Pontiac LeMans
Manufacturer	General Motors (1962-1981) 1989–1993
Successor	Pontiac Bonneville
Class	Mid-size

The Pontiac LeMans was a model name applied to compact and intermediate-sized automobiles offered by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1962 to 1981. Pontiac is a Brand of Automobiles produced by General Motors that has been sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. The LeMans was replaced by the downsized Pontiac Bonneville for the 1982 model year. The Pontiac Bonneville was an Automobile built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1957 to 2005 In 1988, for the 1989 model year a badge engineered Daewoo LeMans was sold briefly until 1993. For a list of vehicles that have been badge engineered see List of badge engineered vehicles. The Daewoo LeMans is a Subcompact car manufactured by Daewoo Motors in South Korea between 1986 and 1994 replaced by the facelifted Daewoo Cielo

1961-1963

Introduced as the top-of-the-line version of the compact Pontiac Tempest at the end of 1961 on GM's new Y body platform, the Tempest LeMans was essentially a trim package featuring sportier and more luxurious trimmings than the Tempest, including different badging and bucket seats. Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of The Y platform, or Y body, designation has been used twice by the General Motors Corporation to describe a series of vehicles all built on the same basic body and A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other The Pontiac Tempest was an entry-level compact Automobile produced by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors, introduced in September 1960 The Y platform, or Y body, designation has been used twice by the General Motors Corporation to describe a series of vehicles all built on the same basic body and That year the name was only used on a two-door pillared coupe. In 1962, LeMans continued on this path, adding a convertible to the offerings. Though all four body styles -- coupe, sedan, convertible and station wagon -- were available as Tempests, there was no four-sedan or station wagon LeMans. There was also no pillarless hardtop version of either Pontiac. The next year, in 1963, the LeMans name was still only used on coupes and convertibles, but the name was officially made its own model. This would last for just one year. It's these 1963 cars of both nameplates that had the high-performance 326 in³ V8 option (actually 336 ci for that one year only) and specially modified versions of them became the Super Duty cars of racing lore. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other The Pontiac Tempest was an entry-level compact Automobile produced by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors, introduced in September 1960

1964-1967

The Tempest line was upsized fromto an intermediate-sized car on the new GM A platform in 1964, and the LeMans returned to its role of Tempest trim upgrade with a new 215 in³ six-cylinder and a redesigned 326 in³ V8 (now actually 326 in³). Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of See also GM A platform (FWD The General Motors A platform (commonly called A-body) was a Mid-size car Automobile A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other The straight-6 or inline-6 engine (often abbreviated I6 or L6) is a six cylinder Internal combustion engine with all six cylinders A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other The straight-6 or inline-6 engine (often abbreviated I6 or L6) is a six cylinder Internal combustion engine with all six cylinders A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift or just 'stick' 'straight drive' or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in An automatic transmission (commonly "AT" or "Auto" is an Automobile Gearbox that can change Gear ratios automatically as the vehicle The General Motors A platform (commonly called A-body) was a Mid-size car Automobile platform. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other Shortly after the start of the 1964 model year, the LeMans became available with a new performance package designated as the GTO, or Gran Turismo Omologato. A performance package is a set of functional enhancements to the Driveline of a vehicle sold and priced as a unit The GTO option was priced at just under US$300 and included a larger 389 in³ V8 from the full-sized Pontiac line that put out 325 or 348 hp, a three-speed floor shift manual transmission with Hurst shifter, heavy-duty suspension, red-line Tiger Paw tires, and GTO nameplates. Hurst Performance Inc of Warminster, Pennsylvania, manufactured products for enhancing the performance of Muscle cars These included Manual transmission GTO sales ended up at 32,000 for the first year, well beyond initial estimates of 5,000 units and accounted for a large share of Tempest/LeMans sales. The success and the image of the GTO helped increase sales of lesser Tempest and LeMans models in the coming years, placing the Pontiac brand into third place in total industry sales after Chevrolet and Ford. Chevrolet (ˌʃɛvroʊˈleɪ - French origin (also known as Chevy) is a Brand of Automobile, produced by General Motors (GM Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following

The GTO became a separate model of its own for 1966, though retaining the same basic body as the Tempest and LeMans models. The Pontiac Tempest was an entry-level compact Automobile produced by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors, introduced in September 1960 For 1966, all Pontiac intermediates got swoopier styling featuring tunnelback rooflines on two door hardtop and pillared coupes. While the GTO continued as a big-engined muscle car, the Tempest and LeMans models got a new SOHC 230 cubic inch six-cylinder engine as the base engine. Overhead camshaft, commonly abbreviated to OHC, Valvetrain configurations place the engine Camshaft within the Cylinder heads above the The new SOHC I6, the brainchild of Pontiac Chief Engineer John De Lorean (who became Pontiac's general manager in 1965), was available in an economical one-barrel carbureted, 165 hp version that was standard equipment on all Pontiac intermediates except GTOs. The straight-6 or inline-6 engine (often abbreviated I6 or L6) is a six cylinder Internal combustion engine with all six cylinders John Zachary DeLorean ( January 6 1925  &ndash March 19 2005) was an American engineer and executive in the U Optional on all Tempest and LeMans models except station wagons was a Sprint package that included a hopped-up four-barrel version of the 230 in³ OHC six that also included higher compression ratio and hotter cam, resulting in 215 horse power, along with an "all-syncro" floor-mounted three-speed transmission with Hurst shifter, suspension kit, and body striping. Those who preferred a V8 engine could get either the base two-barrel 326 in³ V8 rated at 250 hp (the most popular Tempest/LeMans engine) or a 285 hp four-barrel 326 HO V8 with higher compression ratio, high performance cam and dual exhausts. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other

