Pontiac Tempest convertible
Alyn's Vancouver Classics
Private collection
VCCC - Garage Tour
The Pontiac Tempest is an automobile that was produced by Pontiac from 1961 to 1970, and again from 1987 to 1991.
The Tempest was introduced as an entry-level compact in September 1960 for the 1961 model year. Sharing the new monocoque (unibody) Y platform with the Buick Special and Skylark, as well as the Oldsmobile F-85 and Cutlass, the Tempest also appeared under the LeMans nameplate (largely beginning with the 1962 model year, although Pontiac also manufactured a few 1961 LeMans coupes).
Despite sharing some sheet metal with the Oldsmobile F-85, the first-generation Tempest had several innovative features that made it distinct. Power came from a 195 cubic inch (3.2 L) straight-4 engine, marketed as the "Trophy 4," derived from the right cylinder bank of Pontiac's 389 cubic inch "Trophy 8" V8 engine. The other part of the pioneering Tempest drivetrain was a rear-mounted transaxle that was coupled to a torque shaft arcing in a 3 in (76 mm) downward bow within a longitudinal tunnel. This joined the forward engine and the rear transaxle into a single unit, helping to reduce vibration. The design, known as "rope drive," had only been seen previously on General Motors' 1951 Le Sabre concept car.
The combination of a rear-mounted transaxle and front-mounted engine very nearly gave the car an ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. This, along with a four-wheel independent suspension, helped make the Tempest a nimble-handling car for the era. The front engine/rear transaxle design also eliminated the driveshaft/transmission tunnel in the front of the passenger compartment, while lowering the driveshaft tunnel in the rear compared with a conventional front engine/front transmission layout.
The Tempest's designer, auto industry icon John Z. DeLorean, was Pontiac's chief engineer at the time of its introduction. He wanted the Tempest to be more than just a compact, and he apparently convinced the American motoring press of that: The Tempest was Motor Trend magazine's 1961 Car of the Year. Road & Track praised the Tempest as "exceptionally roomy" and "one of the very best utility cars since the Ford Model A."
For the video; youtu.be/Oy8WVWAxogA
Pontiac Tempest convertible
Alyn's Vancouver Classics
Private collection
VCCC - Garage Tour
The Pontiac Tempest is an automobile that was produced by Pontiac from 1961 to 1970, and again from 1987 to 1991.
The Tempest was introduced as an entry-level compact in September 1960 for the 1961 model year. Sharing the new monocoque (unibody) Y platform with the Buick Special and Skylark, as well as the Oldsmobile F-85 and Cutlass, the Tempest also appeared under the LeMans nameplate (largely beginning with the 1962 model year, although Pontiac also manufactured a few 1961 LeMans coupes).
Despite sharing some sheet metal with the Oldsmobile F-85, the first-generation Tempest had several innovative features that made it distinct. Power came from a 195 cubic inch (3.2 L) straight-4 engine, marketed as the "Trophy 4," derived from the right cylinder bank of Pontiac's 389 cubic inch "Trophy 8" V8 engine. The other part of the pioneering Tempest drivetrain was a rear-mounted transaxle that was coupled to a torque shaft arcing in a 3 in (76 mm) downward bow within a longitudinal tunnel. This joined the forward engine and the rear transaxle into a single unit, helping to reduce vibration. The design, known as "rope drive," had only been seen previously on General Motors' 1951 Le Sabre concept car.
The combination of a rear-mounted transaxle and front-mounted engine very nearly gave the car an ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. This, along with a four-wheel independent suspension, helped make the Tempest a nimble-handling car for the era. The front engine/rear transaxle design also eliminated the driveshaft/transmission tunnel in the front of the passenger compartment, while lowering the driveshaft tunnel in the rear compared with a conventional front engine/front transmission layout.
The Tempest's designer, auto industry icon John Z. DeLorean, was Pontiac's chief engineer at the time of its introduction. He wanted the Tempest to be more than just a compact, and he apparently convinced the American motoring press of that: The Tempest was Motor Trend magazine's 1961 Car of the Year. Road & Track praised the Tempest as "exceptionally roomy" and "one of the very best utility cars since the Ford Model A."
For the video; youtu.be/Oy8WVWAxogA