Pontiac Performance 1960–1974: The Era of the Super Duty, H.O., & Ram Air Drag & Muscle Cars
by Don Keefe
“‘To hell with those guys,’ Bunkie said in reference to the AMA agreement. ‘I’ve got a division to save, and we’re going racing.’”
Don Keefe is just the right person to have written this book. He’s sage and experienced enough to know he needs to explain and provide background for the reader who is new to the subject matter yet not “talk down” to the reader who is already knowledgeable and aware. Be assured, it’s a very fine line. One that time and experience enables Keefe to walk it expertly. But then he’s been writing automotive history—and in particular that of Pontiac—since the latter part of the 1980s, even serving for a time as the Pontiac Oakland Club’s editor of its Smoke Signals publication.
Clockwise from upper left: Pontiac racing super achievers Mickey Thompson and Hayden Proffitt with ’61 389 Catalina; Vic Gogola’s ’61 389 Ventura and its trophies; Jim Wangers and Royal Pontiac’s ’61 in 2006; Arnie Beswick, bar none the longest-running Pontiac drag racer, alongside his ’61 Catalina.
Thus he opens this book with three chapters providing a recap of how Pontiac came to be, how and why it earned its position in the GM-marque hierarchy, and the importance of Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen to its longevity until, of course, GM’s 2009 implosion and subsequent reorganization sans Pontiac following declaring bankruptcy.
Left, top to bottom: Royal Pontiac ’62 421 on display in 2011; Bill Abraham in his ’62 Golden Arrow II Catalina; ’60 Royal Pontiac replica takes on Gay Pontiac’s ’62 421 Catalina. Facing page one of the statistics sidebar boxes and Lane-Moak Pontiac’s Catalina on display in 2011.
Knudsen, a firm believer in the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” philosophy championed injecting performance into Pontiacs even during the era when automakers were supposedly banning supporting racing activities. It took a bit of time following his 1956 appointment as Pontiac’s General Manager to put the right team of people, management and engineering alike, in place and start reaping the rewards of what they developed. So starting in 1960 Keefe details, one year per chapter, what, in retrospect, those years would prove to be; halcyon Pontiac Performance times.
Multiple views of a Montero Red 1965 GTO.
As the litany of names Keefe thanks for providing information and photos shows, he scoured the Pontiac-enthusiast world. A word about those images—especially the over 200 that are in color—is in order as many of the famous cars shown back when they were actively being campaigned as well as the really low production specially equipped cars extant today having been restored and shown especially at shows such as the annual (now going on 16 years as of its upcoming 2025 show) Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) or the Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals which will hold its 38th annual in 2025, are contemporarily photographed in all their glory. So images are generous and sharp, many featured large on the page.
Upper left a Ram Air III-powered 1989 Trans Am, lower right a 400 Ram Air III in a GTO such as on bottom left. Middle left and top right, two-views of a Judge.
The text and photo captions—which do not merely repeat something already in the text but rather add additional information—are accompanied by several sidebars and information charts. The charts summarize information that would become tedious if put into text form. And the sidebars—especially one that is four-pages on Swiss Cheese Catalina—offer some of the more interesting information. And yes, one of them tells of the legendary Pontiac sports- and spokesman, Jim Wangers.
While there is no sidebar exclusively about engineer extraordinaire Herb Adams, as the Index proves, there’s plenty about him in the book. What?! Did I just write Index? O, Callooh! Callay! Yes, there’s a quite fine and useful Index.
Drag racing enthusiasts will find the book informative while Pontiac enthusiasts—especially those who follow and collect the cars of the marque’s performance era—will be pleased to add this fourth Don Keefe-written Pontiac-oriented title to their libraries.
Copyright 2025 Helen V Hutchings (speedreaders.info)
RSS Feed - Comments
Phone / Mail / Email
RSS Feed
Facebook
Twitter