1960 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible

Pontiac's heritage dates to 1899 when the Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works, makers of fine carriages, was founded. Seeing the potential of the nascent automobile industry, the owners formed the Oakland Motor Car Company, eventually selling out to General Motors. The Pontiac brand was created in 1926 to fill a niche between Chevrolet and Oakland in Alfred Sloan's brilliant stair-step strategy. Pontiac outsold Oakland and when the Great Depression hammer dropped, Pontiac survived; Oakland didn't.

Fast-forward to the 1950's. Pontiac was thriving; its reputation well-grounded in durable but bland vehicles. But in 1956, dated styling saw sales plummet and Semon 'Bunkie' Knudsen arrived to breathe life into the brand. With the help of John DeLorean and Pete Estes, Bunkie transformed Pontiac from a stodgy brand into a performance-oriented, 'Wide Tracking' powerhouse. Soon the venerable 'Silver Streak' suspenders and Indian Chief logo gave way to a stylish split grille. Motorsports beckoned as well; a strategy that continued throughout the 1960s.

The 1960 model saw a one year deviation from the split grille design begun in 1959; a styling cue that would become Pontiac's trademark for five decades. Jet exhaust-inspired round tail lamps and flared bezels were a nod to the aircraft of the time, and as Pontiac pushed its wheels out toward the fenders, Bonneville became the best handling full-size car available.

This top-of-the-line Bonneville has a 389 cubic-inch V8 with 318 horsepower. Other features include power steering and brakes and tri-tone interior.