Pontiac, Michigan, named for an American Indian chief, rolled out its first car in 1900 at the Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works. Bought by General Motors, the increasingly popular brand was redesigned and presented at the New York Auto Show in 1926 with its now famous Indian Head Logo.

Pontiac Cars have been visible and audible on the country’s roads and bridges since the beginning of the 20th century, tunneling the Chief’s head through automobile traffic and American history.

Growing up in Michigan, I recall distinct stages of Pontiac development, but the totem head hood ornament always drew me as by some mystical force – at least to a young imagination interested in indian culture.

Pontiac’s reputation as a performance brand began the late 1950s. Designed with wider bodies and wheels thrusted out to match, the “Wide-track” gave Pontiacs a decided cornering advantage over other cars, and became a huge selling point. However, the public’s recognition of Pontiac as a high-performance brand was set in 1964 with the creation of the Pontiac’s Gran Turismo Omologato. Quickly abbreviated to GTO, the model is credited with pioneering a new class of American automoble, The Muscle Car. Read the rest of this entry »