5 Of The Most Iconic Pontiac Convertibles Ever Made

I am a week short of marking a full year with SlashGear, during which I have written nearly 15,000 words on various Pontiac models. Researching Pontiacs like the muscle car legend 1964 GTO and woefully underrated 1991 Grand Am has given me intimate knowledge of the brand's history, which began in 1926 until declining sales and GM's bankruptcy restructuring led to the demise of Pontiac in 2009. Most people are familiar with Pontiac's Firebird and its high-performance brother, the Trans Am, thanks in part to the elaborate graphics Pontiac used on those two models and some others. 

While the Trans Am's T-top roof is familiar to children of the '80s, Pontiac made more than its share of genuine convertibles in its 80-plus years in business. The GM division's drop-top offerings span nearly every decade of Pontiac's existence, and among them are models with a vast range of performance capabilities. I've scoured the brand's proud history to highlight five Pontiac convertibles I feel are particularly worthy of remembering.

[Featured image by Greg Gjerdingen via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-By 2.0]

The most logical place to start is at the very beginning, and with regards to Pontiac that means with the Six, which was the first model the brand produced. It got its name from its inline six-cylinder engine, which initially had a displacement of 186.5 cubic inches. Early Pontiac Six engines had two cylinder heads, each covering three cylinders. The Six's motor grew to 200.4 cubic inches in 1932, but the Six yielded to the brand-new Eight for the following two model years. 

The Six returned for 1935 with a new one-piece cylinder head. By 1949, the Six's engine had grown to as much as 239.2 cubic inches, but the model was dropped for good after 1953. Six roadsters are among the most strikingly beautiful cars of the era, with dramatic, curved fenders and long running boards. Surprisingly, they're relatively affordable compared to other antique cars. A gorgeous 1941 Deluxe Six roadster in Taffy Tan with a red leather interior sold four years ago for just $22,000, and an equally stunning 1929 Big Six 6-29 convertible went for $35,750 in 2021.

[Featured image by Spanish Coches via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-By 2.0]

The Bonneville had a 48-year run that spanned ten generations, but one of the coolest versions came early in the model's lifespan. While the Bonneville was first issued as a standalone model in 1958, the nameplate was first used at the 1954 Motorama exhibition on a concept car called the Bonneville Special that had a fiberglass body and transparent bubble top. The Bonneville badge then returned in 1957 on a high-performance convertible variant of the Star Chief. The Bonneville's moniker was an homage to Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, which have served for decades as a proving ground for the fastest land-going machines on earth. According to How Stuff Works, the 1957 Star Chief Bonneville had a limited run of just 630 units and cost $5,782 (equal to almost $66,000 today). For that hefty investment, buyers got as standard equipment power seats, windows, brakes, steering and an electric top. Even the radio was premium gear, with signal-seeking capability and a power antenna. The 370 cubic inch V8 had a mechanical multi-port Rochester fuel injection system that boosted official power numbers to 310 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.

From 1958 on, the now standalone Bonneville was issued in hardtop form as well. The model lasted through the 2005 model year, although it was only offered as a sedan that last year. 

[Featured image by MercurySable99 via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-By 4.0]

Pontiac was entering its final years when the division introduced the Solstice roadster for the 2006 model year. Prior to its release, the Solstice was featured on an episode of "The Apprentice," which prompted a wave of demand that led hopeful buyers to pay thousands of dollars beyond the asking price to secure an early example. Pontiac sold 37,000 Solstices in 2006 and 2007, thanks in part to the introduction of the high-performance GXP variant in its second year. The Solstice officially lasted until the 2010 model year, but that the dying division only made 20 pre-production copies of the 2010 Solstice, of which eight were convertibles and 12 were coupes.

The four-year run of the Solstice saw almost 64,500 roadsters leave the factory, and many of them have survived the intervening decade and a half. Classic.com lists sales of 243 Solstices over the past five years, at an average price of a few bucks under $17,000.

Pontiac made the Grand Prix from 1962 until 2008 on several different platforms, but 1967 was the only year it was produced in a convertible body style. Surprisingly, the one-off droptop Grand Prix wasn't as popular as the hardtop version. According to Hemmings, Pontiac sold less than 6,000 1967 Grand Prix convertibles versus about 37,000 coupes. Convertibles came standard with a 400 cubic inch V8 that generated 350 horsepower when topped with a Carter four-barrel carburetor. Torque output on the 400 was 397 lb-ft, but two configurations of Pontiac's 428-inch V8 were also available. The high-output version made 376 horsepower and 462 lb-ft of torque, but Harwood Motors in Macedonia, Ohio claims that only 15 to 17 '67 Grand Prix convertibles were built with the HO 428. The classic car dealer sold one with the H.O. option in 2018 for just under $80,000.

JD Power lists the current value for a 1967 Grand Prix convertible at between roughly $13,000 and $50,000 depending on condition. 

[Featured image by MercurySable99 via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-By 4.0]

The 428-powered 1967 Grand Prix is hard to find, but an even rarer Pontiac is the 1969 Trans Am convertible. That was the first year Pontiac offered the high-performance variant of the Firebird, and only 689 '69 Trans Ams left the factory (via Auto Evolution). Only eight were convertibles, and most of those came with the Ram Air III package. That add-on included high-performance heads and a four-barrel carburetor that boosted the 400 cubic inch V8's output to 335 horsepower. One of those rare birds was almost totaled after a 1973 crash and sat unused for more than two decades before being sold to a Michigan resident. 

Like its seven brothers, the one shown above is painted in Cameo White with Tyrol Blue stripes on the hood. A custom trim option was available with a wood-grain instrument panel and passenger grab handle. Buyers could also opt for red, gold or green interiors and black, white, or blue vinyl tops. According to Hemmings, only six of the eight customers chose the optional rear seat, but all eight got the standard Safe-T-Track limited slip rear differential.  Hagerty values this model at more than $800,000 in good condition, but best of luck prying one from its owner's grip.