Pontiac Tribute Day in Winnipeg

To mark the passing of a legendary musclecar marquee, Pontiac clubs around the world have organized Pontiac Tribute Days as a way for affected gearheads to say goodbye. The Manitoba Pontiac Association held their tribute day on June 1st, with a “funeral procession” going from Polo Park to Birchwood’s former Pontiac dealership in the Pointe West Autopark. A total of 28 cars showed up and registered at Polo Park, and another four jumped in along the way. Club vice-president Gerald Huhtula provided us with more pictures, after the jump.

This stunning GTO “Judge” convertible has been around the cruising scene for a while now. It’s always been a crowd favourite, and with that flawless paint, it’s easy to see why.

Aaaaand, here’s another red GTO convertible, although this one isn’t a Judge. One of Winnipeg’s great strengths is the rare iron you’ll see cruising the streets. Not that ’70-71 Pontiac GTO convertibles are the rarest vehicles, but how often do two red ones pull into the same car show?

Eighties iron like this Pontiac LeMans are getting to be more and more commonplace at car shows. Granted, they don’t have the reputation that their ancestors did, but the people who grew up with’em are starting to settle down and look for project cars. Hey, why not? They’re affordable, and they probably bring back more personal memories than anything going across the block at Barret-Jackson.

This is Gerald Huhtala’s own 1978 Pontiac Trans-Am. The car is almost completely original, save for the motor oil. It’s also a very low mileage car, although that (thankfully) doesn’t stop Gerald from letting his ‘bird out to fly.

Most people tend to remember Pontiac’s legacy as a musclecar builder, and tend to forget the beautiful cars they built in the previous eras. Although many Pontiacs from this era relied heavily on Chevrolet mechanicals and bodywork, Pontiac always seemed to have the edge when it came to style. Note the chrome-plated “racing stripe” down the middle of the hood.

And we can’t forget the later generations of Pontiac power, either. Although they were sometimes called out over build quality, Pontiac’s Grand Am has always had a loyal following. Time will tell if the car’s Chevy Mailbu-based replacement, the Pontiac G6, will keep up the momentum as they trickle down into the next generation.

And here’s another ’71 Pontiac Convertible. There must have been a sale somewhere…..

And finally, here’s a…. Lamborghini Countache Spyder? This Italian stallion is actually based on a Pontiac Fiero with a new set of Fiberglass body panels. It might not look like something from The General on the outside, but it’s still got the heart of a Chief.

Thanks again to Gerald Huhtala for the pictures. And if you have pictures from your own car show to share, let us know. They have to be 600 pixels wide, they have to be car pictures, and they have to be good. Other than that, well, I’m pretty flexible. Give us a shout at sundaycruisefever@gmail.com, or message me through our Facebook group, and we’ll get your show some free coverage.

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