Who designed the 69 Bonneville? Who adapted it to the Canadian market?

davepl · Poncho Master!

Who designed the 69 Bonneville? Who adapted it to the Canadian market?

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

http://www.deansgarage.com/2012/an-interview-in-2000-with-bill-porter-about-pontiac-design-in-the-60s/

davepl · Poncho Master!

That's the article that made me think Bill Porter, but it doesn't specifically say the 69, just late 60s. Because design takes place years before release, it's still a good bet but not a safe one.

I asked this years back and didn't get anywhere... at the time Hillar was -going- to interview Jim Ewen, but because Hillar passed away, I guess that never happened. That's still something I'd like to follow up on too!

-- Edited by davepl on Tuesday 20th of September 2016 05:09:54 PM

Greaser · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Another name to not forget to add to the mix for making Pontiac what it was in the in the 60's was Semon Emil "Bunkie" Knudsen.

http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/bunkie-knudsen-muscle-car-pioneer-1.3484463

He left GM after 29 years, being wooed to join Ford (probably because Ed Cole was made President of GM,instead of him).

He created at Ford the "Knudsen nose" as it was called, heavily influenced Pontiac design to Ford cars.

http://carstylecritic.blogspot.ca/2015/12/bunkie-knudsens-long-nose-cars.html

-- Edited by Greaser on Tuesday 20th of September 2016 06:00:19 PM

North · Guru

What I heard from a Pontiac designer (I can't recall who) many years ago at a POCI meet is that the reason the 69 Bonneville had so many more unique features compared to the 68 (die cast grille, rear bumper insert, ribbed lower moldings) is that those features were destined for the full size 69 GP before the decision to switch to the smaller A body variant was made. When they were no longer needed for the GP they were used to enhance the distinction of the Bonneville instead.

Therefore the decision to move the Grande Parisienne styling inspiration from the GP to the Bonneville was the only choice.

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

North wrote:
What I heard from a Pontiac designer (I can't recall who) many years ago at a POCI meet is that the reason the 69 Bonneville had so many more unique features compared to the 68 (die cast grille, rear bumper insert, ribbed lower moldings) is that those features were destined for the full size 69 GP before the decision to switch to the smaller A body variant was made. When they were no longer needed for the GP they were used to enhance the distinction of the Bonneville instead.
Therefore the decision to move the Grande Parisienne styling inspiration from the GP to the Bonneville was the only choice.

Awesome

davepl · Poncho Master!

I got ahold of Jim Ewen's son, he's asking if his Dad is up to it. If I get the go-ahead, I'll post here first to solicit questions - the Grand Prix angle is a great example!

davepl · Poncho Master!

I've tracked down and Jim Ewen has agreed to answer my questions - my car is being photographed for a Hemmings article so it's a good time to ask questions of him for the article.

If you have any really good questions for me to pose to him, please post them here!

Example:

"I've heard conjecture that the 1969 Grand Prix was initially slated to be built on the B-Body platform, and hence a number of decorative trim pieces, distinctive grilles, bumper inserts, ribbed moldings, and so on were designed for it that ultimately wound up on the Bonneville instead?"

"Were full clay models developed of the Parisienne body or how were the body panels from the US car adapted to the shorter Canadian chassis?"

North · Guru

There are factory photos floating around of the 69 Grand Prix B body proposals, I think I may have seen them in the Collectible Automobile article on the 69-72 G body GP's many years ago. The 69 Bonneville grille is visible in one of the pictures iirc.

66 ponchoboy · Veteran Member

I've heard that the tail lights and front grill sections for the 1966 Grande Parisienne were copied to the 1966 GTO because the American design not as good.

davepl · Poncho Master!

For the curious, here's an article on the B-Body 69 Grand Prix:

www.hotrod.com/articles/slow-motion-sunday-hot-rod-drag-week/

I see that it has 8-lug wheels, but they were not ultimately offered in 69 either!

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

That link takes us to Hot Rod Drag Week.

North · Guru

Hot Rod did do an article years ago on what the 68 GP might have looked like if they used the E body (Riviera-Toronado) instead of the modified B body used in actually used in 68 but if I remember correctly there was no photos or vintage drawings, just modern day sketches.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Sorry, link should be:

www.hotrod.com/articles/hppp-0610-1969-pontiac-grand-prix/

davepl · Poncho Master!

I've been corresponding with him, awaiting his permission to share some of it. To paraphrase one point, however, he doesn't think the "fanciness" of the '69 Bonneville is related to the notion of originally having the '69 Grand Prix on the B-Body platform, as he says the Grand Prix was usually the cleanest and most unadorned version of the car, so it wouldn't make sense that the trim parts came from the GP project.