landseer312
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special
The Bonneville Special debuted as one of the highlights of the 1954 GM Motorama in New York City, barely 30 feet away from the Firebird I, resting under the constellations of space age sculptures orbiting the Waldorf-Astoria ballroom.
As a concept car, the Bonneville wasn't meant to be entirely practical, but to inspire the public (and not incidentally GM's own designers), leaving an impression of GM as a corporation leading the way into the future.
The Bonneville was designed by Homer Legassy and Pilland under the direction of GM Design Head Harley Earl, incorporating modern sports car forms with jet age design features.
This is a driveable car, powered by a straight-eight-cylinder engine, fed by four carburetors. The "side windows" open by hinging upward as gullwings. There is a small air vent at the rear of the solid roof. The doors open conventionally.
It's an elegant body, the curves of the front fenders are expressive, along with that low curving hood. The Pontiac styling cue of the twin Silver Streaks fits beautifully into the lines of the hood.
The fighter plane canopy, and the turbine engine afterburner of the spare tire are design aspects inspired by high-performance aircraft, evocative but adapted here as automotive forms without being overly literal.
Overall the car has great proportions, it certainly recalls in size and general arrangement the production Chevrolet Corvette, which had debuted the previous year. The Corvette by comparison is a bit more streamlined, a lot further developed in the details, and executed with taste but not any wild abandon like the Bonneville Special. There's a lot more wheelbase in front of the driver here than on the Corvette, with the longer proportions adding to a sense of power and speed, led by the front fenders coiling for an energetic pounce.
The front end, freed from the heavy grille work of the period, helps focus attention on the lovely body lines of the hood and fenders. In person, the canopy looks great from about any angle. The rear facing spare tire also looks in correct proportion. In some photos the spare might look like it overwhelms the rear aspect, that is not the impression in real life.
The legend is that Earl was very excited by the appearance of the Lockheed P-38 Lighting fighter plane, and usually discussions credit the P-38 with inspiring Earl and his staff, and eventually the whole industry, to add ever more elaborate tail fins throughout the 1950s. A look at a mid-50s production Cadillac and the Lightning's twin tails makes that clear. This design is a prime example that the P-38's visual effect was much broader, the canopy here being the most obvious influence.
The Bonneville Special was shown in January 1954 in New York. Fiat would show their Turbina concept in April at Turin, with a similar rear end treatment, built around a real turbine engine exhaust and rear fenders that were literally over the top, though an entirely different front end and greenhouse..
Another interesting comparison for the Bonneville Special is the La Salle II concept, shown at the Motorama the following year (1955), also done at the direction of GM Styling Chief Harley Earl. The Bonneville is entirely modern. The La Salle II, manages to be forward and backward looking at the same time, with the early 40s volumetrics of a reverse wedge front end, a power-dome hood, and fender coves that evoke flared front fenders of earlier decades.
The Bonneville is instead a contemporary sports car with aviation flavor. The domed canopy would be a recurring feature of GM show cars for several years. The Firebird II and others also adopting a similar gullwing. Interior styling with individual gauges spanning the dash was also a GM concept car favorite.
Earl's successor, Bill Mitchell, would push harder for clean modern forms throughout the 50s and 60s, though, like Earl, late in his career he increasingly seasoned 1970s styling with nostalgic automotive shapes inspired by the 30s and 40s.
Though you would expect this car is a one of one, it is actually a one of two. GM cast a second fiberglass body and exhibited it on the west coast at the same time. The other Bonneville Special, originally green, wasn't nearly as well preserved and saw a full restoration before being sold at auction about 12 years ago. The car featured here is said to be nearly all original and unrestored, a miracle in itself.
Some other visuals:
Videos of the Motorama are on YouTube (link URL's to come)
Vintage photos at ConceptCarz: Photos
Postcard at cardcow of Motorama: Postcard
Poster at Louis Vuitton Classic Concours in Rockefeller Center: Poster
Profile of Homer Legassey: www.deansgarage.com/2009/homer-lagassey/
Off to the museum, for a 2024 Motorama show with others from the collection: www.petersen.org/gms-marvelous-motorama-exhibit
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special
The Bonneville Special debuted as one of the highlights of the 1954 GM Motorama in New York City, barely 30 feet away from the Firebird I, resting under the constellations of space age sculptures orbiting the Waldorf-Astoria ballroom.
