While en-route to Chicago in August of 1967, this ‘68 LeMans passed us on whatever Interstate that we were on. New car introductions generally weren’t held until September so I was excited to see this car a full month before it’s formal debut. I shot this from our family’s1960 Plymouth Fury.
Although I thought that the ‘67s were good looking, the ‘68s knocked me out. I thought that this iteration was one of the best to come out of Pontiac in the ‘60s.
My sister’s boyfriend had a ’67 LeMans convertible. He put 200,000 miles on it and traded it in on a ’70. He probably got that many miles or more on it. Where did Pontiac go wrong? Or was it GM?
Interesting car, Mich tags with an M, could be some sort of GM company car? Duals too, could have the higher HP 350, windows up in August, might have the a/c cranked.
The Rally I wheels on a 68 a rare too, they were available, but seldom ordered, the Rally II wheel was much more popular.
The ‘M’ in the license number may stand for Manufacturer. I recall that designation from the past in Michigan, as well as some other states, although I can’t recall which ones. Of course, Michigan was the leading car manufacturing state in those days.
In various locales, especially out west, I’d flip if I’d see, in particular, a car with Michigan Manufacturer Tags. Especially in California or Nevada, where I’d assume the car was a loaned out to some car magazine or if it was actually the manufacturer itself taking the car out for an endurance run (as was the case in 2008 when I ran across a go-fer filling up a pre-production Ford Raptor truck at a Shell station near Area 51). California used to have some real neat MFR tags (a vertical spelling)
Michigan plates, generally, have had special markings on the bottom for company-owned test rigs and prototypes. On the bottom, in the place of “Great Lakes State” or “Winter-Water Wonderland” (two slogans that were embossed on various plate series, including the ones in this photo) they would have, stamped in, “MANUFACTURERS PLATE.” They were still doing it as late as the mid-1990s, as I used to see test mules go up and down I-70 from Denver to the Eisenhower Tunnel and further West in Colorado.
The photo being 1968, the system could have been different then – but I doubt it. I think it was just that the numbering system, in those pre-computer, pre-overlay-screening days was more random – to allow for a larger number of options using only six spaces.
I don’t know the deeper history of Michigan plate’s numbering system; but its neighbor Ohio was incredibly random and casual up until 1980 when a standard ABC-123 organization was adopted. And even then, deviated from with the commemorative 2003 plates. So…it’s reasonable that neighbor MI saw nothing strange in going with random digit combos.
Same car?
Maybe the interior?
Hmmmm, interesting, could be, down to the electric antenna.
Maybe it was en route to the photo shoot for the brochure.
Different white walls.
Good catch, they are slightly thinner on the brochure car. However tires and wheels/wheel covers are easily changed and may or may not match from side to side on a photo car.
In this article https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/1970-chevelle-ss-six-or-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/ I posted links to the guy’s blog who was the ad man who posted pics showing it as both a 350 Malibu and a Chevelle SS 396 or maybe 454 depending on which side you were looking at, meanwhile it seems it was powered by a 250 6 cyl according to the pic you posted.
A good friend in college had a new 69 GTO hardtop – a more luxury-oriented version with the vinyl roof, 400, automatic, A/C. I had fond memories of the previous model because friends and family had them. One I got to drive a lot was a vibrant metallic blue 67 LeMans coupe with bucket seats, the 326 and two speed automatic. I loved the look of that car and the 326 moved it along pretty well. My memories (and those of my friend today) of the 69 GTO is that is was not as well built as the earlier models. Frequently would not start in the cold midwestern winters, developed a fair amount of rattles, things broke, rust developed early. I liked both body styles very much and I agree that the 60’s constituted a great era for Pontiac styling.
On a family trip to Niagra Falls in Aug, 1973, we saw quite a few 74’s on car carriers near Lake Erie region.
We tried to take a factory tour, but were told ‘we are retooling for the 74’s, still some secrecy then.
200,000 miles in three model years? That’s some serious road time… Most I ever saw a guy put on a car (not for commercial purposes) was about 35,000/yr.
That antenna looks awful tall for that vintage. That looks like a CB antenna.
At first, the Enduraflex nose cone was a GTO exclusive, but eventually percolated to various Pontiacs (mostly) and a few others. From what I understand, the most difficult mold to make was the 73 Grand Am.
He didn’t say it was traded in on a brand new 70, though it seemed implied.
My sister’s boyfriend was on the road full-time for his job. In spite of the miles that he racked up in his ’67 LeMans convertible, the car was rattle-free and the suspension taught and well-controlled even with the original shocks. Almost made me buy one of these things. I was impressed.
I remember my friend’s 66 LeMans coupe as being well built and rattle-free as well. Beautiful car, delightful to drive. My friend’s 69 GTO developed rattles within a couple of years and didn’t seem to be quite as well built.
I do remember cars from Detroit in these years as being inconsistent in build quality – the old “built on Monday” phenomenon. Sometimes you would get one that was tight as a drum and someone else would buy the same car that was far from that. And there seemed to be significant differences from one assembly plant to another. The Japanese manufacturers definitely introduced US buyers to a more uniform concept of quality.
The “Owners Report” series regularly conducted by Popular Mechanics makes for some interesting reading, particularly for cars of the late 1950s and 1960s. Buying a brand-new car was much more of a crapshoot in those days.
The sheer number, quality, and variety of pictures you have never fails to amaze me. Like a good meal, it always satisfies the (visually) hungry.
Thanks, Jason. I’m just glad that there is an audience out there that feels the way you do. More to come.
+1 Kevin. More!
I like the 66 Catalina or Ventura 2 door hardtop pulling the 25 or so foot travel trailer on the other side of the highway. Something pretty common then hardly ever seen after the mid 1970’s.
