The 10 most expensive Pontiacs ever sold at auction
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We miss Pontiac. Named after the Ottawa chief and the city where the company started, Pontiac rarely built the prettiest cars, but many of General Motors’ most exciting models wore the red arrowhead emblem. After all, Pontiac was the standard bearer for GM high-performance from the early 1960s onward
The brand may be gone, but the Pontiac faithful haven’t forgotten. From significant drag racers to rare top-spec muscle cars and even movie icons, Pontiacs have been some of the most valuable American cars to cross the block at collector car auctions. Here are the 10 that claimed the highest prices.
1970 GTO Judge Ram Air IV Convertible
20180523122749 "1970 GTO Judge Ram Air IV Convertible")
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2018
Sold price: $440,000
While the 1970 Judge Ram Air IV isn’t quite as rare as the 1969 version, a production number of 17 still makes it a dream car for the Pontiac faithful. With the four-speed, impeccably-restored condition, and Pepper Green paint, it was a star at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2018 and unsurprisingly brought a monumental price.
The Bandit’s 1977 Trans Am 6.6
The Burt Reynolds Auction, Julien’s, Las Vegas 2014
While not the Bandit’s actual car on screen, this 1977 TA 6.6 was nevertheless used as a promo car for the film before being signed over to Reynolds himself. He kept it until 2014 when, at an auction chock full of memorabilia from the mustachioed actor’s long career, the car blew its $60,000-$80,000 presale estimate out of the water and sold for high enough to land it at number 8 on our list.
1962 Catalina Super Duty Coupe
20180523122552 "1962 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty")
Russo and Steele Scottsdale 2009
Sold price: $450,000
The driver of the Packer Pontiac Catalina “Swiss Cheese,” Howard Maseles, also owned this car, which ran as low as 11.73 seconds in the quarter-mile. That three of these cars have sold at auction in the last 10 years for a bit shy of half a million dollars confirms their status as among the most collectible Pontiacs of them all.
1963 Catalina Super Duty Lightweight Coupe
20180523122615 "1963 Catalina Super Duty Lightweight Coupe")
Mecum Kissimmee 2017
Sold price: $473,000
Only a few bids behind the Mickey Thompson car was this Catalina “Swiss Cheese” that was sponsored and raced in period by Packer Pontiac of Detroit to an NHRA C/Stock record. Just 14 of these cars were built, and this was represented as the best one still around.
1963 Catalina Super Duty Lightweight Coupe
Mecum Chicago 2008
Sold price: $477,000
Pontiac made a delightful Super Duty version of the Catalina. GM used alloy body panels, but this time weight savings were next-level holes were drilled in the frame. This inevitably led to them being named the “Swiss Cheese” Catalinas, and with further removal of sound deadening materials, Pontiac was able to put the Catalina on a 700-pound diet. This car is one of two delivered to drag racing legend Mickey Thompson, who used it as a promo and backup car while campaigning the other. It was therefore spared much of the wear and tear of repeated quarter-mile runs.
1963 Tempest Super Duty Station Wagon
20180523122657 "1963 Tempest Super Duty Station Wagon")
Mecum Indianapolis 2010
Sold price: $477,000
It doesn’t get much cooler than a fast wagon, and it doesn’t get much faster than the old Tempest Super Duty. Pontiac made six coupes and six station wagons with the ground-pounding SD engine for drag racing purposes. Like the coupe (next on our list), the Tempest wagon was fitted with alloy body panels as well as a transaxle. And like the coupe, there is only one example of the wagon left.
1963 Tempest Super Duty Coupe
20180523122642 "1963 Tempest Super Duty Coupe")
Mecum Indianapolis 2010
Sold price: $482,300
Pontiac stormed the drag racing scene in the early 1960s with its Super Duty engines that were designed to push a car as fast as possible in a straight line and withstand the abuses of doing so. The engine was essentially a 389 enlarged to 421 cubic inches, fitted with dual four-barrel carbs and aluminum headers. The body was lightened with aluminum-alloy panels, and for traction Pontiac fitted a unique transaxle design that featured a clutch for launching instead of a torque converter. Just six Super Duty Tempest coupes were built, but this is reportedly the only one left.
1977 Firebird Trans Am Smokey and the Bandit Promo Car
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2016
Sold price: $550,000
What Steve McQueen is to the Ford Mustang, Burt Reynolds is to the Pontiac Firebird. The Firebird is so closely attached to Smokey and the Bandit that we commonly refer to late ’70s Firebirds as “Bandit Era” cars. And even though Reynolds and his mustache aren’t exactly uncommon sights at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, the Trans Am originally used as a promo car for the movie in period naturally caused a stir when it showed up in 2016. The premium for a Bandit car actually associated with the movie amounted to roughly 14 times what an ordinary Trans Am in this condition would expect to bring.
