Same Family For 50 Years: 1960 Pontiac Bonneville
The Pontiac Bonneville, named after the salt flats in Utah, was a staple in the company’s line-up from 1957-05. It was often the top-line automobile offered by the GM division and was – at times – the largest car that Pontiac ever built. This 1960 convertible has been in the same family since the 1970s and looks to have been part of a large collection. In great running order, it may only need bodywork and paint. Located in Grants Pass, Oregon, this drop-top is available here on craigslist for $25,000 OBO. Our thanks to DAN OLDER for a great Wide Track tip!
Speaking of Wide Track, that design element became part of Pontiac’s marketing mantra beginning with the third generation of Bonneville’s in 1959. That was accomplished by pushing the front wheels further out toward the fenders, creating what may have been the best handling and cornering full-size cars of the day. Those vehicles also began the split grille tradition that would dominate those cars for the next few decades. The 1960 Pontiacs were the same under the skin as the 1959s, just with some styling improvements (at least in my opinion; the ‘59s had a “Batman” sort of look to them).
Pontiac assembled nearly 400,000 cars in 1960, with 85,000 of them being the larger, more luxurious Bonneville’s. And, of those, 17,000 were convertibles like the seller’s car. It belonged to “Grandpa” who had owned the car for the better part of 50 years. We assume he’s passed on and the family has offered it for sale, along with what may be an extensive collection of other vintage cars you see it photographed with.
This stylish drop-top left the factory with a black finish and red interior. The black was changed to blue at some point, but the interior is original and presents very nicely. It and the canvas top should require no attention on the part of the buyer. We’re told there is minimal rust and some of that may have been addressed previously given the presence of red primer. The hood is also a different color than the rest of the car, suggesting it either had rust or was damaged enough to warrant a replacement.
At more than 112,000 miles, we’re told this old beauty starts right up and is mechanically sound. Nice enough to be used as a daily driver (but at today’s gas prices?). Under the hood resides Pontiac’s powerful 389 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor and automatic transmission. We’re told everything works, so only exterior cosmetics will need addressing. The seller has a video available upon request and will consider accepting a partial trade for the car without going into details as to what he/she would be looking for.
These were great cars with plenty of room to take all your friends to the drive-in movies (including sneaking in a few in the trunk!). They are automobiles you don’t see very often anymore despite their original production numbers. A super nice example can turn out to be a $60,000 auto, according to sources like Hagerty.
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Comments
A DROP TOP TIN INDIAN, It Get’s No Better
I always loved the look of the 60 Pontiac, especially the bubble top coupe. Back then, I thought it would have been cool if they had made the back up lights the directional blinkers because they looked like arrows. They could’ve put the reverse lights left and right of the license tag.
This one won’t last long. `60 was an excellent year for Pontiac, and the Bonneville cvts. are in demand. Restored right you won’t lose a dime n this one.
Nice, but the 59 and 61 were the iconic Pontiac look that lasted till the end.
I owned a 1961 Bonneville convertible. Even as a used-up car, I loved it! In my opinion, it’s the best looking year, the 1963&1969 were the worst.
This car definitely makes a statement!
Paint it black, clean the tip and interior and drive it.
My deceased BIL had one of these. He rebuilt the 389 ci and punched it to 406, put in a 4-speed and 456 gears and went to the hot dog stands looking for guys with hopped up 327 Chevies (cam and solids) He never started the car for less tha a $100 run. He was never stupid on the street (I was) Sadly he died when a retaining bar from a truck went thru the winshield of his ’62 mpala conv. He just married my sister and took the 409 out of the car and put in a 283. RIP, George.