Pontiac Bonneville History
Catalog record
Photography for this nameplate has not yet cleared the archive’s licensing and identity checks. The researched text below remains available while the page stays out of search and advertising inventory.
History
Named for the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Bonneville arrived for 1957 as a limited-production performance convertible and became a full model line for 1958, serving as Pontiac's premium full-size car. It paced the Indianapolis 500 in its first year.
Through the 1960s the big rear-drive Bonneville helped push Pontiac to third in US sales. After a downsizing stint in the 1980s, it moved to GM's front-drive H-body and regained its role as the senior Pontiac.
Later cars offered the supercharged 3.8-liter V6 in the sporty SSEi trim. Production ended May 27, 2005, after which the full-size role passed to the rear-drive G8.
Body styles
- Convertible
- Hardtop
- Sedan
- Wagon
Notable special editions & performance variants
Bonneville SSEi
Top performance/luxury trim with a supercharged 3.8-liter V6 (240 hp by 1996).
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Pontiac Bonneville
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.