Pontiac Tempest Loaded With Auto Innovations

Topics:  Pontiac Tempest

Associated Press
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
16 September 1960

DETROIT, Sept. 15 (AP) — The Pontiac Tempest, loaded with more engineering innovations than any other 1961 model car, was displayed at a national press preview today.

The Tempest is Pontiac's smaller car—15 feet long, 6 feet wide and 4½ feet high—built on a 112-inch wheelbase, and in looks is a companion of the other General Motors smaller luxury cars, the Oldsmobile F-85 and Buick Special.

Four-Cylinder Engine

Under the skin, however, the Tempest is definitely different. First of all, it comes with a four-cylinder engine, slanted at a 45 degree angle. This appears to be the left side (looking from the front) of the regular Pontiac V-8 engine. This is the first four-cylinder engine to be used in an American car since the Willys disappeared in 1955.

The Tempest also will offer a 215 cubic inch, water-cooled V-8 made of aluminum. This is similar to the standard equipment of the smaller Olds and Buick.

The Tempest also uses a transax—a combination transmission and rear axle. This enabled the engineers to virtually eliminate the floorboard hump.

This flat floorpan is helped by the use of a flexible propeller shaft instead of the conventional tubular steel prop-shaft joining the engine and the transmission.

Standard Cars Shorter

The four-cylinder engine with a single throat carburetor and an 8.6-to-1 compression ratio will develop 130 horsepower. Using a 10.25-to-1 compression ratio and a four barrel carburetor the four jumps to 155 horsepower, the same as the V-8.

Semon E. Knudsen, Pontiac general manager, said his standard line of cars in 1961 will be four inches shorter, 1½ inches narrower and will weigh 250 pounds less than comparable 1960 models.

Like other General Motors models Pontiac will use a straight roof line, first popularized on Continentals and Thunderbirds.

The Tempest, unlike the other new smaller cars, will use 15-inch wheels. Most compacts use 13-inch wheels.

Mr. Knudsen followed the official General Motors predictions of 1961 industry sales, possibly as high as seven million units including 450,000 to 500,000 imports.

In styling, both the standard Pontiac and the Tempest return to the divided front grille which identified 1959 Pontiacs.