Makes › Pontiac › Bonneville › Bonneville Special (1954) · Prototype · 1954 Ultra Rare
Pontiac
Bonneville Special (1954)
Concept GT, 2 built.
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: artistmac · CC BY-SA 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 2 Built
- Years
- 1954
- Engine
- Inline eight · 4,390 cc / 4.4 LFactory: 268 cu in · converted
- Power
- 172 kW / 233 PSFactory: 230 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Harley Earl (GM Styling), with Hommer LaGassey and Paul Gilland
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 2 (unknown)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Bonneville Specials were GM's 1954 Motorama dream cars for Pontiac, an aviation-flavoured two-seater idea from GM styling director Harley Earl.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Pontiac Bonneville Special (1954) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: artistmac · CC BY-SA 2.0
Pontiac Bonneville Special (1954) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: artistmac · CC BY-SA 2.0
Pontiac Bonneville Special (1954) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: artistmac · CC BY-SA 2.0
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionboth built examples, per a dealer listing | about 22Reported by enthusiast sources – not verified. Know the real figure? Send us a source. | Surviving examples | Unknown |
| Total model productionBonneville Special Motorama show cars built (one bronze, one green) | 21 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Two cars were built under Earl, Hommer LaGassey and Paul Gilland: a Metallic Bronze car that debuted at the Waldorf in New York and an Emerald Green car shown in Los Angeles and then toured to dealerships. They were 1953 Corvette-based fibreglass bodies with Pontiac styling, a clear Plexiglass bubble top and a 268 cu in inline-eight rated at 230 hp, with aircraft-style gauges and a gullwing-type side window arrangement.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Bonneville Special (1954).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Inline eight3 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 4,390 cc / 4.4 LFactory: 268 cu in · converted3 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 172 kW / 233 PSFactory: 230 hp · converted3 Independently researched |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Based on a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, with a fiberglass body4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Design & Development Info conceptcarz Level C
- 2 Bonneville Special Motorama show cars built (one bronze, one green)
-
2
Dream Cars For Sale Designed by Harley Earl Level D Car of the Century (dealer listing)
- Both Bonneville Specials survive
-
3
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Design & Development Info conceptcarz Level C conceptcarz.com
- Pontiac inline-8
- 268 cubic-inch Pontiac inline-8
- delivering 230 horsepower
-
4
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Design & Development Info Level C ConceptCarz
- basically 1953 Corvettes clothed with a fiberglass body
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