As your resident CC B-Body Pontiac fan, I wanted to share this intriguing 1975 Bonneville I ran across on Houston Craigslist. The 1971-76 B-Body Pontiacs are quite rare these days (though I managed to snag pictures of a ’72 just blocks away from the office, click here for its CC), but there is something even more special about this one.
And I don’t just mean this survivor’s incredibly sharp white paint, red pinstriping and amazing red-and-white interior. Yes, this car is quite cherry. The discrepancy on this one, however, is a Landau roof style I have never seen before.
Of course, there were a variety of full- and half-vinyl roofs available on the 1975 Catalina, Bonneville and Grand Ville Brougham, but the ones I recall had a more Colonnade-like style, as shown here in the 1975 catalog. If you look at the top picture, you can see that our subject’s landau top has a much smaller quarter window, and the roofline itself appears more squared-off.
The 1975 Grand Ville Brougham and subsequent 1976 Bonneville and Bonneville Brougham used the C-body two- and four-door rooflines, but once again, it does not match our featured Bonnie.
Here I thought I knew everything there was to know about Seventies full-size Ponchos, but this roof has me stumped, folks. I wish the posting had a side- or rear quarter view so I could see more of the top. Could it just be the C-body 2-door roof with a smaller window? And it looks to have a script too. What does it say? Brougham? Landau? Is this a seldom-seen factory option, introduced after the ’75s debuted? Or is it a dealer-installed special?
It actually reminds me of the 1974-76 Coupe de Ville roofline, as seen here on my friend KV Dahl’s Crystal Blue Firemist Coupe. It appears to have the same nearly square opera window. Maybe it was an aftermarket option, like the LTDs you used to see with Mark IV spare tire humps and oval opera windows?
Maybe one of you CCers knows more. If so, I’d love to hear about it. And if you’re so inclined, you could investigate yourself if you have $5500 and live near Houston. One thing is for certain: This is one sharp Pontiac!
All pictures with the white Bonneville are from the Craigslist listing.
I’m going out on a limb here….
From looking at the last picture of the craigslist ad, shot from the right facing the left side of the interior, I’m guessing this to be aftermarket. There is still a partially seen outline of the rear window that, while incomplete, appears to be of a shape similar to what is in the ads. So, I’m thinking aftermarket with the interior left untouched.
Sound reasonable?
One sweet Pontiac, regardless of how it got its roof.
I agree that this is the usual 1975-76 Bonneville coupe roof with an aftermarket treatment, perhaps one that was performed after the original deteriorated (rather than when the car was new).
Ahhh, no wonder!
I always thought the 75-77 Bonnies looked more luxurious than they should…thank you Tom for pointing out that they used the C’s roofline. Mystery solved.
They really did look a lot like the DeVille, considering they were brothers to the Caprice. It’s the rooflines and the quad rectangular headlamp setup. Taillights also look sharp, but more in a deuce-and-a-quarter way.
PS: maybe the one pictured is the special Bonneville Brougham Landau Regency RTS Limited Rallye Sport Biarritz?
I actually spit my coffee up all over my monitor on that one!
Thanks for the laugh.
You forgot d’Elegance.
wrong brand, but I was always fond of the Marquis DeSade
Grand Maquis de Sade!
+1000! 😀
“Limited” .”Park Avenue”, or “Ultra”?
I believe it is a dealer Installed roof. My College Roommate’s Dad was sales manager for an Olds Dealer in Dallas around that time and I remember them getting few cars with the factory roof and body moldings. They would do it at the Dealer and make a better profit that way. I bet that is the case with this one.
I vote dealer also…looks like it was probably the same aftermarket “mold” that the Caddy would have used judging by the shape of that rear quarter glass.
Still looks much more appropriate than the late model Lexus ES350 I saw the other day with a maroon convertible look roof on a white car. Also saw a 2011+ Buick regal with a vinyl roof the other day.
I do wonder what a 2010 Camaro, Mustang or Challenger would look like with a plaine black vinyl top..I bet that wouldn’t be half bad if done right.
I agree that it’s probably dealer-installed. You could be expected to think it might be factory, though — GM did some pretty strange roofs back then. I’m 99% sure this odd (and not very attractive IMO) Landau roof treatment was an option on 1974 Electras.
Yes, that Electra roof treatment for 1974 was available from the factory. But I’m not so sure that the pictured Bonneville roof was dealer-installed. That would suggest that a dealer received such a car with no roof treatment at all, but it’s possible that no ’75 or ’76 Bonnevilles left the factory with a plain painted roof; I’ve never seen one myself, even when they were new, whereas I have seen the equivalent Impala Custom and Caprice coupes with fixed quarter window and no roof treatment. [There were two optional Bonneville and ’75 Grand Ville vinyl roof treatments from the factory – full and half (landau) roof coverings – but I’m not sure whether both were available both years.]
