Man, City and Car
April 28, 2009 (Tuesday)
Chief Pontiac was a leader of the Ottawas in the struggle against the British during the 1760’s when the British occupied the Great Lakes Region after the French and Indian War.
A city near Detroit was named after the chief. Pontiac, Michigan has been a key city in General Motors’ production of automobiles and trucks.
The Pontiac automobile was introduced in 1926 with a six-cylinder engine competing with four-cylinder autos in its class. It was a very successful competitor, and soon became the top selling six-cylinder automobile in the United States. By 1933, it was sporting straight eight-cylinder engines. Its most endearing quality was its dependability (and people like the hood ornament, too).
General Motors announced today that it is ceasing production of the Pontiac.
Fifty-four years ago, during my seminary days, I went to work at the B.O.P. Arlington Assembly plant in Arlington, Texas. The “B.O.P.” stood for Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. I still remember the bold and beautiful 1956 Pontiacs rolling down the line. They were colorful, loaded with chrome strips and shiny grills. It would have been a great seller, I think, but 1955 had been such an outstanding year in auto sales that the market flattened somewhat, and we also had a recession.
My time as an employee in the G.M. plant was relatively short, but I thoroughly enjoyed working there, becoming familiar with the automobiles, and watching them being “born” as it were. So the news today that there will be no more Pontiacs after this year is sad news. The brand name joins a long list of cars no longer produced. How many can you name? There are lots of them.