The Sprint-optioned Tempest and LeMans models were not very popular during the mid-to-late 1960s as they were greatly outsold by the bigger-engined GTO that was heating up the muscle car wars. Buyers of regular Tempest and LeMans models definitely preferred V8 power, as the 326 and later 350 in³ V8s were the most ordered engines. The Sprint option and SOHC six-cylinder engine were discontinued after 1969 with an ordinary Chevrolet-built 250 in³ OHV six-cylinder engine, becoming the base engine from 1970 to 1976 in most Pontiac intermediates. Overhead camshaft, commonly abbreviated to OHC, Valvetrain configurations place the engine Camshaft within the Cylinder heads above the An overhead valve (OHV engine, also called pushrod engine or I-head engine is a type of Piston engine that places the Camshaft

Initially, the LeMans included a pillared coupe and convertible for 1962 and 1963 as no hardtops were offered in the compact Tempest. For 1964, a hardtop coupe was added followed by a four-door pillared sedan in 1965, which was replaced by a four-door hardtop in 1966 and a four-door Safari wagon in 1968. Generally, the four-door and wagon models were differentiated from the coupes and convertibles by featuring conventional bench seats or notch-back bench seats with folding armrests as opposed to the Strato buckets seats standard in coupes and convertibles. Other LeMans upgrades over lesser Tempests included carpeted lower door panels, deluxe steering wheels, courtesy lighting, and full wheel covers. A hubcap, wheel cover or wheel trim is a decorative disk on an Automobile Wheel that covers at least a central portion of the wheel

1968-1972

1970-1972
Production	1970-1972
Body style(s)	2-door coupe 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon 2-door convertible 2-door sedan
Layout	FR layout
Platform	A-body
Engine(s)	400 in³ 265 hp V8

For 1970, Pontiac reshuffled its intermediate lineup a bit with the LeMans nameplate downgraded to the mid-line sub-series previously known as the Tempest Custom and included two and four-door pillared sedans, while the previous top-shelf LeMans series was renamed the LeMans Sport in the same three body styles including a four-door hardtop sedan, two-door hardtop coupe and convertible. Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of See also GM A platform (FWD The General Motors A platform (commonly called A-body) was a Mid-size car Automobile A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other This year, bigger engines - which had previously reserved for GTOs - were made available on lesser Tempest/LeMans models including a 400 in³ V8 rated at 265 hp with a two-barrel carburetor or a 330 hp option with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a

In 1971, the Tempest nameplate was completely retired and Pontiac promoted the LeMans nameplate to full-series status to identify all of its intermediate models, which still included the GTO. At the bottom of the line was the Pontiac T-37, previously known as the Tempest.

For 1972, all Pontiac intermediates were now LeMans models as the GTO was downgraded from a sub-series to an option package and the low-priced T-37 line was replaced by a stripped LeMans pillared coupe. The top-line intermediate was the Luxury LeMans, available in hardtop sedan and coupe models, featuring plusher interiors than regular LeMans models. The LeMans Sport was available as a two-door hardtop or convertible featuring Strato bucket seats and plush interior fittings from the Luxury LeMans.

In the film adapation of The French Connection, Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle commandeered a 1971 LeMans coupe from a citizen. For other uses see The French Connection. The French Connection is a 1971 Hollywood Crime film directed The French Connection A True Account of Cops Narcotics and International Conspiracy is a non-fiction book by Robin Moore first published in 1969 about the notorious Popeye Doyle is a fictional New York City Police detective portrayed by actor Gene Hackman in the 1971 He then used it to chase an overhead train at high speed through the streets of New York, in what is widely considered one of the most exciting film chases in cinema history. The City of New York

1973-1977

1973-1977
Production	1973-1977
Body style(s)	2-door coupe 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon
Layout	FR layout
Platform	A-body

From 1973 to 1977, the LeMans and other GM intermediates were much larger in size than previous models due to evolutionary changes that resulted in larger cars year after year and federally-mandated 5 mph crash bumpers that added weight and length. Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of See also GM A platform (FWD The General Motors A platform (commonly called A-body) was a Mid-size car Automobile During this period, Pontiac's intermediate lineup included the base LeMans, LeMans Sport Coupe, GTO (1973 only), Luxury LeMans (became the Grand LeMans in 1975), the Euro-styled Grand Am from 1973 to 1975, and the 1977 Can Am. The Pontiac GTO was an Automobile built by Pontiac from 1964 to 1974 and by General Motors Holden in Australia from 2004 to The Pontiac Grand Am was originally a Mid-size car and later a Compact car that was produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. The Pontiac Can Am is a mid size muscle car based on the LeMans. Body styles were all based on GM's Colonnade hardtop design for both sedans and coupes (no convertibles offered after 1972) that included center pillars for improved rollover safety standards but eliminated true hardtop design, along with frameless windows similar to a hardtop.

