There's a shortlist of days in history that we can look back and say were the saddest in automotive history. The permanent end of companies like SAAB and Oldsmobile no doubt caused petrolheads to well up with tears. But in terms of pure, unadulterated sadness, the end of Pontiac had us all crying rivers.

It almost feels like yesterday when we heard the news that in order for General Motors to receive federal bailout money, it would have to be under the condition that Pontiac be among several internal GM brands axed. The company that gave us the Trans-Am, the GTO, the Firebird, the G8, and even the Fiero went away with more of a whimper than a bang. And that's got us fantasy auto execs sitting at home for the last decade or so planning our own dream scenario for Pontiacs unlikely but no less welcome revival.

But what would such a relaunch look like? Well, of course, there's no way to know for sure, but here's what we think would happen in the scenario (Heavin willing it could actually happen) would be likely to play out.

Today, let's take a deep dive through Pontiacs history to see what a future brand revival might look like and why we think it should happen.

Since this is basically an exercise in Monday morning quarterbacking as an auto executive, the rules for this are minimal. Just to use ques from Pontiac's past to help us figure out what a relaunch may look like.

Badge Engineering Is Killing GM

2021 Escalade Missed Opportunity
Chevy/GMC

General Motors has been using badge engineering to pad out their production numbers for almost 100 years. What started out as a method to make lots of different cars off one platform has evolved into the laziest and poorly thought out procedure possible. Nowadays, there's a sense that GM cars are so similar, there's almost no difference at all between choosing a GMC Yukon or a Chevy Tahoe. They're both equally drab and uninteresting.

1964-Pontiac-Grand-Prix
via mecum

This is where in the past, Pontiac would save the day. Even in the '60s, Pontiac served as a stop-gap in between reliable economy brands like Chevrolet (although their reliability has come into question before) and more upscale ones like Buick and Cadillac. Pontiac was the hip and trendy car brand of the muscle car era, and we think it'd serve very well today as an alternative brand to ones we've all gotten sick and tired of.

Looking To The Past

Via: thedetroitbureau.com

Pontiac's had the fortune of having some of the smartest executives ever to don a suit and tie. It's often said that iconic automotive crackerjack Bob Lutz always wanted Pontiac to be a brand that didn't just compete with other GM brands or even just other American cars. Lutz envisioned Pontiac being a world challenger. This makes sense when you remember that in between stints at GM, he actually worked for BMW.

via Cartype

Other visionaries that graced Pontiac's board rooms with their presence include John Delorean, creator of the GTO and of course, the Delorean. As well as Hulki Aldikacti, designer of the Pontiac Fiero. The only attempt at a mass-produced American mid-engined sports car for almost half a century. What we learn here is that Pontiac works best when the bureaucrats are told to stay out of way and let the engineers work their magic.

Picking A Lineup

A red 2021 Chevrolet Spark parked
GM Authority

It's safe to say GM is at its best when both their high and low-end vehicles are able to have mass appeal. Look at Chevrolet for example, it's wonderful that the Camaro ZL1 can lap the Nurburgring faster than an M3 and the C8 Vette is legitimately as quick as Ferraris. But that all doesn't mean much if the company who makes them can't sell enough econoboxes to stay in business.

via grimmchevy.com

Therefore, we think the bottom of this new Pontiac range would be supported on the back of some form of hot hatchback before moving up to bigger and more expensive models. Perhaps the Chevy Spark or Sonic platform could be re-worked to make a Pontiac product that's as fun to drive as a Golf GTI. Or better yet, let them design a whole new platform. Because like we said, badge engineering doesn't work anymore.  Let's name this hypothetical little hot hatch the new Pontiac Tempest.

Related: Pristine 1979 Pontiac Trans Am With Low Miles Drops By Jay Leno’s Garage

Stick It To Lexus and BMW

2006 Pontiac GTO parked on the road
Via youtube.com

Bob Lutz's second stint with GM saw him try to make Pontiac an international brand. That's why cars like the G8 and revived GTO were aimed squarely at juggernauts like the BMW M5 and the Lexus IS F. It may have failed to compete, but don't blame it all on the car.

It was obvious even at the time that these cars were rebadged Holdens freshly imported from Australia. So it's no wonder Americans didn't really buy them. We believe that with a fresh all-American design and with the addition of GM's latest LT V8 technology, this new Pontiac brand may have what it takes to send import brands a message.

Net Car Show

Potential for revivals of greats like the Trans Am (and not just a ripoff this time), the Bonneville, and of course the GTO is through the roof in this scenario. Expect them to fight the good fight against very tough German and Japanese competition.

Related: Looking Back At The Pontiac Trans Am WS6

The Halo Car

We'll make one exception with badge engineering in this case. Because the C8 Corvette is everything the old Pontiac Fiero should have been but never was. It wouldn't be the first time GM's tried to make a Corvette lookalike for another GM brand. The Cadillac XLR Northstar immediately springs to mind.

C8 Corvette engine
via GM Authority

With an impeccably designed mid-engined layout already at beckons call, this hypothetical re-launched Pontiac would be foolish not to take it, fiddle around with the engine, slap a Pontiac badge on the front and rear, and call it the new Fiero. You could even make it an EV sports car if you really wanted to go crazy.

A Fun Thought Experiment

Sadly, there's absolutely no sign that Pontiac may someday return as of 2021, but this was still a fun experiment to figure out what such a revival may look like. How would you all bring Pontiac? Let us know on our Facebook page!

Sources: GM Authority

Next: This Is What Makes The 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am A Classic