1958 Pontiac Bonneville Fuel Injected Hardtop Coupe
While many performance enthusiasts dismissed Pontiac as nothing more than a maker of reliable but mundane family cars during the mid-1950s, this staid image was irrevocably shattered when Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen assumed leadership to become the youngest General Manager of a GM Division in July 1956.
Developed as a traffic-generator for Pontiac dealers, the 1957 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible was named after Pontiac’s mid-1950s show cars and in commemoration of a record-breaking Pontiac speed effort at Utah’s famed Bonneville Salt Flats. When released for sale, it was the rarest Pontiac model built at the time with production limited to 630 units or one per Pontiac dealer.
Pontiac prided itself on horsepower, and under the hood here is the most expensive and desirable engine option offered for the Bonneville in 1958: the 370/310 HP V-8 engine with mechanical fuel injection, which fills the engine bay and ends in dual exhaust with through-bumper exit. This is backed by the Strato-Flight Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, the 4-speed unit featuring a tight 3.97:1 first gear for better initial acceleration. It also has both power steering and power brakes.
The interior includes bucket seats, power windows, the sliding sun visor, Sportable removable transistor radio, in-dash electric clock and the Safeguard Speedometer with alert alarm. The exterior trim is extensive, including the arrow point side spears, “Fuel Injection” lettering on the quarter panels and rear panel, “Bonneville” in both script and block fonts, brow-topped tail lamps and bumper guards. No car from this era is complete without wide whitewall tires, which are mounted here on steel wheels with full-size wheel covers. Stunning in presentation and deluxe in options, this 1958 Bonneville will be a bold advance for its next owner as well.
The Rangoon Red and Graystone White paint scheme matches the trim tag. Today, its overall finishes are still utterly beautiful, and it would be suitable for display at the most exclusive Pontiac show or perhaps the ultimate conversation piece for any local cruise-in this summer.
The 1958 Bonnevilles are rarities unto themselves, few more so than this fuel-injected beauty.
