WHAT’S IN A NAME? How the Pontiac came to be

August 19, 2017
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Just like every person, place and thing, cars must have names in order to be identified. Without this fact … well, chaos would rule. When it comes to automobile names, carmakers ponder long and hard before betting their fortunes on the final decision. Here’s the story of how the Pontiac got its name.

This 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IV (Lot #669), sold for $143,000 at the 2017 Northeast Auction.

The name Pontiac was first used to refer to a vehicle in 1893 by the Pontiac Buggy Company, simply taking its name from the Michigan city in which the company was located. (The city itself was named after Ottawa Indian Chief Pontiac, who became noted for his role in the struggle against British military occupation of the Great Lakes region.) The company later became Pontiac Spring & Wagon Works Company and then, in 1906 merged with Oakland Motor Car Company. General Motors acquired the Pontiac brand in 1909, and the first GM Pontiac automobile was marketed in 1926. The last Pontiac-badged cars were built in December 2009, with one final vehicle in January 2010.