6/30/2023 0 Comments Car tempestIn order to come in at a competitive price, the compact Pontiac would have to make as much use of existing technology and production facilities as possible. DeLorean, was anxious to put his stamp on the "Wide Track" portion of the project. Pontiac's director of advanced engineering, John Z. DeLorean helped shape the Pontiac Tempest. Though Pontiac knew what they did not want to do, they needed to pick a direction for their new compact car. Therefore, how do I justify the extra $500 to $1,000 added to the price to sell it with a Pontiac nameplate?'" How do I make it different? There is no grille to be restyled and the engine can't be exchanged for a Pontiac powerplant. DeMauro, then-technical editor for High Performance Pontiac magazine, Knudsen explained why: "'First, if a dealer tells people that this is a new, more-advanced design, then how will the salesman justify the traditional drivetrain layouts found in Pontiac's other lines? Second, the Corvair is a rear-engine, air-cooled car. "Bunkie" Knudsen, did not want a tarted-up Corvair (to be named Polaris) as a Pontiac. Pontiac's general manager at the time, Semon E. Pontiac, being next up the ladder from Chevrolet in the GM lineup, was the most logical choice, but Oldsmobile and Buick were under consideration for their own versions as well. Perhaps the strongest motivation for its development was the Corvair, or more specifically, Pontiac's desire to not get a badge-engineered version of it.Ĭorporate management was looking to extend the platform's reach into other divisions, increasing sales volume to offset the development costs of the unique rear-engined compact. The story behind the development of the Tempest is one of divisional defiance and cost-conscious innovation. Without a doubt, the Tempest featured the most unusual drivetrain of the trio, one of the most technologically advanced systems offered in an American car up to that time. Mechanically, though, there were significant differences between them. The fraternal triplets were based on a 112-inch-wheelbase platform featuring unitized construction and the same basic Fisher body. In between these two Chevrolets, in terms of chronology and technology, were the "B-O-P" compacts: Buick Special, Oldsmobile F-85, and Pontiac Tempest. General Motors offered the most diverse line of compact cars, from the radical, rear-engined 1960 Corvair to the completely conventional Chevy II that debuted two years later.
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