As a concept car, the Bonneville wasn't meant to be entirely practical, but to inspire the public (and not incidentally GM's own designers), leaving an impression of GM as a corporation leading the way into the future.
The Bonneville was designed by Homer Legassy and Pilland under the direction of GM Design Head Harley Earl, incorporating modern sports car forms with jet age design features.
This is a driveable car, powered by a straight-eight-cylinder engine, fed by four carburetors. The "side windows" open by hinging upward as gullwings. There is a small air vent at the rear of the solid roof. The doors open conventionally.
It's an elegant body, the curves of the front fenders are expressive, along with that low curving hood. The Pontiac styling cue of the twin Silver Streaks fits beautifully into the lines of the hood.
The fighter plane canopy, and the turbine engine afterburner of the spare tire are design aspects inspired by high-performance aircraft, evocative but adapted here as automotive forms without being overly literal.
Overall the car has great proportions, it certainly recalls in size and general arrangement the production Chevrolet Corvette, which had debuted the previous year. The Corvette by comparison is a bit more streamlined, a lot further developed in the details, and executed with taste but not any wild abandon like the Bonneville Special. There's a lot more wheelbase in front of the driver here than on the Corvette, with the longer proportions adding to a sense of power and speed, led by the front fenders coiling for an energetic pounce.
The front end, freed from the heavy grille work of the period, helps focus attention on the lovely body lines of the hood and fenders. In person, the canopy looks great from about any angle. The rear facing spare tire also looks in correct proportion. In some photos the spare might look like it overwhelms the rear aspect, that is not the impression in real life.
The legend is that Earl was very excited by the appearance of the Lockheed P-38 Lighting fighter plane, and usually discussions credit the P-38 with inspiring Earl and his staff, and eventually the whole industry, to add ever more elaborate tail fins throughout the 1950s. A look at a mid-50s production Cadillac and the Lightning's twin tails makes that clear. This design is a prime example that the P-38's visual effect was much broader, the canopy here being the most obvious influence.
The Bonneville Special was shown in January 1954 in New York. Fiat would show their Turbina concept in April at Turin, with a similar rear end treatment, built around a real turbine engine exhaust and rear fenders that were literally over the top, though an entirely different front end and greenhouse..
Another interesting comparison for the Bonneville Special is the La Salle II concept, shown at the Motorama the following year (1955), also done at the direction of GM Styling Chief Harley Earl. The Bonneville is entirely modern. The La Salle II, manages to be forward and backward looking at the same time, with the early 40s volumetrics of a reverse wedge front end, a power-dome hood, and fender coves that evoke flared front fenders of earlier decades.
The Bonneville is instead a contemporary sports car with aviation flavor. The domed canopy would be a recurring feature of GM show cars for several years. The Firebird II and others also adopting a similar gullwing. Interior styling with individual gauges spanning the dash was also a GM concept car favorite.
Earl's successor, Bill Mitchell, would push harder for clean modern forms throughout the 50s and 60s, though, like Earl, late in his career he increasingly seasoned 1970s styling with nostalgic automotive shapes inspired by the 30s and 40s.
Though you would expect this car is a one of one, it is actually a one of two. GM cast a second fiberglass body and exhibited it on the west coast at the same time. The other Bonneville Special, originally green, wasn't nearly as well preserved and saw a full restoration before being sold at auction about 12 years ago. The car featured here is said to be nearly all original and unrestored, a miracle in itself.
Some other visuals:
Videos of the Motorama are on YouTube (link URL's to come)
Vintage photos at ConceptCarz: Photos
Postcard at cardcow of Motorama: Postcard
Poster at Louis Vuitton Classic Concours in Rockefeller Center: Poster
Profile of Homer Legassey: www.deansgarage.com/2009/homer-lagassey/
Off to the museum, for a 2024 Motorama show with others from the collection: www.petersen.org/gms-marvelous-motorama-exhibit