(first posted 3/8/2012) If you were looking to buy a 1977-1979 full-size Pontiac today, you would have a long road ahead. Looking online and in Hemmings, you could be forgiven for thinking that all Pontiac built in the late 1970s were Firebirds and Trans Ams. Believe it or not, Pontiac really did offer a full lineup of vehicles, including their bread-and-butter offerings, the Catalina and Bonneville.
It’s no secret that the 1977-96 GM B-body is a favorite of many of us here at Curbside Classic. My personal favorite is the Bonneville, as my dad had one when I was born. In late 1978 or early 1979, his office bought three brand new 1979 Pontiacs from Horst-Zimmerman Pontiac-Cadillac for the investigators to use: blue and brown Bonneville sedans and a silver Catalina sedan. Dad got the brown one. It replaced the silver-blue 1977 Monte Carlo he had been using. He did occasionally drive the silver Catalina (no vinyl roof, red interior) and the blue Bonneville (I have no memory of that one), but the beige over brown Bonneville was his.
It was either Sierra Copper or Heritage Brown, but I’m pretty sure it was brown. It had a beige vinyl roof and beige cloth interior, with the standard full wheel covers. My first car memory was riding in the back seat of the Bonneville while going through the car wash at a Shell station with my dad. This was back when car washes actually had brushes, so it was a while ago. The photo above, although a Canadian-market Parisienne, is very close to what our car looked like.
It has been told many times before, but GM downsized their vehicles at exactly the right time. The 1971-76 B-bodies were the largest full-size cars GM had built, and it was time to trim the fat. Really, there was nowhere to go but down, size-wise. The 1977 Pontiacs followed the format of their corporate siblings in utilizing the ‘sheer look’, as had been first introduced on the first-generation Cadillac Seville. The new Bonnevilles (and Catalinas) were built on a modified version of the 1973-77 GM A-body chassis, but were much more space efficient. In fact, the 1977 Bonnevilles had more front headroom and rear legroom than the gigantic 1976 versions.
The standard engine for Bonnevilles was the 140 hp 4.9L 301 CID V8, with Turbo Hydramatic transmission. Optional engines included a 170 hp, 4 BBL 350 and 180 hp, 4 BBL 400. The Pontiac 350 was replaced with the Chevy 350 in 1978, and the 400 was discontinued in 1979. The lineup consisted of Catalina, Bonneville and Bonneville Brougham coupes and sedans, plus Grand Safari and Catalina Safari station wagons.
Bonneville and Catalina coupes could get an optional Landau vinyl roof. The Brougham added niceties like extra window sill trim, electric clock, power windows and an extra-plush interior trimmed in velour. All Bonnevilles had bright rocker moldings, a unique grille and taillights, and standard rear fender skirts to distinguish themselves from the more basic Catalinas.
1978 Bonnevilles received the usual front and rear styling changes. What had been the 1977 Brougham interior was now the standard Bonneville interior. Broughams had new loose-pillow seating in velour for extra decadence.
The Brougham interior would not have looked out of place in an Oldsmobile or Buick and actually reminds me a lot of the 1978 Park Avenue’s interior. Those who thought the acres of pillowed velour were a bit gauche could opt for the standard Bonneville and get a much more understated interior.
The most distinctive seating option was the Valencia interior. Available in red or tan, it consisted of special striped velour seating and door panel trim. It was an option on the Brougham only for 1977, but in ’78 could be had on any Bonneville.
One of the Bonneville’s best features was the instrument panel. A black trim section wrapped around from side to side and concealed the heating and air conditioning vents. Full gauges were also available as an option.
For whatever reason, the B-body 1977-79 Pontiacs were not big sellers. Perhaps it had to do with the Impala and Caprice offering a similar package for less money. At any rate, when comparing Caprice vs. Bonneville for 1977, there was no contest, with the Caprice’s 284,813 units eclipsing Bonneville production of 114,880. 1978 was slightly better with 125,297 Bonnevilles, but once again, the Caprice ruled the roost, with 263,909 built (figures cited exclude station wagons).
Although I prefer the Bonneville, the combination of rear fender skirts and the rounded rear deck may have made the Pontiac look less attractive than the Caprice to new car shoppers. The Caprice does have a somewhat trimmer, leaner look when compared to the Pontiac.
For whatever reason, the Pontiacs were the least-popular B-bodies, and Pontiac actually eliminated all their full-size cars after 1981. For 1982, the A-body Grand LeMans was given a new front end and renamed Bonneville Model G, replacing the true full-size Bonneville. The Catalina was axed. This proved to be a bad idea in the long run, as after the 1980-82 recession, car sales started picking up again, and Pontiac found itself without an entry in a market that was suddenly showing renewed interest in full-size cars.
There actually was a 1982 full-size Pontiac. GM of Canada did not feel it was a good idea to completely abandon the full size market, so they offered a Caprice-based Parisienne for 1982. The really rare variant was the coupe, built that year only.
