My parents owned a 59 Pontiac, it was a Canadian built "Laurentian" which was roughly equivalent to a Star Chief in the US., as far as trim and upholstery. However, all the Canadian built Pontiacs of the era were not wide track, they were built on a Chevy chassis and drive train, and had a narrow track as the Chevy did. Our particular car had a six cylinder engine with Powerglide 2 speed automatic, and power steering. It was no speed demon. Gas mileage was a miserable 10 MPG in town
When I was 15, my folks had a 1959 Bonneville Vistadome( flatroof) 4 door sedan. It was White with Coral roof. White/Coral interior. It was BEAUTIFUL and boy what a smooth ride. Sure miss that car !
@MizTr92 Hello Andrea, you are so right about this 59 Pontiac being beautiful. I sure miss it when cars had classic styling and were not made from stamped plastics. My dad had one of these 59 Pontiac's I still remember the day he brought it home. It was 10 years old which was very old for a car in 1969. I still remember he told my mom he paid $70 American dollars. And even I knew that was cheap back then. I was 9 years old and the car lasted 3 years. Not bad for $70! To bad it rusted out.
Pontiac was out front in a lot of innovative ideas in the late 50s and in the 60s. It's ironic that GM would close that division after helping to make GM the huge corporation that it was.
To finish my comment, my first car was a 58 Dodge Custom Royal with a big-V-8 and it got better mileage in town than that six cyl. Pontiac - and I owned the car while my parents were still driving the Pontiac. I always loved the styling on the 59 Pontiacs - it was new and sensational for the time. Since then though, I've been solidly into Mopars of that era. Engineering was superior to GM of the same era - but the body fit and quality was poorer on the Mopars until about 1965.
My dad bought a black 59 Catalina w/red vinyl interior. and the 326 V-8. He had the dealer put Bonneville markings on the rear fenders because he thought it looked too plain without them. We went from Pittsburgh to California in it one summer. My brother was a baby so dad built a little bed in the back seat for him. Even with that space taken up, there was still plenty of room for mom, dad, grandma and me plus luggage. Those cars were huge! We brought that car to Florida when we moved in the 60s. It was HOT with the black paint, vinyl interior and no AC, but it was a good looking car.
The 1959 Pontiac would have had a 389 cu. in. V8. The 326 engine was not available until 1963, and only used in the Tempest line. The '59 Pontiacs were very stylish.
@@katazack You're welcome. Those '66s & '67s were great-looking cars. I had a '64 LeMans, but it had the 215 6-cyl. Also a '69, '71 & '72 LeMans, all 350s, '71 GTO 400 and two late '70s Firebirds. Would take any of them today, especially that '64 and the GTO, but they'd all be out of my price range now.
@@thomashill2965 You are a real Poncho guy! I had a '70 Firebird Formula 400. My brother owned three Trans Ams ('78, '79, '85) and a '75 Formula. Good memories ...
I am mildly prejudiced (my father worked at a Pontiac dealer and I saw a lot of '59 Pontiacs when I was growing up)! Dad had a Bonneville Custom Safari; my oldest brother owned a Catalina 2-door sedan, and later, a black Catalina convertible; my sister and her husband had a Catalina 2-seat Safari wagon for their growing family. Neighbors had a white Bonneville Vista, a white Star Chief 4-door sedan, a blue Bonneville Vista, and a Bonneville Sport Coupe...our neighborhood looked like a Pontiac commercial!
I had one of these in the late sixties, 261 six with two speed Hydramatic. Worst car I ever owned; would not steer, would not stop and it drank petrol like it was an alcoholic in charge of a brewery Open the front door during rain and water ran off the windscreen like a waterfall all over the floor. In short it was a heap of garbage.
My Mon and Dad's was built for the Canadian market, also had the 261 engine and 2 speed automatic, and it was a gas guzzler. The 2 speed transmission was a Powerglide though, not a Hydramatic. The Hydramatics were a 4 speed automatic, used on the US market Pontiacs.
1959 Pontiacs were some of the best styled Pontiacs ever!
My parents owned a 59 Pontiac, it was a Canadian built "Laurentian" which was roughly equivalent to a Star Chief in the US., as far as trim and upholstery. However, all the Canadian built Pontiacs of the era were not wide track, they were built on a Chevy chassis and drive train, and had a narrow track as the Chevy did. Our particular car had a six cylinder engine with Powerglide 2 speed automatic, and power steering. It was no speed demon. Gas mileage was a miserable 10 MPG in town
When I was 15, my folks had a 1959 Bonneville Vistadome( flatroof) 4 door sedan. It was White with Coral roof. White/Coral interior. It was BEAUTIFUL and boy what a smooth ride. Sure miss that car !
