1963 Pontiac Bonneville

Description

If you want to know what's cool in cars, slide behind the wheel of this 1963 Pontiac Bonneville convertible and watch what happens. The ultimate in '60s chic, the Bonneville is for guys who have it made but don't much feel like driving around in their dad's stuffy Cadillac, and it's got the power to back it up.

Painting it black only makes it look that much more massive, maybe about a city block long, but Pontiac designers nailed it with this one. Black is this car's original color, so you know the guy who ordered a loaded triple-black Bonneville ragtop back in 1963 had his life together. It's in great shape, not perfect, but certainly nice enough to wear black paint with pride and no glaring issues show up in the keeps-no-secrets finish. The doors fit well and the side trim lines up neatly, so you know they spent the time to get it right when it was time to put it back together. The stacked headlights were a Pontiac look that continued for years and influenced the entire industry, while the beautiful, almost delicate taillights give this car the look of something far more expensive. Bright chrome details provide just the right amount of contrast, but not so much that they make the car look heavy. The Pontiac guys got this one right!

Black bench seats provide enough room for six in the full-sized B-body ragtop, and in the top-of-the-line Bonneville, luxury came standard. The seats remain in good condition with some signs of age and wear, but the door panels look very good, the carpets are dark and not particularly worn, and that's real walnut veneer on the dash. A wide speedometer is directly ahead of the driver, but a trio of auxiliary gauges is in the center of the dash and looks extremely sporty, making the Bonneville the ultimate luxury/muscle machine. An artfully designed steering wheel makes you feel important when you're at the helm, and the car is optioned up with power windows and a power convertible top that mean you don't even have to get out of your seat to enjoy open-air motoring. The factory radio is still in the dash, too, and the gorgeous panel ahead of the passenger with "BONNEVILLE" spelled out in block letters is extremely cool. The black convertible top is in excellent shape and with a black boot it gives the big convertible a very sleek look. And you know it's made for road trips, because there's a giant trunk with original mats and a full-sized spare tire.

Pontiac's 389 cubic inch V8 was the top engine in 1963 and provides the kind of effortless power you'd expect from a car like this. It's not all shiny and detailed under the hood, but the basic mechanical goodness of the engine can't be denied and it purrs along on the highway without breaking a sweat. There are no major deviations from stock, so it's going to be easy to keep it in top condition from here on out. A Hydra-Matic automatic transmission delivers power to the stock rear end, and aside from a new muffler, the undercarriage appears to be quite original. Handsome full wheel covers with spinners are fitted inside flashy 15-inch wide whitewall radials.

Luxury performance was never this good anywhere but in the Pontiac showrooms, and the top-of-the-line Bonneville still delivers traffic-stopping looks and plenty of punch on the open road. Call today!