farmdoc's blog post number 377

When I was a nipper I was a legend in my family because of my ability to name the makes of cars. I don’t know how and why I developed this skill. But my Dad was in the motor trade, and I suppose I was rewarded in some way for naming cars, and so the better at it I became, the more I was rewarded. So whether at home which fronted a busy road, or travelling in my parents’ car, I’d utter forth a continuous stream of car makes. And I rarely if ever erred. I can’t remember if I had a favourite make. But if I had, the Pontiac would’ve been a contender. Named for the 18th Century Native American chief Pontiac, it was one beautiful car – bold styling, powerful engine, big (‘Yank tank’) body, imported from the US of A. And uncommon enough on Australian roads that I always rejoiced in seeing, and naming, one. Whilst since its 1926 inception Pontiac has benefited by being a General Motors marque, GM’s recent hard times have heralded Pontiac’s death knell. Following the demise of GM’s Oldsmobile brand in 2004, last Monday GM announced it’s phasing out the Pontiac brand by the end of 2010 and focusing on four core brands in the US – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. I’m sad to see Pontiac go. It’s metaphoric, I suppose: If Pontiac was a thriving brand when I was a thriving nipper, and now it’ll soon be dead, then…