Pontiac wound up importing Parisienne sedans and wagons to the US market starting in 1983. Sedans continued to be available through 1986, adding the 1980-81 Bonneville rear sheetmetal in 1985. The Safari wagon would last until 1989, then disappear.
I found this 1978 Brougham back in January and took some pictures for the Cohort. I remembered seeing it years earlier and was pleased to see it still parked on the same street, nearly ten years later. With the memories of Dad’s ’79, I had to stop and check it out.
It is well equipped, being a Brougham, and also has Rally II wheels and sport mirrors. The color is Chesterfield Brown, with velour interior in Camel Tan. It is also somewhat rare in that it does not have a vinyl roof. It has current tags, so it is still transportation for someone, though I’ve never seen it being driven.
As with just about every other Midwestern Bonneville still on the road, the rear fender skirts are gone.GM must have used the flimsiest hardware to attach them, as nearly every one I’ve seen since 1995 or so have them missing.
Here is a retouched photo of what the car would have looked like when new. Although I prefer the fender skirts, this car does look kind of nice without them, especially with the Rally IIs. I’d add some bright wheel trim around the rear wheel wells, though.
As for our 1979 Bonneville, it was traded in on a maroon 1981 or ’82 Volvo 242DL coupe. Mom had a ’77 245DL wagon, and I think Dad wanted something a little sportier. It turned out to be his last two-door car for almost twenty years. My brother came along in 1983, and Dad got a silver ’84 244GL shortly thereafter. When I asked him about the Bonneville while preparing this article, he really couldn’t remember much about it – we usually took the wagon on vacations, and when he was home he was usually puttering around with the Porsche 356 he had owned since 1973. I guess it must have been a good car, as I’m sure he would have remembered it if it had a lot of problems. The 1977-79 Pontiacs were pretty good cars, even if they weren’t the most popular B-body.
Love these old Bonnevilles without their rear skirts. Hard to pick a favorite one of these the Bonnie, Caprice and Electra are all so sweet.
I had a 1979 Bonneville Brougham 4 door in two tone Burgundy/red for awhile when i was in college. It was my grandfather’s last car. After he passed and neither my uncle nor my father wanted the Pontiac I took it. What a nice ride. What a collection of options – ‘specially for someone that had been driving salvaged Chevettes. Plush pillow interior, cruise, full gauges with vacuum “economy” gauge, AIR CONDITIONING, and fender skirts. I still love fender skirts. Having a car with fender skirts told me all was right with the world. (Boyhood memory of dad washing cars on Sundays with the fender skirts laid out on the lawn to be separately washed and dried.)
I drove it for a summer and into the fall fixing a few issues it had along the way from sitting so much toward the end of my grandfather’s life. Then my newlywed sister’s leased car was stolen and the insurance wouldn’t cover the full amount owed on the car (remember those bad, old days?) So I gave her the Bonneville as they needed it more than I did. She burned-up the engine in it, so we swapped in a junkyard engine. Few months after the swap she ran the car into an off duty policeman on his way to the station. *sigh* too much front end damage to even think about repair.
Really loved that car. We’d had a ’77 Caprice Classic that was optioned to the hilt at the time, but the Bonneville just seemed a cut above the Chevy.
Ebay Motors UK list a 77 Caprice Classic 5.0 ltr with only 10000m. Looking at the non wear on the seats and pedals that genuine. yours for £10000. I would .. a new B body. Convert to LPG. Se me out….
Pawpaw bought a 79 Bonneville Brougham 4DR new. He said the color was called “Laredo Brown”. Basically a beige vinyl top over a light brown. I loved that car. It was so quiet and powerful. The ride could best be described as ‘floating on a cloud”. Nothing like the radial tuned suspension. We’d take it to go golfing in the early mornings at Hermann Park in Houston. I was devastated to learn after the fact that he’d traded the car in. By the time I called the dealership, the car was gone, probably to an auto auction. Who knows where it ended up but someone out there probably still has my car. I want it back so badly!
Here’s a photo of what the car looked like. This isn’t the car, but other than a couple of minor trim items, it’s a spitting image.
I’ve owned my 1981 pontiac brougham sence 2006 & there’s still less than 100.000miles on, everything original & restored but paint & seats… still has am-fm radio… For the rite price everything go’s
Do you still have the 79 Bonneville brougham? If so, what are you asking for it?
Bill
I have a 1977 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham with actual miles. Love it.
42,000 actual miles
Very nice! I remember those when they were new and the Pontiacs were very good looking. Somehow the Buicks had odd front ends in that era and platform.
We must do whatever possible to revive pontiac. The CEO of GM is Mary Barra . Let her know Pontiac has many, many fans and should be revived in 2019 in commemoration of the brands cancellation announcement. GM must be bombarded with Pontiac fanatics. Whos with me? Let the battle begin
When new, The MSRP was $7,580 as equipped.