1958 Pontiac Bonneville Series 25 Custom Sport Coupe

For 1958, the Bonneville ceased the role of model designation and became its own line. It was offered in two bodystyles, a convertible and sport coupe. The name 'Bonneville' was originally used by GM on a pair of bubble-topped GM Motorama concept cars called the 'Bonneville Special.' The name came from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah where many land speed records have been set over the years.

The Pontiac Bonneville was a product of those Motorama Concept Cars. It originally began life in the Star-Chief model-lineup and served as the high-performance, fuel-injected luxury convertible late in the 1957 model year. It came equipped with every available option and carried a hefty price tag of $5,000. This price was more than double the base price of a Chieftain four-door sedan.

The name 'Bonneville' was suitable to the 1957 Pontiac Star-Chief Custom Bonneville, as it was the fastest Pontiac ever. It could race from zero-to-sixty in just 8.1 seconds and it would win the Grand National Championship with a top speed of 101.6 mph. This was fast enough to break all existing records during NASCAR trials at Daytona.

In 1957, only 630 Bonnevilles were produced. For 1958, a coupe was added which paced the Indianapolis 500. By now, the price had come down to much more reasonable territory, starting at around $3,000. This was made possible by the removal of many of the standard features found on the 1957 model. Standard equipment now included a Tri-Power 300 horsepower engine.

In 1958, there were 12,240 Bonnevilles made with 9,144 being the coupe body style. They were available in single carburetor, tri-power, or fuel-injected configurations.

This 1958 Bonneville has the Tri-Power setup and 61,600 original miles. It is well optioned with power steering, power brakes, power windows, fender skirts, a continental kit, and the rare 'Sportable Radio.' It is painted in Squadron Blue and Cascade Blue.

In 2008, the car was offered for sale at the Hilton Head Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by the Worldwide Auctioneers. It was estimated to sell for $70,000 - $80,000. Bidding failed to reach the vehicles reserve and the lot was left unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2008