Cunha Pontiac, Berkeley, CA.
Bob Longpre Pontiac, Monrovia, CA.
Hine Pontiac, San Diego, CA.
Bryant Pontiac, Covina, CA.
Union Park Pontiac Inc., Wilmington, DE.
Sholl Pontiac, Evanston, IL.
Brownell Pontiac Co., Birmingham, AL.
Art Bridges Pontiac, Hayward, CA.
Milner Pontiac, Tulsa, OK.
Mike Salta Pontiac, Long Beach, CA.
Allison Pontiac, San Jose, CA.
Bert Adams Pontiac, Joliet, IL.
Bob Longpre Pontiac, Westminster, CA.
As a Berkeley native I recognized the name Cunha Pontiac but it didn’t seem as familiar as another local dealership, Doten Pontiac. So naturally I did a little Googling, and Walter Cunha worked for Doten before briefly having his own Pontiac store. An interesting guy; a Berkeley High grad who was a singer, but was given advice by Bing Crosby to go to college, with a break as an Army officer in WWII, then went on to law school (at Berkeley) but moved into sales as a Pontiac company regional rep. Then he worked for Doten before opening his own store.
As for Art Bridges, whose store is also shown in this post, I had several warranty issues in my own brief foray into Pontiac ownership in 1981, and at the suggestion of the regional service rep switched from the Fremont dealership where I bought the car, to getting warranty work done at Bridges a few miles north of me.
For years this Indian stood proudly over Superior Pontiac in San Antonio. Even after Pontiac entered the history books, he remained as the location morphed into a Hyundai dealer. He was removed some years ago.
AI details….
The large Native American statue formerly associated with McCombs Superior Pontiac dealership in San Antonio underwent significant changes recently:
Removal from original location: The 26-foot fiberglass statue, originally installed in the 1960s at the Pontiac dealership (later relocated to Loop 410 in 1977), was removed in July 2023 during renovations at what had become McCombs Superior Hyundai. Hyundai’s dealership standards reportedly influenced the decision.
Relocation controversy: After months of uncertainty, the statue reappeared in March 2024 at Jourdanton High School (50 miles south of San Antonio), whose teams use “Indians” and “Squaws” as mascots. The school district announced it had “acquired” the landmark but didn’t disclose financial details.
Cultural criticism: Native American advocates like Ramon Vasquez condemned the move, arguing the generic “Chief” depiction (likely modeled on Pontiac-brand imagery rather than local tribes) perpetuates stereotypes and fails to honor actual South Texas indigenous heritage. The school district’s Facebook announcement emphasized pride in local history while facing criticism about cultural sensitivity.
The statue’s journey reflects ongoing tensions between nostalgic marketing symbols and evolving cultural perceptions of Native American imagery.
Where is Dwayne Hoover’s Exit 11 Pontiac Village, Midland City, Indiana?
All of those older ethnic/cultural/sociological names and associations seemed pretty innocuous in the past, even if they might have been somewhat derogatory, or at least insensitive. DeSoto was named after a Spanish explorer and conquistador, and the terms “Safari” for a station wagon, and Apache for a Chevy truck, might have negative connotations. Names like Explorer, and Expedition are less culturally charged. I don’t take offense unless offense is specifically intended, but it’s nice to see the move away from that kind of stuff.
Did Bob Longpre actually own two Pontiac dealerships in southern California, or did neighboring cities redraw their boundaries? Interesting that Mike Salta might be another example of multiple store ownership, as there was a Mike Salta Pontiac near Honolulu, Hawaii back in the ’70s.
And to the McCombs Superior Pontiac/Hyundai stores in San Antonio, was it owned by longtime Ford/Toyota dealer Red McCombs? I read his autobiography a few years ago, and it doesn’t mention any ownership of a GM store. Edsel, Subaru, and later Toyota, plus the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Vikings, but not Superior Pontiac.