Pontiac Tempest

The Tempest is an automobile that was produced by Pontiac from 1960 to 1970, and again from 1987 to 1991.

Pontiac Tempest

1960–1970
1987–1991

The Tempest was introduced as an entry-level compact in October 1960 at the Paris Auto Show for the 1961 model year.^[1] Built on GM's first unibody chassis, its new Y-platform was shared with the Buick Special/Skylark and Oldsmobile F-85/Cutlass.

While the Buick and Olds versions used a conventional drivetrain, the Pontiac had a unique, innovative design. The Tempest featured a front-engine/rear-transaxle layout that very nearly resulted in an ideal 50/50 weight distribution, together with independent rear suspension for nimble handling (a swing axle design similar to the Chevy Corvair). A Slant-4 engine connected to the 2-speed automatic transaxle via a flexible "rope" drive shaft. This configuration eliminated the driveshaft hump, yielding a flat floor with increased interior space. The Pontiac "Trophy-4" was also unique, created by basically halving a standard Pontiac V8 block.

Buick's aluminum 215 V8 was also optional in 1961 and 1962, but very few Tempests were so equipped. The Tempest line offered an optional LeMans trim upgrade.

In 1964 the Tempest was redesigned as a mid-size car on the updated GM A-body platform, which used a conventional drivetrain. The base Tempest, Tempest Custom, and Lemans became separate trim packages, with an optional GTO performance option available on the LeMans for 1964 and 1965. The GTO was offered as a separate model line beginning in 1966. The Tempest name was retired after 1970, replaced by the T-37 as the base model, which in turn gave way to the LeMans name in 1972.

In Canada from 1987 to 1991, Pontiac marketed a rebadged version of the compact L-body Chevrolet Corsica under the revived Tempest name.