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 ever produced. Designed by renowned designer Harley J. Earl and hand built by Homer C. LaGassey Jr. and Paul Gilland, the "Special" is an experimental car, a two door, grand touring sport coupé that incorporated innovative breakthrough styling like an all-plexicanopy with gull-wing panels on a sleek fiberglass body. The name "Bonneville" was inspired by a trip by Earl toBonneville Salt Flats in Utah while observing speed trials there.[2] It was in fact the first car at GM to have been named after it, and would become Pontiac's top end performance platform for 47 years.
Didn't B-J sell one of these & the Olds equilivent a few yrs ago?? Olds one was Gold in colour, Pontiac may have been the green one?? Came from a Joe Borrillo??? car collection of "concept cars" he had gotten over the yrs. Hows that for an "old guys" memory????
That's Right Pete, here is the green Pontiac and the Gold Holds
Barrett-Jackson Lot: 1304 - 1954 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE SPECIAL MOTORAMA CONCEPT CAR
It's said that Harley Earl, director of GM styling, got the idea for a GM concept car while watching world speed records being set at the Salt Flats in Utah. It would be a sports racer called a Bonneville Special. That was when 1954 models were being readied for production and no GM car had ever carried the Bonneville name. Perhaps Harley Earl gave the assignment to Pontiac as the birth of its upcoming performance image. Under the direction of Earl, Hommer LaGassey and Paul Gilland were directed to build two Bonneville Specials. The bronze car would debut in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf in New York and the Green one in the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. The Green one would later tour major dealerships around the country. The cars were showbiz and beyond production but realistic enough for the public to identify with them and make them contenders for best remembered Motorama cars. *Price Includes Buyers Commission
OLDS
Barrett-Jackson Lot: 992 - 1954 OLDSMOBILE F-88 GM CONCEPT CAR
The XP-20 project, commonly known as F-88 was a pet project of Harley Earl (working with him was Bill Mitchell, Ken Pickering, Zora Duntov etc.). Four cars came out of the project, but only styling order #2265 (this car) survived. It was sold or given to E.L. Cord (Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg owner) in 1955. Hundreds of internal GM documents and original blue prints are still with this sole survivor. *Price Includes Buyers Commission
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-- Edited by B-52 on Saturday 13th of October 2012 09:32:24 AM
Didn't B-J sell one of these & the Olds equilivent a few yrs ago?? Olds one was Gold in colour, Pontiac may have been the green one?? Came from a Joe Borrillo??? car collection of "concept cars" he had gotten over the yrs. Hows that for an "old guys" memory????
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Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
