GM Product VP Bob Lutz would love to have something like this in Pontiac's lineup right now. Actually I'd like to have it in my garage and if only I had $1.3 million to spare, that's where it would be. Because that's the "Buy it Now" price of the 1964 Pontiac Banshee Prototype XP-833 Coupe on eBay. Two such road-going cars were built but this is the only one left, the other, a V-8 powered white convertible, was probably written off by GM, as often happens with prototypes and concepts. What I like about the remaining car is that it features Pontiac's short-lived overhead-cam inline six, a lovely European-type engine that appeared in the first Firebirds. It's mated to a 4-speed automatic, unusual in the days of 3-speeders. The banshee is a handsome car that Autoblog's article claims was designed by John Delorean, but I find that hard to accept inasmuch as Delorean was an engineer, not a designer. GM canceled the project when the Chevrolet division complained that it would cut into Corvette sales though that didn't stop it from stealing some of the styling themes. Delorean always wanted Pontiac to have a 2-seater sports car but he was born 30 years too soon.
[Source: eBay, via Autoblog]
>>”this is the only one left, the other, a V-8 powered white convertible”< <
white convertible still exists in excellent shape.
>>”probably written off by GM, as often happens with prototypes and concepts. “< <
A surprising percentage of '50s GM concepts have survived.
>>”4-speed automatic, unusual in the days of 3-speeders”<<
November 26, 2007 @ 9:13 pmNot at GM: most of their autos from the late ’40 thru the early ’60s were 4-spd autos, the Powerglide 2-spd and the Dynaflow continuously variable units aside.