Totally random. But I agree, a great slice of life that could have been a Nash.
In the final photo, just ahead of the passenger’s side windshield pillar of the LeMans, it looks as though there is another trailer following the one being pulled by the 1966 Pontiac. Reminds me of how common that sight was in the 1970s on all interstate highways, particularly during the summer months.
i dig the red Poncho pulling a camper trailer in the third photo.
Nice catch, Kevin. And the new ’68’s were a real game changer for GM. As beautiful as the 66 to 67 intermediates were, these new cars were seen everywhere, in every town.
I agree with Jason’s sentiments. I always enjoy your photos and write ups here. An aside: looking at your photo’s of this LeMan’s reminds me of those summer trips down the Jersey Shore in my youth, sitting in the back of the family car. Snapping away photos of the muscle cars of the day, Corvettes, Road Runners, Goats, Chevelles and so on. Sure wish I had those pictures today!
LOVE these kind of old pics, perfect glimpse into the past. Looks like the driver has friends or family with him, I see two heads in the back seat. Really nice car.
Nothing against the Pontiac, but I wouldn’t mind seeing pictures of the 60 Fury you were riding in….
Since no one else did, I’ll point out the nose-high attitude of the Le Mans, very typical for cars of this epoch.
…which I like very much. It makes the car look “powerful” to me. The first picture (which I love!) really makes that beautiful car look alive…
The ’68 Pontiacs are my favorite Pontiacs of that decade, Firebirds, A-bodies, & B-bodies: all of them.
I was 10 going on 11 when these GM intermediates were released and they were knockouts (well, maybe not the Buick). For Christmas 1967 I got a subscription to Road & Track magazine and when they tested the ’68 Chevelle they heaped it with praise. Five years later the Colonnades seemed equally new and fresh, but in 2013 these ’68’s still look good. That C-pillar blending into the belt line is perfect.
That fastback brought style to this Value segment.
A magical time to be a young gearhead…..
Kevin, IMO the demise of Pontiac comes down to one thing and one thing only…
The marque went back to being a fancy Chevy.
I wonder if someone at GM looked at Pontiac’s continued success in Canada, where it never stopped functioning as a fancy Chevy, and thought why not do that here in the lower 48 and save $$$?
But once the unique powertrains were gone…once the rebel attitude was gone, Pontiac had no reason to exist. It should have ceased after 1982, at least in the USA.
Yeah, kind of, but they tried to compete with Olds and Buick with Grand Ville, Parisienne, and cushy Bonneville Broughams.
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Fabulous shots, Kevin. I am disappointed, though, that there was not more traffic in the background from which to pick out more cool cars. This also confirms my memories of how much sparse interstate traffic was back in those years.
I-81 runs through southcentral Pennsylvania. About 15-20 years ago, traffic wasn’t very heavy during non-rush hour times. It was heavy during rush hour, and Saturdays during the summer months or around a major holiday (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.)
Now, you have to drive on the road during early Sunday morning to experience light traffic.
What a great photo. Thanks for sharing it with us. This brings back another memory – wasn’t there a television commercial of a man whacking the nose of a 1968 GTO with a tire iron to show that the Endura front could not be easily damaged?
That sticks in my mind…along with the fact that, in 1968, two residents of our neighborhood bought brand-new 1968 Chevelles. One was a Malibu SS coupe, while the other was a Chevelle four-door sedan.
My next door neighbor’s mom traded her beige 66 GTO hardtop in on a new 68 GTO hardtop. The 68 was that dark avocado green, black vinyl roof and interior. With a 4 speed. I actually liked the 66 better, which also had a 4 speed. Funny, she was never the type you would peg for a 4-speed gal, but always kind of overly proper. You never know.
One of my best friends lived across the street, and, in 1968, his family traded their gorgeous, baby blue 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix for a brand-new 1968 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport fastback. It had bucket seats, and a four-speed, floor-mounted shifter.
Meanwhile, my grandmother’s “gentleman friend” had a stipped 1968 Bel Air sedan with a column-mounted manual transmission, dog-dish hubcaps and no radio. I therefore equated “manual transmission” with “cheap,” and couldn’t figure out why our neighbor hadn’t ordered an automatic transmission for his sharp new Chevy!
“I like the 66 Catalina or Ventura 2 door hardtop pulling the 25 or so foot travel trailer…”
Cool ’66 full size Pontiac [cant tell trim level] towing a camper trailer on other side of highway. Family cars could tow just about anything back then, before CAFE and SUV/pickup craze.
Oh, and 1968 was peak sales year for GTO’s, 100K or so.
I maybe wrong, but I think it was in ’68 models the mid sized GM cars lost the vent windows.
Just on the 2 doors, I believe.
True story – my childhood friend’s dad was one of the Upjohn chemists who developed Endura. His claim to fame.
Interesting part – at the end of WWII he was whisked to America (he was a Nazi chemist). My dad, who was there for the occupation and Nuremberg trials, used to kick back for hours with him and discuss the war…..
I love most GM cars but I never really cared for the chrome beaks on the Pontiacs.
They are still beautiful cars but to me it is too much.
A guy in my subdivision is an auto writer, and seems to always have several interesting cars in the drive, and most have Illinois MFR plates. Why Illinois, I don’t know?! We’re in Ohio.
With dual exhaust, that is a 350 HO car. I know because I have one. Very rare cars
Thanks for posting these pics! I have this exact car that my Mom and Dad bought new in 1968 and recently handed down to me. All original, 75k miles and still drives like new. My daughter and I enjoy it a lot, someday it will be hers.
Great post and pics- thanks for posting them. 68-69 Le Man was always one of my favorite GM designs.