My very favorite year of Pontiac!💕
My first car was a 59 Pontiac Catalina 2 door hardtop, never forgot it and wish I still had it, what a nice and fast car for the day..
Cool car! My dad is always telling me about his 59 Pontiac, in fact it sat in my grandpa's fruit orchard I remember playing on it for years as a kid .
This is the year that Pontiac became a Pontiac.
we need WIDE SCREEN for this!!!
When this commercial was produced no one thought that in 2020 anyone would be watching it and commenting on the style of a 59 Pontiac.
Pontiac had cool Aztec copper leather interiors!
@MizTr92 Hello Andrea, you are so right about this 59 Pontiac being beautiful. I sure miss it when cars had classic styling and were not made from stamped plastics. My dad had one of these 59 Pontiac's I still remember the day he brought it home. It was 10 years old which was very old for a car in 1969. I still remember he told my mom he paid $70 American dollars. And even I knew that was cheap back then. I was 9 years old and the car lasted 3 years. Not bad for $70! To bad it rusted out.
Pontiac was out front in a lot of innovative ideas in the late 50s and in the 60s. It's ironic that GM would close that division after helping to make GM the huge corporation that it was.
To finish my comment, my first car was a 58 Dodge Custom Royal with a big-V-8 and it got better mileage in town than that six cyl. Pontiac - and I owned the car while my parents were still driving the Pontiac. I always loved the styling on the 59 Pontiacs - it was new and sensational for the time. Since then though, I've been solidly into Mopars of that era. Engineering was superior to GM of the same era - but the body fit and quality was poorer on the Mopars until about 1965.
A 58 Dodge was a beautiful Vehicle.
That is one wide Bonneville.
That's jazzy.
My dad bought a black 59 Catalina w/red vinyl interior. and the 326 V-8. He had the dealer put Bonneville markings on the rear fenders because he thought it looked too plain without them. We went from Pittsburgh to California in it one summer. My brother was a baby so dad built a little bed in the back seat for him. Even with that space taken up, there was still plenty of room for mom, dad, grandma and me plus luggage. Those cars were huge! We brought that car to Florida when we moved in the 60s. It was HOT with the black paint, vinyl interior and no AC, but it was a good looking car.
The 1959 Pontiac would have had a 389 cu. in. V8. The 326 engine was not available until 1963, and only used in the Tempest line. The '59 Pontiacs were very stylish.
@@thomashill2965 Thanks for the heads up. I had the 326 in my '67 LeMans.
@@katazack You're welcome. Those '66s & '67s were great-looking cars. I had a '64 LeMans, but it had the 215 6-cyl. Also a '69, '71 & '72 LeMans, all 350s, '71 GTO 400 and two late '70s Firebirds. Would take any of them today, especially that '64 and the GTO, but they'd all be out of my price range now.
@@thomashill2965 You are a real Poncho guy! I had a '70 Firebird Formula 400. My brother owned three Trans Ams ('78, '79, '85) and a '75 Formula. Good memories ...
Pontiac Car Of The Year.
I am mildly prejudiced (my father worked at a Pontiac dealer and I saw a lot of '59 Pontiacs when I was growing up)! Dad had a Bonneville Custom Safari; my oldest brother owned a Catalina 2-door sedan, and later, a black Catalina convertible; my sister and her husband had a Catalina 2-seat Safari wagon for their growing family. Neighbors had a white Bonneville Vista, a white Star Chief 4-door sedan, a blue Bonneville Vista, and a Bonneville Sport Coupe...our neighborhood looked like a Pontiac commercial!
My grandparents had a 1960 Bonneville, that my old man thought was just the bees' knees.
What do that term mean 😂 I been hearing that since I was a kid
Back then we had wide track wheels, today we have wide track women
@modmadness66 Lucky Guy...
@modmadness66
Sorry. Anyway, you're very lucky :)
Is this jojo reference?
I had one of these in the late sixties, 261 six with two speed Hydramatic. Worst car I ever owned; would not steer, would not stop and it drank petrol like it was an alcoholic in charge of a brewery Open the front door during rain and water ran off the windscreen like a waterfall all over the floor. In short it was a heap of garbage.
You had one of these in the UK?
No, Australia.
My Mon and Dad's was built for the Canadian market, also had the 261 engine and 2 speed automatic, and it was a gas guzzler. The 2 speed transmission was a Powerglide though, not a Hydramatic. The Hydramatics were a 4 speed automatic, used on the US market Pontiacs.
Ian Smale - I thought that they got the same 3-speed automatic that was in my '59 98.
@@ijsmale I thought Hydromatics were 3 speed (D, L2, L1). Where did the extra Drive gear come from?