Pontiac Bonneville Special
| Pontiac Bonneville Special | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Pontiac (General Motors) |
| Also called | SO 2026 |
| Production | 1954 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | sports car |
| Body style | 2-door canopy coupé |
| Related |
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| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 268 cu in (4.4 L) "Special"-8 I8 |
| Transmission | 4-speed Hydramatic automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 100.001 in (2,540 mm) |
| Length | 158.3 in (4,021 mm) |
| Height | 48.001 in (1,219 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Pontiac Club de Mer |
The Pontiac Bonneville Special is a purpose-built concept car unveiled at the General Motors Motorama in 1954, the first 2-seater sports car Pontiac had ever produced. Conceived by renowned designer Harley J. Earl and hand built by Homer C. LaGassey Jr. and Paul Gilland, the "Special" is a grand touring sport coupé that incorporated innovative styling like a Plexiglas canopy with gull-wing windows on a sleek fiberglass body. The name "Bonneville" was meant to convey high performance, inspired by a trip Earl had taken to Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to observe speed trials there. It was the first GM vehicle to carry the name, subsequently given to the Division's full-size performance car, the Bonneville, which carried it for 47 years.
Two "Special" prototypes, one painted metallic bronze and one emerald green, were built in order to unveil them simultaneously at the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf in New York and the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1954.
The exterior design of the "Special" was a curious amalgamation of advanced European sports car styling in front and a rear betraying America’s 1950s fascination with the Space-age, complete with a recessed circular spare tire enclosure flanked by protruding top to bottom tailfins that gave the car a rocket-powered appearance. A wind tunnel helped sculp the lines, and high-tech brightwork garnished the body, hood and grill. Glass covered recessed headlights, two banks of rectangular louvers on the fenders, and twin Pontiac "Silver-Streaks" on the hood that lead to functional air scoops served as accents.
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Wikipedia