Pontiac's 1960 Facelift

General Motors dominated the American car market in the late 1950s and was rolling in cash.  So the corporation acted quickly in the context of lead-times when stylists discovered the flashy 1957 Chrysler Corporation designs that outclassed what GM had in its design pipeline.  The result was the 1959 line where bodies were shared across all GM divisions: I wrote about that here.

Those new bodies were in production for only two model years instead of the three or four years common in those days.  And for most brands the facelifts for 1960 were significant, all aside from Cadillac losing their modest tail fins.  New grilles and other details also appeared.  The present post features Pontiac and its 1959 and 1960 styling.

Gallery

Overhead view of a 1959 Pontiac Catalina hardtop coupe.  This clearly shows the V-shaped tail fins that expand their width as they approach the car's rear.  The next series of images are of for-sale Pontiac Bonneville Vista Sedans (four-door hardtops), alternating for 1959 and 1960.

1959 Bonneville.  This is the first appearance of Pontiac's signature two-segment grille used 1961-2010.

The 1960 facelift.  The medallions on the single-segment grille are not original equipment.  As mentioned, the two-segment grille returned for the 1961 model year.

Rear quarter view showing the tail fins.

GM's 1960 facelifts tended to result in a horizontal motif replacing the fins.  In '59 the tail lights / brake lights were on the lower part of the trunk lid: for '60 they are found in round lenses at the upper part of the lid.

1959 side view.

For 1960 the fins were shaved, the four side ornaments eliminated and more side sculpting added.  The cover over the rear wheel opening is an accessory, not a standard feature.

This factory image gives a better view of the revised sides.  The tail fins are replaced by a rounded element the terminates at the tail lights.  A similar shape is added about midway on the front door, extending to the front of the car.  Other, more subtle, side sculptural elements and character lines are present, replacing the largely slab side of 1959 models.