Concept Car 1954 Bonneville

[George Smolinski]

FB posting w/no copyright mark, so I'm sharing.

I like the interior, but your copilot had to help with reading the guages. Steering wheel looks like C1 Corvette. Speedo reminds me of 1954 full size Chevy. Grab bar was on 1962 Impala SS models. I see 1955 Pontiac in the rear quarter/tail light treatment. Must only drive it on cloudy days, otherwise your goose would be cooked. I wonder if the whole top is removable.

[joe_padavano]

Pontiac's version of the 1954 Corvette, just like the 1954 Oldsmobile F88. This one had a flathead straight eight, not exactly hot rod material. This is one of two, and sold for $3.3M in 2015.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/01/1954-pontiac-bonneville-special-concept-sells-for-3-3-million/

 

 

[The 55er]

The first 1954 Bonneville Special was painted a copper-red color. The green one was the second one. There were some slight differences between the two according to an article in Collectible Automobile magazine, December 2016.

[plymouthcranbrook]

I have to say I like the Pontiac much more than the Corvette of that era. I suspect understeer would be a problem with that heavy flathead and a light rear end though.

[1957Birdman]

Since Pontiac didn't have a V8 in the 1954 the straight eight makes some sense. I guess they didn't want to put a prototype of the new for 1955 V8 in this concept car.

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

[f.f.jones]

I attended the 1954 GM Motorama in San Francisco. As a budding gearhead at 11 years old, I was very impressed with this car. I collected all the hand-outs and still have them today, including the picture post card.

They played movies of the original Firebird experimental car on a test track.

I remember that my mother was most impresses with the Frigidare kitchen of the future - especially the microwave oven cooking eggs in what seemed like seconds.

I also got to see the local preview of the 1955 Thunderbird later in the year and was allowed to sit in the driver's seat. (Zoom, zoom!) Great memories...

[Pfeil]

6 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

Pontiac's version of the 1954 Corvette, just like the 1954 Oldsmobile F88. This one had a flathead straight eight, not exactly hot rod material. This is one of two, and sold for $3.3M in 2015.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/01/1954-pontiac-bonneville-special-concept-sells-for-3-3-million/

 

 

This engine isn't hot rod material either;

[Pfeil]

3 hours ago, 1957Birdman said:

Since Pontiac didn't have a V8 in the 1954 the straight eight makes some sense. I guess they didn't want to put a prototype of the new for 1955 V8 in this concept car.

Lew Bachman

1957 Thunderbird

Pontiac did have their V-8 ready in 1953. 1953 and 54 Pontiac's frame and suspensions we're ready for it. Buick went to the 14th floor and complained that the Pontiac V-8 would steal away all the limelight from the new Nailhead V-8 they were introducing in 1953. The corporation held Pontiac back. 

[Pfeil]

6 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

Pontiac's version of the 1954 Corvette, just like the 1954 Oldsmobile F88. This one had a flathead straight eight, not exactly hot rod material. This is one of two, and sold for $3.3M in 2015.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/01/1954-pontiac-bonneville-special-concept-sells-for-3-3-million/

 

 

The F-88

This Oldsmobile is the car G.M. corporate should have given the green light to instead of the Corvette.

[George Smolinski]

7 hours ago, Pfeil said:

The F-88

This Oldsmobile is the car G.M. corporate should have given the green light to instead of the Corvette.

No, they should have made all of them including the one below:

[joe_padavano]

11 hours ago, Pfeil said:

This engine isn't hot rod material either;

 

No argument from me. 😉

[Paul Dobbin]

On 10/24/2021 at 2:48 PM, The 55er said:

The first 1954 Bonneville Special was painted a copper-red color. The green one was the second one. There were some slight differences between the two according to an article in Collectible Automobile magazine, December 2016.

  I saw a picture of a Blue one that Tommy Foster, a former GM Engineer showed me.

   CORRECTION:   Tommy;s picture was of the Puntiac version,  He worked for Pontiac.

Edited October 29, 2021 by Paul Dobbin
Correction to Pontiac (see edit history)

[zepher]

The front end of the Pontiac is very Corvette like.

The rear end is, well........unfortunate.

[Rivguy]

I've got this book covers the Motorama cars. I attended the Motorama in S.F. in 61 or '62. I was only seven or eight so it's hard to recall. That Bonneville looks great in green.

[Pfeil]

4 hours ago, zepher said:

The front end of the Pontiac is very Corvette like.

