What’s Your Favourite Pontiac?

Daniel Golson recently asked you lot which dead brands you'd like to see make a comeback, and one answer rang out loud and clear across the blog hinterlands: Pontiac. You want your Pontiac back. So let's talk about it. I want to know which car you reckon is peak Pontiac. What is it you love about this long-lost brand, and which car made you fall for it?

My mum grew up in Pontiac, and my parents met in Pontiac, so I've got a soft spot for the city where the Oakland Motor Company first started out. The car company is named after the city of Pontiac, by the way, not Chief Pontiac, the Ottawa general who led an attack on Fort Detroit while it was in British hands. The city itself is named after the Chief, which is a roundabout way of getting to be named after a formidable Ottawa warrior. When William Durant, GM's founder, bought Oakland Motor Car Company in 1909, the Pontiac brand name came along with it. GM introduced the brand as a companion to the pricey Oakland cars in 1926. Oakland faded away, but Pontiac carried on.

The best Pontiac

The lead image of this post is the Piranha concept, the favourite Pontiac of Chris Davies, but it got me thinking about my own favourite Pontiac concept: the 1985 Pontiac Trans Am Kammback. This little beauty is pure '80s cool in a wagon. According to Barrett-Jackson, "this concept was put into service as a Pace Car for the PPG and IMSA Race Series for 1985." But it never made it to the roads. Luckily this lovely example was saved from the crusher. I can't believe this little gem never made it to the showroom. Just look at those wheels! And who doesn't love a Trans Am. Hell, who doesn't love a Kammback?

If I had to pick a production Pontiac, it's probably the Pontiac Catalina. It just sums up so much of what made the brand fun. The company rolled the dice on a car that was far too ahead of its time. With names like Fury and Firebird and Fiero and Banshee and Sunfire, Pontiac made its fairly average cars really stand out. Pontiac gave the average bloke something cool to drive, which is why, I think, we all love the brand so much. Which one do you love the most? You know the drill. Leave your picks in the comments and I'll round up the best answers in a few days.