PONTIAC PARISIENNE
THE PARISIENNE WAS THE FLASHEST TOY TO GRACE HOLSDEN SHOWROOMS IN THE 1960S
The Pontiac brand flourished locally until the early 1950s, when imports were restricted by Government bans on any purchase that sapped scarce foreign exchange reserves. Exemptions were made for British Empire countries, so US-styled cars arrived here in crates from Canadian factories.
Despite their Canadian model names, Holden-assembled Pontiacs were hybrids, with a Chevrolet chassis and mechanical components topped by Pontiac sheet metal. Upgraded interior trim and extra brightwork were there to justify the brand’s higher prices.
Local Pontiacs were painted in the same colour combinations as Holdens and ran alongside them on GM-H assembly lines. Once Holden adopted metallic finishes for its Premier, the range of Pontiac paint choices increased as well.
Cars sold prior to 1964 were often seen in two-tone combinations of greens, blues, red or maroon with a white roof. Black was popular with many going to Government fleets or were used as hire or funeral cars.
Billed as ‘luxury’ models, local Pontiacs initially had leather seats, carpet and a heater/demister. Pretty much everything else including the radio cost extra. By the mid-1960s power steering was added and air-conditioning was a very expensive accessory.
For 1965 the conservative Parisienne line was enlivened by the addition of a pillarless four-door Sport Hardtop, joining the few special-order pillarless cars imported by dealers for prominent customers.
These cars used vertically-stacked headlights introduced as part of a 1963 restyle and, from 1965, the body featured a pronounced ‘Coke-bottle hip’ that gave General Motors cars their distinctive profile.
1965 models were the first Australian Pontiacs to use 171kW versions of the 327 cubic-inch Chevrolet engine and finally delivered performance to match the 6.5-litre Ford Galaxies that were also being assembled in Australia.
Pontiac styling for 1967 shifted dramatically to the pronounced ‘beak’ emphasising the length of its cars. In North America it followed Buick’s lead of hidden headlights on some models, but Australian cars, until 1968 had stacked lights. The final series of 1968-69 Parisiennes had grille-mounted lights flanking an even more extreme nose extension.
With the introduction of a long-wheelbase Statesman just 18 months away, GM-H saw no reason to continue building the US-designed cars, so in late 1969 the Parisienne and companion Chevrolet Impala discontinued.
People who bought a full-sized Pontiac during the 1960s never did so to be inconspicuous, the smallest measured 5.4 metres in length and a massive 1.98 metres from side to side. The broad bench seats were legal for three occupants but large enough to accommodate four moderate-sized adults, with space in the boot for each to bring a suitcase.
Pre-1965 cars with 4.6-litre engines and two-speed Powerglide transmissions were underpowered and performance wasn’t a forte. The 1963 Parisienne sedan claimed 145kW and over 13 seconds to hit 100km/h, but by 1967 its successor with 5.3-litres, and in spite of increased weight, trimmed that time by three seconds.