The rear end is, well........unfortunate.

I've never seen a Corvette with Hershey suspenders. I wonder why Homer put those on?

Edited October 26, 2021 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:47 PM, Rivguy said:

Hey, that's the Club De Mer on the cover. My friend made a copy of it several years ago. Most of the internet pictures that come up with a search are pictures of his car! The original was destroyed years ago. I have seen the Biscayne up close, and the Lasalle II. Both owned by Joe Bortz. And I have worked on the Super Monza, but that is a real metal car, not a dream car that was never road worthy.

 

 

 

[PONTIAC1953]

On 10/24/2021 at 1:19 PM, George Smolinski said:

FB posting w/no copyright mark, so I'm sharing.

I like the interior, but your copilot had to help with reading the guages. Steering wheel looks like C1 Corvette. Speedo reminds me of 1954 full size Chevy. Grab bar was on 1962 Impala SS models. I see 1955 Pontiac in the rear quarter/tail light treatment. Must only drive it on cloudy days, otherwise your goose would be cooked. I wonder if the whole top is removable.

this #2 Bonneville Special was sold to a farmer that lived in Illinois if i'm correct, he painted it white, put turn signals on it i believe, punched extra holes in the radiator cover for better air flow to the radiator, and he drove it around where he lived for years. none of the plexiglass top is removeable. the persimmon colored #1 car was shown at the 1954 Motorama locations, this green #2 car was shown all over the country at Pontiac dealer zone conferences. 

Charles L. Coker

1953 & 1954 Pontiac

Technical Advisor

Pontiac Oakland Club International

[PONTIAC1953]

On 10/27/2021 at 9:26 PM, Frank DuVal said:

Hey, that's the Club De Mer on the cover. My friend made a copy of it several years ago. Most of the internet pictures that come up with a search are pictures of his car! The original was destroyed years ago. I have seen the Biscayne up close, and the Lasalle II. Both owned by Joe Bortz. And I have worked on the Super Monza, but that is a real metal car, not a dream car that was never road worthy.

 

 

 

your friend must be Tony Martino

[PONTIAC1953]

On 10/24/2021 at 8:09 PM, Pfeil said:

Pontiac did have their V-8 ready in 1953. 1953 and 54 Pontiac's frame and suspensions we're ready for it. Buick went to the 14th floor and complained that the Pontiac V-8 would steal away all the limelight from the new Nailhead V-8 they were introducing in 1953. The corporation held Pontiac back. 

it was Buick and Oldsmobile that went crying to the GM board of directors, begging the directors to stop Pontiac from introducing the 287 Strato Streak V8 in 1953 as Pontiac had planned. 

[Pfeil]

11 minutes ago, pontiac1953 said:

it was Buick and Oldsmobile that went crying to the GM board of directors, begging the directors to stop Pontiac from introducing the 287 Strato Streak V8 in 1953 as Pontiac had planned. 

One more thing of interest on the two 54 Bonnevilles. The corporation ( not the division ) would not let the 287 V-8 be used in the cars.

[PONTIAC1953]

2 hours ago, Pfeil said:

One more thing of interest on the two 54 Bonnevilles. The corporation ( not the division ) would not let the 287 V-8 be used in the cars.

well i sat down with Pontiac engineer "Mac" McKeller in 1996, and discussed the two 1954 Bonneville Special having the high performance Pontiac straight eights and not the new Strato Streak V8, he said "because Pontiac still needed to sell one more year of straight eights. i can imagine things really would have been exciting and high performance if 1953-1954 Pontiac Chieftains, Starchiefs, Parisienne concept, 2 Bonneville Specials concept, and the 1954 Strato Streak concept all were 287 V8 powered.

[Pfeil]

19 hours ago, pontiac1953 said:

well i sat down with Pontiac engineer "Mac" McKeller in 1996, and discussed the two 1954 Bonneville Special having the high performance Pontiac straight eights and not the new Strato Streak V8, he said "because Pontiac still needed to sell one more year of straight eights. i can imagine things really would have been exciting and high performance if 1953-1954 Pontiac Chieftains, Starchiefs, Parisienne concept, 2 Bonneville Specials concept, and the 1954 Strato Streak concept all were 287 V8 powered.

