Cars We Remember / Collector Car Corner; Pontiacs, Packard’s, and holiday column appreciation

By Greg Zyla — 

We’re back to the overflowing mailbox. Here we go.

Lackluster Pontiacs hurt the brand

Q: Greg, I love your columns that I read regularly here in Manchester, R.I. You mention Pontiac frequently and are a Pontiac owner, but unfortunately the demise of Pontiac was due to several factors as it was once the most popular car in the 60’s and early 70’s.

At the height of its popularity, going to a Pontiac showroom was like taking numbers in a bakery or deli. Next thing you know, GM spends little or no money on R & D (research and development), and then hangs Pontiac out to dry.

Remember these gems? The G3, G5 (Cobalt), and G8 didn’t really have a place in the market, and the Solstice (Saturn) 2-seater had multiple top problems. The Torrent was just a duplication of other GM models, while the Vibe was not particularly popular, although if you have one today it still brings a decent price at auctions.

The Pontiac G6? I bought several truckloads for Kenny Ross Chevrolet, North Huntingdon Pa., at GSA sales, which are auctions of government owned vehicles and are at the end of the model run and built for fleet and rental sales. These were good cars but after production stopped wholesale and loan value dropped, making it difficult to get those vehicles financed. The Pontiac G3, G5, G6, and G8 were all lame model names, but no real “Pontiac Excitement” in the name.

Buick, on the other hand, had a loyal customer base, owned by mostly no tops (bald) and snow tops (males over 50), and possibly a notch above Pontiac. As I recall most Pontiac dealers were partnered up with Buick, GMC, or an import. One exception was Pontiac Center in West Hartford, Conn., formerly known as Russell Pontiac and with showrooms on BOTH sides of busy New Park Avenue. Thanks Greg and keep your nostalgia columns coming! Sincerely, John Hannon, Manchester, Conn.

A: John, two things I’ll point out as per your interesting column. First, the reason the Pontiac Vibe to this day is a great car to own is because it is a 100% Toyota, thanks to a joint venture between Toyota and Pontiac. The Vibe was built in Fremont, Calif. and is a direct twin of the Toyota Matrix, with everything overseen by Toyota in its construction. Thus, if readers own a Vibe or are considering buying one, please do so if it is in decent shape. The Vibe was offered from 2002 to 2010, so there are quite a few out there.

Second, my daughter purchased a brand-new 2007 Pontiac G6 when she graduated college, and that car is still going strong today. Now being driven by owner number three, it has over 155,000 miles on its little 4-cylinder engine and still provides dependable transportation. The G6 was produced from 2005 to 2010.

‘Saga of Young Joe’ column hits a nerve

Q: Dear Mr. Zyla, I have been reading your articles in our local paper for a long time and have always enjoyed learning about the history of the various vehicles. I was born in 1950 and have owned some of the cars of the 60’s and 70’s that you have researched so thoroughly. 

Your article in today’s Bloomsburg, Pa. newspaper really hit home to me (the 1/10th – 8/10th of a second accident explanation). We were all young once and some of us likely did dumb things, but have thankfully survived over the years thanks to luck, faith and maturity.

However, this article on “Young Joe” was eye opening to say the least for me. It was written in a direct no BS type of manner that was understandable and even scary. But it should be a wakeup call to all of us at all ages. We are invincible until we aren’t.

It would be nice if this could be incorporated into our high school and college educational systems, as well as to make this into some type of public service announcement throughout our country. Driving education and training programs could also benefit. It should not be meant to be scary to drive, but to be responsible in driving.  

Thank you again for all your great research and my best to you and your family for a Merry Christmas and a New Year that benefits everyone throughout the world.  

Calvin F. Anderson — Pine Township, Benton, Pa.

A: Calvin, you just made my week! I wish I could have answered your letter in print sooner, but the holiday columns appear yearly with the latest possible information and take precedence over my “normal” car and nostalgia columns. Thanks so much for taking the time to write and raising some excellent ideas to assist both young and older drivers, especially the driver education programs.

Belgium reader offers info on the ‘Packard Twin Six’

Q: Hello Greg! As you have written about Packards many times before, my family sold our 1926 Packard two to three years ago. We went to visit it last weekend and enjoyed seeing the Packard “Twelve.” The owner also had the production plans and lots of blueprints that went with the car.

For your and your readers’ interest, the Packard Twelve is in a private Packard collection in Holland. You can however visit it after making an appointment or going here for a quick peek, www.dutchpackardcollection.nl/login/. Best regards, Nick Geuvens from Belgium.

A: Thank you very much Nick. As we’ve communicated before, I know you are aware that these Packard 12 cars are known as the Packard Twin Six, which clarified the V-12 design and the fact that it was introduced in 1916 and displaced 454 cubic inches. However, there was an official “Packard 12” model introduced in 1932 also, not to be confused with the early model Twin Six.

In ending, this Packard V-12 was an actual V-12 engine design with a single block and crank. It was similar in theory to the GMC truck “Twin Six,” another V-12 design that utilized one crank and a single block and was sold in the early 1960s. Not surprisingly many GMC V-6 engine parts were successfully used as replacement parts for these rare GMC V-12s.  

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated automotive columnist who welcomes reader interaction on auto nostalgia, collector cars and motorsports at greg@gregzyla.com.)