Which Pontiacs Had 8-Lug Wheels, And What Made Them So Special?

Pontiac met its end in 2010 due to corporate restructuring at General Motors but left a mark just the same. In its 84 years of existence, the now-defunct automaker produced numerous iconic muscle cars that people continue to identify and connect with, for reasons ranging from their cool, sporty styling to their strong performance. For devoted Pontiac fans with a particular interest in the 1960s classic Pontiac cars, the wheel design is also often a point of keen interest.

Between 1960 and 1968, Pontiac 8-lug wheels were offered as a $120 factory option or dealer accessory on full-size Pontiac models — such as the Pontiac Bonneville, Grand Prix, and Catalina — and had a unique design that appealed not only in looks but also from a utilitarian standpoint. Before disc brakes became a mainstay on cars, most '60s vehicles, including Pontiacs, were equipped with drum brakes, which tended to suffer from brake fade under extreme conditions due to poor heat dissipation.

To counteract this problem, Kelsey-Hayes manufactured the 14-inch, eight-lug wheel sets for Pontiac. The Clayton Leach-designed wheels were more like rims, and finned aluminum brake drums with cast-iron liners that were part of the wheel hub assembly acted as the wheel center instead of steel. This open wheel design choice allowed air to circulate more freely around the drums, helping to dissipate brake heat and reduce fade. Hence, the Pontiac 8-lug wheels provided a functional and aesthetic solution, so much so that many people still consider them to be some of the best and most beautiful automotive designs ever made.

Pontiac's 8-lug wheels were so named because of the eight bolts used to mount the wheel around the outer diameter of the drum, connecting the steel rims to the finned aluminum hubs. As for the actual lugs that bolt the wheel to the axle, the rear hubs had a standard five-bolt pattern, while the front drums attached over the wheel bearings on spindles had an eight-lug pattern, as covered on Bring a Trailer.

Pontiac discontinued production of the 8-lug wheels in 1968 after front disc brakes became more common, but because they remain ever-popular, the Pontiac 8-lug wheels are still widely available in different sizes from third-party suppliers. However, if you're set on genuine OEM eight-lug wheels, you can also find used ones on online marketplaces.

With regard to the cars themselves, prices tend to vary depending on the model you're looking at, its mileage, equipment, and overall condition. For example, Classic.com has a 16,325-mile 1964 Pontiac Grand Prix with the 8-lug wheels listed at $29,900, but prices can reach as high as $89,900.