Gee Charles, one more year?? Heck that engine had been in production since 1933! Common now, pull the other one! That sounds like a corporate answer, when they don't want you to know something.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[PONTIAC1953]

25 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

Gee Charles, one more year?? Heck that engine had been in production since 1933! Common now, pull the other one! That sounds like a corporate answer, when they don't want you to know something.

well Pfeil, i'm not pulling anything, Pontiac started designing and building a 269 L head V8 in 1946, to replace the straight eight, when the Olds Rocket 303 came out in 1949, Pontiac got a 303 and sleeved the 303 down to a 270 cubic inch displacement to compare it with their 269 L head engine, in all important engine parameters, the Olds engine out performed the Pontiac engine, then and there, Pontiac knew that the 269 engine program was dead, so starting fresh and realizing that the overhead valve engine was what they needed, Pontiac started on the Strato Streak 287 V8 program, by 1951-early 1952 Pontiac had built 23 production prototypes of the 1953 Pontiac Chieftain - running on GM and Pontiac's own proving grounds for research and development, this is where the spies for Buick and Olds saw what Pontiac was going to sell the public in 1953, i really enjoyed my conversation with Pontiac engineer Mac McKeller, he wasn't pulling my leg, and i'm not pulling your leg, so you can take it or leave it, nothing i have posted deserves the label you give as a "corporate answer".

[Pfeil]

23 hours ago, pontiac1953 said:

well Pfeil, i'm not pulling anything, Pontiac started designing and building a 269 L head V8 in 1946, to replace the straight eight, when the Olds Rocket 303 came out in 1949, Pontiac got a 303 and sleeved the 303 down to a 270 cubic inch displacement to compare it with their 269 L head engine, in all important engine parameters, the Olds engine out performed the Pontiac engine, then and there, Pontiac knew that the 269 engine program was dead, so starting fresh and realizing that the overhead valve engine was what they needed, Pontiac started on the Strato Streak 287 V8 program, by 1951-early 1952 Pontiac had built 23 production prototypes of the 1953 Pontiac Chieftain - running on GM and Pontiac's own proving grounds for research and development, this is where the spies for Buick and Olds saw what Pontiac was going to sell the public in 1953, i really enjoyed my conversation with Pontiac engineer Mac McKeller, he wasn't pulling my leg, and i'm not pulling your leg, so you can take it or leave it, nothing i have posted deserves the label you give as a "corporate answer".

According to a interview I saw with LaGassie ,said it was the Corporation would not let them put the 287 in the Bonneville.

Just now I looked up the special on Wikipedia and it said;

"Throughout the American auto world straight-8s were giving way to V8s. Pontiac's was far enough in its development to be considered for the "Special", but was held back by GM marketing, which wished to keep it a secret until its consumer debut the following model year."

G.M. marketing is different than a divisions marketing arm. 

[PONTIAC1953]

16 hours ago, Pfeil said:

According to a interview I saw with LaGassie ,said it was the Corporation would not let them put the 287 in the Bonneville.

Just now I looked up the special on Wikipedia and it said;

"Throughout the American auto world straight-8s were giving way to V8s. Pontiac's was far enough in its development to be considered for the "Special", but was held back by GM marketing, which wished to keep it a secret until its consumer debut the following model year."

G.M. marketing is different than a divisions marketing arm. 

i have no faith in wikipedia, always find errors in what's posted there.

[Pfeil]

23 hours ago, pontiac1953 said:

i have no faith in wikipedia, always find errors in what's posted there.

How do you feel about LaGassie's feelings, because he essentially said the same thing. After all he built the car.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[PONTIAC1953]

22 hours ago, Pfeil said:

How do you feel about LaGassie's feelings, because he essentially said the same thing. After all he built the car.

well what Mac McKeller told me and that LaGasse's comments were similar, both knowing that GM board of directors ordered Pontiac in 1951-52 to wait until 1955 to introduce the new Strato Streak 287 V8, because the board of directors felt by 1955 that chevy would have their 265 V8 ready for production. and Homer LaGasse worked along side with Paul Gillian, under Harley Earl's supervision in designing and building the two 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special concept cars.

[Pfeil]

4 hours ago, pontiac1953 said:

well what Mac McKeller told me and that LaGasse's comments were similar, both knowing that GM board of directors ordered Pontiac in 1951-52 to wait until 1955 to introduce the new Strato Streak 287 V8, because the board of directors felt by 1955 that chevy would have their 265 V8 ready for production. and Homer LaGasse worked along side with Paul Gillian, under Harley Earl's supervision in designing and building the two 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special concept cars.

Sounds like we are in agreement and on the same page.