Mark B. Morrow Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 A few years back before the end of the Pontiac brand, GM was considering importing the Australian Holden UTE as a Pontiac Sport Truck. This car advertised on Hemmings shows that the idea wasn't a new one. The GMC Sprint version was introduced to give Pontiac/GMC, Buick/GMC and Olds/GMC combo dealers a competitive vehicle to the El Camino and Ranchero. http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/pontiac/lemans/1629578.html?refer=news 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) I'm certain I saw this car at either a Carlisle event or the big AACA show in Macungie, Pa. Edited February 28, 2014 by grbeck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMSA-XJR9 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Very cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) I believe that someone cobbled together an Oldsmobile version based on the Cutlass Supreme from these years, which was pretty sharp. This one wasn't authorized by the factory. Edited March 4, 2014 by grbeck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 GMC had a version called the Cabalero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 GMC had a version called the Cabalero The first GMC version was the Sprint. The GMC Sprint is a coupe utility that was produced by the GMC division of General Motors for the 1971–1977 model years. The Sprint was renamed Caballero for the 1978 model year and was produced through 1987. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMC_Sprint_/_Caballero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92LX302 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Didn't there was an earlier (59-ish) 'El Catalina' prototype too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 There was also a 1978 El Camino based 'Grand Am pickup' that made rounds, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Didn't there was an earlier (59-ish) 'El Catalina' prototype too? Here's the story and pictures from Hemmings. http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2011/10/01/hmn_feature1.html 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92LX302 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Thanks, great read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) Here's the story and pictures from Hemmings. http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2011/10/01/hmn_feature1.html Thanks for the link. That is an interesting story. There was a one-off, factory-built 1959 Catalina hardtop coupe with a greenhouse that looked much like the one used on the 1962 Grand Prix. It was built for Bunkie Knudsen and christened "Ventura." The car was located in an upstate New York scrap yard about 20 years ago by a magazine writer, but then it mysteriously disappeared. (There are photos of it in one of my books on Pontiac.) The car was largely intact, but would need a complete restoration. We can only hope it wasn't scrapped and recycled as a Chinese dishwasher or a Camry. Edited March 5, 2014 by grbeck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 GM had a great "Skunk Works" for Senior Exceutive one-offs in the '50s and '60s. Ed Cole had several built including a Corvair for his daughter and a '63 Corvette for his wife. John DeLorean and Bill Mitchell had a couple of cars customized for them and of course Harley Earl just kept a few of the GM Dream Cars in his personal stable like the Buick Y-Job and LeSabre. Oddly enough, Earl had the '54 Olds F-88 two seater shipped to his friend E.L. Cord in crates along with all of the extra parts after the car was retired from the show circuit. http://jalopnik.com/5885728/how-the-worlds-most-famous-auto-designer-mailed-a-concept-car-out-of-gm-piece-by-piece There were at least 2 special '64 1/2 Mustang coupes built for Hank the Deuce with leather seats and some T-Bird pieces that eventually ended up as part of the Pony Interior package. Edsel Ford, II also had a special Mustang 2+2 that I posted the story on a little while back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 (edited) It's interesting that Harley Earl gave away the F-88 show car, as I've read that GM tried to prevent them from falling into private hands, due to liability concerns. That is why so many GM dream cars were destroyed or sent to the scrap yard and taken apart. It would be nice to build your own customized car. I'd take a 1965 Galaxie XL 500 hardtop coupe in tropical turquoise with bucket seats, Lincoln-level upholstery and Thunderbird front disc brakes. Or a 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme hardtop sedan equipped with disc brakes, the Hurst Olds drivetrain and suspension, the rally wheels and a leather bucket-seat interior. Edited March 6, 2014 by grbeck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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