388.4ci OHV V8 Engine
Single 4-Barrel Carburetor
325bhp at 4,800rpm
3-Speed Automatic
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Drum Brakes
*Offered from the Two Generations Collection
*Owned for 35 years
*Open topped muscle from Pontiac
*For restoration† Sold In Situ - Noted lot is being sold in situ and preview is available Tuesday and Wednesday May 30th and 31st. To make arrangements to view the lots and for further information please contact
[email protected].
Please refer to the
Buyer Information page for further information.
THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDPontiac's Bonneville first appeared as a pair of show cars at the 1954 Motorama, bubble-top two-seat sports models that did not see production. The name, which derives from Utah's Bonneville salt flats, site of many land speed record runs, was retrieved for a specialty convertible in the 1957 Custom Star Chief line. Just 630 were built, allocated one to a dealer. Equipped with Rochester mechanical fuel injection, the engine was estimated to make 315 bhp. For 1958, Bonneville became a full-fledged series, comprising a hardtop coupe and a convertible. All General Motors cars were redesigned for 1959, Pontiac having the sole distinction of a "Wide Track" chassis. Now called "Bonneville Custom," the series gained a four-door Vista hardtop and the new 389 cubic inch engine with four-barrel carburetor. Hydra-Matic-equipped Bonnevilles had 10.0 to 1 compression, which resulted in 300 bhp with four-barrel carburetion. Bonnevilles were now on the 124-inch Star Chief wheelbase. The convertible, with 17,062 built, was popular but much less common than the 39,000 Vista hardtops produced in the series.
Featuring a fresh design for 1963, the Bonneville now sported vertical stacked headlights and a deeper recessed grill providing an aggressive and sporty look for the firm's full-size offering. By 1965 when this car was delivered the cars had lost their body side moldings but gained V-shaped front fender badges and Bonneville block lettering on the rear fenders. Along the rocker panels were ribbed moldings adding to their aesthetic appeal.
The Bonneville offered here was bought for the collection from a Carlisle auction in 1988, its former owner being a local collector Robert L. Gilbert of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. Languishing in storage for many years, the Pontiac has sadly not seen the light of day for some time and is not presently in running condition, so will require complete assessment and attention mechanically as well as being in need of cosmetic and potentially structural work. It is sold strictly 'as is'.