Whats odd is that they offered this in 1974, when the 2 door Electra still would have had a retracting side window, so they had to loose the power quarter windows to glue this glop top on.
I’d say a dealer installed roof treatment. My 78 Eldo has the rear quarter windows divided vertically in half. It also has narrow stainless trim across the half roof with a tasteful A on each side. “A” for Allman Cadillac in Pittsburgh, where it was purchased new, by the guy I bought the car from.
On another note, today I saw a late model Nissan coupe, with either a real or fake convertible roof. It looks like the doors are frameless, as well as the quarter windows. The thing that I find odd, is that there is a smaller window above the back window. Wierd. Any ideas?
That is the Murano convertible. Did someone actually buy one?
That is one sweet Poncho. If I didn’t already have a full plate with a clutch replacement on my 53 Hornet, I’d jump on this car. I always have doubts about cars that seem too good to be true, and I know if this was in Hershey, I cannot imagine a price of less than five figures. Anyone in DFW who can verify the existence of this seller? Or am I too jaded from all the wonderful “investment” opportunities I’ve had from those generous Nigerian businessmen?
On a dark and stormy night, tinted windows, and the script modified just to say “evil” at every location that it should say Bonneville. That would be a wicked ride.
Ohh I’m def feeling that one! Sounds very Steven King like…Wicked ride is right.
Very nice find! The Pontiac really stands out in white and that interior makes it even more desirable!
Another vote for a dealer job. I had forgotten how awful I thought those molded plastic door panels were when they came out.
These cars were so rare in my rural part of the world. I remember seeing more Coupe Devilles than the 75 and 76 Bonnevilles. I do not ever remember seeing a 75 or 76 Bonneville Coupe. One friends grandmother had a pillarless dark green Bonneville sedan with green interior and black top. It was very handsome.
FYI: for 1975 and ’76, all Catalina four-doors were pillared sedans and all Bonneville four-doors were hardtops. (Through 1974 a Bonneville four-door sedan and a Catalina four-door hardtop were also offered.)
It’s funny thinking back on it – when it was time for four-door hardtops to disappear from the market, they did so. No one missed them, especially once they’d driven the new-for-1977 GM full-size line. The 1978 New Yorker was the last of them, wasn’t it?
I distinctly remember being shocked at GRAND Ville in fall 70/71 Models release White With Red/Red With White common…
I liked Them, but They looked cheap, Plastic-y… Funny this person passed on Grand Ville and instead LOADED a Bonneville.
by 75 they did look like a sportier caddy derivative, but pirely pontiac
I love the 1975-76 Bonnevilles. If ever I find one on the street, expect an extensive write-up 🙂
I have acess to one of these almost for the taking, I belongs to another car hoarder I know, maybe now that his 62 Cadillac resto project is getting under way I might have to take it off his hands, its a 1976 like this one. In bavarian cream, but a Brougham with der cornering lamps too!
If you do Carmine (or even if you don’t) I’d love to see some pictures of it. The 1975-76s are even more scarce around here than the 1977-79 Bonnevilles, though I do see ’75 GVB convertibles every now and then.
Grand Ville convertibles seem to be the only ones that have survived, probably because of the whole “no more convertibles-oh no!” mania of the late 70’s.
Wow, what a beautiful car! (Of course you know I would say that)
If I could have seen more pics of the car I could probably better tell if that roof came from the the factory. It looks really well done though.
I remember as a kid back in the Eighties seeing a few Ninety Eights and Electras of this vintage with very similar roof treatments. Some looked really good, some not so much…
Okay, I just clicked on the craigslist post and found the other pics, it is indeed a tastefully done aftermarket affair.
That car brings back some memories.. my grandparents had a grand prix in those colours with that roof and all the last time I rode in it was probably 84. We were heading into my great grandparents place and after my brother and I piled in the back my grand mother stepped into the back and the heel of her shoe went through the floor. We carried on in spite of this and had a good evening. The weekend after that I was suprised by a brand new eurosport celebrity wagon.
Another odd thng about this car…it appears to have power windows but no power locks.
I think the original rotted, and when it came time to replace it, the only kit available was the one used for the C-body.
That is aftermarket for sure. In the mid 70’s, there were all kinds of crazy dealer installed “Opera Window” tops.
And even back then, i didnt like the Bonneville name demoted to mid level for 71-75. Was glad the Grand Ville name was dropped in ’76 for Bonneville Brougham.
I just found this and had to reply. Those roofs were not after market. I had one exactly like the blue one in the above pictures with the white “half” roof but the interior was white. I loved that car, power everything and I got it from the dealer new like that. 455 engine with quadra jets. Oh how I wish I had that car today.
this is the real shape of the window
My first car was a 1975 & it had that same top (Red with white interior & top). Was bought from the original owner. I haven’t seen any others like it until now. Loved that car!