1978-1981

1978-1981
Production	1978-1981
Assembly	Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada
Body style(s)	2-door coupe 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon
Layout	FR layout
Platform	A-body
Engine(s)	231 in³ Buick V6 265 in³ Pontiac V8 301 in³ Pontiac V8 305 in³ Chevrolet V8 (Calif. Sainte-Thérèse is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada northwest of Montreal, in the Regional County Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of See also GM A platform (FWD The General Motors A platform (commonly called A-body) was a Mid-size car Automobile The Buick V6, initially marketed as Fireball at its introduction in 1962 is a large V6 engine used by General Motors. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders From 1955 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors manufactured its own unique V8 engines distinct from Buick, From 1955 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors manufactured its own unique V8 engines distinct from Buick, Introduction Chevrolet 's Small-block V8 is a famous Automobile engine ) 350 in³ Oldsmobile diesel V8
Transmission(s)	3-speed THM200 automatic 4-speed THM200-4R automatic
Wheelbase	108 in (2743 mm)

In 1978, the LeMans and other GM mid-sized cars were considerably downsized and lost some 600-800 lb in the process, as part of GM's corporate downsizing program to reduce the size and weight of its automobiles in the aftermath of the Arab Oil Embargo induced energy crisis of 1973 to 1974. The Oldsmobile Rocket V8 was the first post-war OHV V8 at General Motors. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of a family of Automatic transmissions developed and produced by General Motors. Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of a family of Automatic transmissions developed and produced by General Motors. An automatic transmission (commonly "AT" or "Auto" is an Automobile Gearbox that can change Gear ratios automatically as the vehicle In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels Engines were downsized as well with engine options reduced to a standard Buick-built 231 in³ V6 or an optional Pontiac-built 301 in³ V8 for 1978 (some 1978s, the Grand LeMans for sure, were available with the GM small block 5 liter 305 in³ motor), compared to larger 350, 400 and 455 in³ V8s offered in previous years. From 1978 to 1980, Pontiac's mid-sized lineup included the base LeMans, Grand LeMans and a revived Grand Am that was much more suited in size and concept as a Euro-style sport sedan than the larger 1973 to 1975 models. The Grand Am in this guise was not a tremendous seller as a sedan or coupe. Only a coupe was offered in 1980 before that nameplate was discontinued and mothballed for a few years before the Grand Am name was revived again for 1985 as a new compact car, the form which the Grand Am would take for the next two decades until it was replaced by the Pontiac G6 in 2005. The Pontiac G6 is a Mid-size car produced under the Pontiac brand of American automaker General Motors. The final year for the mid-sized LeMans was 1981, with only the base and Grand LeMans models offered initially and joined at mid-year by a new LJ trim level positioned between the base and Grand models. The car was given a new slanted nose which made it popular in NASCAR, especially as a superspeedway race car. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Engine offerings by this time included Buick's 231 in³ V6, Pontiac's 4. Buick (ˈbjuːɪk is a Marque of automobile sold in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 3 L 265 in³ V8, Pontiac's 301 in³ V8, Chevrolet's 305 in³ V8 (for California only) and Oldsmobile's 350 in³ diesel V8. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Oldsmobile was a brand of Automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors.

For 1982, Pontiac dropped the LeMans nameplate for its mid-size car, rebadging it as the Bonneville, which had denoted the division's top-line full-sized cars for many years until the division discontinued all of its big cars after 1981. The Pontiac Bonneville was an Automobile built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1957 to 2005 The LeMans-cum-Bonneville was reduced to one trim line in four-door and Safari wagon models and offered no Pontiac engines as the division discontinued V8 production after 1981 to concentrated on Iron Duke four-cylinder engines for GM's smaller cars. The engine lineup now consisted of the Buick V6 or Chevrolet 305 V8, along with the Olds 350 diesel. The mid-sized Bonneville wagon was dropped after 1983 while the sedan lingered until 1986. For 1987, the Bonneville nameplate was moved to a slightly larger front-wheel drive full-sized sedan that shared its basic platform with the Buick LeSabre and Oldsmobile Delta 88. See also GM H platform (RWD The H platform, or H-body, name has been used twice by General Motors. The Buick LeSabre was a Full-size car made by the Buick division of General Motors from 1959-2005 The Oldsmobile 88 (aka Eighty-Eight) was a Full-size car sold by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors and produced from 1949 until

External links

• Anatomy of a Chase