Pontiac Went To the Pumpkin Run

In 1926 General Motors introduced the first Pontiac automobile, the Series 6-27. The car was to be marketed as one step down from GM's mid-level Oakland automobiles but the Pontiac was so successful that by 1931 Oakland was discontinued and Pontiac became its own brand. Nestled ahead of Chevrolet and behind Oldsmobile and Buick, Pontiac thrived. By the 1960s it became a leader in the muscle car era thanks in big part by then president John DeLorean (yes, the same). By the 21st century, though, sales began to slip and in a cost cutting measure GM closed Pontiac as it had Olds six years earlier in 2004. Pontiac continues to have a strong fan base as seen by the numbers that roll into old car events. In fact, the 47th Pumpkin Run Nationals saw a large selection show up for this past season's event. Among them was a 1956 Star Chief, a LeMans, a few different model years of GTO, and a Firebird.