1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama

The idea behind the Pontiac Bonneville Concept came from the director of GM styling, Harley Earl. The idea came to him while he was watching world speed records being established at the Salt Flats in Utah. Earl gave the ambitious project to Pontiac, perhaps to enhance the division's sporty image. Under the direction of Earl, Hommer LaGassey and Paul Gilland, two examples were built. One was bronze and the other was green. The Metallic Bronze example made its debut in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf in New York. The Emerald Green example was put on display in the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. Pontiac later put the green example on a tour of major dealerships around the country.

The Bonneville Specials were basically 1953 Corvettes clothed with a fiberglass body with Pontiac Division styling cues. They were given a clear Plexiglass bubble top and powered by a 268 cubic-inch Pontiac inline-8 delivering 230 horsepower. In comparison, they produced more power than the Corvettes 235 CID Blue Flame inline-6, which was rated at 150 horsepower.

Although the concepts were called the Bonneville Specials, their styling were more aviation-inspired, rather than Land Speed Record machine inspired. Inside, the shift lever resembles an aircraft landing gear lever. The gauges, including the clock, compass and manifold pressure gauge, are salvaged from aircraft instruments. On the outside, the car is devoid of a grille, has full-width air intake, and twin aircraft-style air scoops on the cowl. In the back, where a trunk should be, there is a functional Continental kit built into the bodywork, revealing the turbine-style alloy wheel center in similar design to a jet engine exhaust. The Plexiglass bubble top and curved lift-up gullwing side windows complete the aviation-inspired appearance.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2015