1969 GTO Judge Ram Air IV Convertible
20180523122722 "1969 GTO Judge Ram Air IV Convertible")
RM Gainesville 2010
Sold price: $682,000
The standard engine in the 1969 GTO Judge was a 366-hp, 400-cu-in Ram Air III engine. The Ram Air IV was something entirely different. While only rated at 370 hp, it is widely believed that the actual figure was higher thanks to special heads, aluminum intake, and hotter cam. The Ram Air IV was an expensive option with a conservative horsepower rating, so few customers opted for it on top of the $332 Judge package. In fact, while Pontiac built more than 72,000 GTOs for 1969, only five were Judge Ram Air IV convertibles.
This car, which RM sold out of the Milton Robson collection, ticks all the right boxes and then some for Pontiac fiends. In addition to the engine and body style, it has a desirable four-speed, Safe-T-Track differential, covered headlights, power steering and power brakes, plus it was the only one finished in Starlight Black. It was a benchmark price at the time, but it bought a real unicorn.
1954 Bonneville Special Concept Car
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2015
Sold price: $3,300,000
Many concept cars manage to be quite pretty. Others are decidedly futuristic. The 1954 Pontiac Bonneville concept was one of the few that managed to be both. The Harley Earl-penned lines were mostly conventional and not unlike an early C1 Corvette, but with features like a Plexiglas roof and gullwing doors, along with a spare tire cover that looked like the rear of a jet engine, it was radical enough without going overboard. The first Pontiac to carry the soon-to-be famous Bonneville badge and the first two-seater Pontiac, it also foreshadowed Pontiac’s transition to a more performance-oriented image. Barrett-Jackson first sold it in 2006 for $2.8M to collector Ron Pratte, who in turn sold it in 2015 for this price. Only one more 1954 Bonneville—painted bronze—was built. It currently resides in a private collection.
Honorable mention: 1966 GTO “Monkeemobile”
20180523122835 "1966 GTO “Monkeemobile”")
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2008
Sold price: $396,000
One of the more famous Dean Jeffries customs was the 1966 GTO used for The Monkees television show, aptly named the Monkeemobile, and two were built for the show. George Barris later owned this one, restored it, and further customized it with a few more small touches. With two of the most famous names in the custom car world attached to it, along with the connection to the Monkees, who have sold more than 75 million records in addition to the famous TV show, the car was bound to sell for a lot of money.
Where did you hide the 1957 Boneville Convertible. I had one in 1968 that someone had left outside for multible years of harsh winters blazing hot sun. I traded a Browning sweet 16, gold trigger shotgun for the unkown treasure (at that time) got into finical stress and sold the Bonneville for $35 cash. Can’t believe that iI am putting this in print. Also at that time, I sold my 1955 Chevy convertible for $100.00. Sad case but we were eating the next day.
I ordered a brand new 1967 Pontiac GTO I ordered the car around the first second of October 1966 and the car is supposed to be delivered to me in 60 days and never showed up for 82 days. I had over 32 different cars in my life and the Pontiac GTO 67 model is my favorite car of all time. The car is TYROL BLUE with Black interior four-speed Muncie transmission with her shifter 411 Ratio rear end 400 HO motor Quadra jet carburetion you guys know the story I don’t need to tell y’all about that car y’all know that. anyway, I paid $500 to order and I paid $3015.00 total for that car what a bargain, Anyway, I’m the original owner. I have all original papers original warranty plate. The car has 2722 miles on it. anyway, we built it on the computer at the Pontiac dealership in Salt Lake City back in 1966 and the salesman name is Dewey black I’ll never forget him . As we were figuring out what I wanted on Dewey asked me Douglas do you want air-conditioning? I said no he said you want power windows I said no do you want Power brakes I said, no do you want power steering I said no , I just want horsepower Dewey that’s what I told him the car was built in Kansas City, Missouri, I believe I still love that car more than any other car. I’ve had many cars as I said by the way, her name is Betsy. My next favorite car is my 69 Chevelle. I cut it all up and made it into a race car called OUTLAW . I have over $180,000 invested in that car now I absolutely love my 69 Chevelle race car. It’s a mean machine it’s it’s definitely a mover and a shaker is 555 in.³ REHER Morrison race motor 985 hp I have raced it all over the United States especially Memphis international Raceway. I love that racetrack they really know how to race down there the people that run the track get it done 3000 cars in one day. Yes that was $1 million race. I made a lot of money down there through the years and my other favorite race tracks Las Vegas international order in 2005. I took first place in super pro drag racing. I took the world and national championship and super pro drag racing. It was called a gambler nationals I took first place and $65,000 in hundred dollar bills cash I had in my big hand and my thumb Wrapped around the $65,000 bill tightly just barely could hold it with my thumb and fingers. That particular race, I won the biggest trophy I I have ever won. The trophy was 4ft 9 inches tall.