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, General Motors
by Philip Powell on November 26, 2007

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]
Tags:
Pontiac
Banshee
Delorean
sports
prototype
classic
vintage
antique
collector
old
car
cars
automobile
Trackback: http://publish.creative-weblogging.com/publish/mt-tb.pl/103642
Mr Wong
Vote for Banshee, the Sports Car that Delorean and Pontiac Wanted to Build, for Sale on eBay:
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Rating: 9.50 out of 2 vote(s) cast.
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Response from:
Mark
(11/26/07 11:13pm)
Response from:
Philip
(11/27/07 7:19pm)
Thanks for the comment, Mark. I'll stand by my remarks about automatics in the Banshee era as they weren't aimed specifically at GM, however you caused me to spend a little time with my classic cars mags in search of more info. It's true that the early GM autos were 4-speeders but by the late 50's 3-speeds were the norm except, as you mentioned, Powerglide and Dynaflow. Until 1961 a 4-speed Super Hydra-Matic transmission was available in some models but was then replaced by the new 3-speed Roto-Hydra-Matic. By the time the Banshee appeared, the 4-speed auto was history.
Interestingly, 4-speed automatics are now old hat as automakers keep on adding gears.
Interestingly, 4-speed automatics are now old hat as automakers keep on adding gears.
Response from:
Mark
(11/27/07 9:36pm)
HydraMatic (1940-51), Dual-Range HydraMatic (1952-58) and Super HydaMatic (1959-64) were all 4-spd autos. The '58-59 Chevy TurboGlide and Buick FlightPitch/Triple Turbine could be classified as 3-spd autos, tho they did not progress thru all 3 ratios when put in 'D'. SuperHM (59-64) was used WITH the RotoHM ('61-64) depending on the model; one did not replace the other.
Of course, GM had a great number of models & powertrains, but this discussion can be boiled down to: GM was not WITHOUT a 4-spd automatic from 1940 thru 1964.
My earlier post got chopped up somehow: the white Banshee XP-833 convertible has been verified: it still exists happily in the Bortz Collection in IL.
Of course, GM had a great number of models & powertrains, but this discussion can be boiled down to: GM was not WITHOUT a 4-spd automatic from 1940 thru 1964.
My earlier post got chopped up somehow: the white Banshee XP-833 convertible has been verified: it still exists happily in the Bortz Collection in IL.
Response from:
Nick
(03/07/09 2:05pm)
Is this the other car you were talking about? The convertible? I'm not sure, but I think this is not a reproduction.
http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/96898_1964_pontiac_banshee_conv
ertible/index.html
http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/96898_1964_pontiac_banshee_conv
ertible/index.html
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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"<<
Not 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.