Pontiac Cars: Brand Shuts Down After 84 Years

Pontiac, one of the 20th Century's most iconic automobile brands, was shut down by GM on Oct. 31. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK—Pontiac, one of the 20th Century’s most iconic car brands, officially died yesterday.

The brand, a staple of General Motors, has been shut down a year after GM underwent a massive bankruptcy and restructuring.

During its heyday, Pontiac enjoyed broad consumer recognition—Burt Reynolds drove a black and yellow Trans Am in the movie “Smokey and the Bandit,” and its Firebird muscle cars were known for iconic images of Phoenix on their long hoods.

To Americans, Pontiac is most well-known for its muscle cars popularized by Hollywood flicks during the 1960s and 1970s—the fast Firebird Trans Am, the even faster GTO, and the elegant Bonneville.

Sales of Pontiac automobiles topped out at 1 million in 1968, but sales steadily declined as high gas prices cut into muscle car sales and GM subsequently suffered from quality issues in later models.

GM marketed the cars as sportier alternatives to Chevrolet—Pontiac models had split grills and red arrowhead emblem on their hoods. 

Excluding the recent success of the G8—a re-branded Holden—and the Solstice roadster, Pontiac sales have long trailed its rivals. 

GM has said that its dealers will continue to honor vehicle warranties and provide service to existing Pontiac models.