Vehicle Description
While many performance enthusiasts dismissed Pontiac as nothing more than a maker of reliable but mundane family cars during the mid-1950s, this staid image was irrevocably shattered when Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen assumed leadership to become the youngest General Manager of a GM Division in July 1956. Developed as a traffic-generator for Pontiac dealers, the 1957 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible was named after Pontiac's mid-1950s show cars and in commemoration of a record-breaking Pontiac speed effort at Utah's famed Bonneville Salt Flats. When released for sale, it was the rarest Pontiac model built at the time with production limited to 630 units or one per Pontiac dealer. Announced on December 2, 1956 and unveiled to the public on January 11, 1957, the Bonneville Convertible carried a lofty base price of $5,782 and came only one way - fully loaded. Air conditioning and an externally mounted spare tire were the only options available. Published reports estimated the output of its fuel-injected engine at 315 bhp and despite considerable size and weight, the Bonneville was a strong performer. A success from the start, the original Bonneville gave rise to a two-model series in 1958, with a new Sport Coupe joining the Convertible. Extremely rare, this sympathetically restored example is offered from the Gordon Apker Collection. Retaining the original Copper and White two-tone interior and possibly a repainted exterior in Copper, it is accented by good chrome, full hubcaps, and whitewalls. Highly equipped, features and options include a Wonder Bar radio, power antenna, power brakes, power steering and 4-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission. It has 88,183 original miles. An optional flip-down sun visor is installed as well. A true American automotive icon from the 1950s, this fuel-injected 1958 Bonneville is historically significant as the first of many high-performance models produced during the following decades by Pontiac.
