chrysler and GM. That’s my comment and opinion.
Sincerely Yours Truly
Ivan I J
We lost our way as the manufacturers didn’t believe they had competition from overseas. When it became impossible to ignore, the drivability and reliability improved. Competition moves the bell curve to the right.
When the emissions and safety regulations came in, GM hired more lawyers. Toyota hired more engineers.