The Tragic Death of Pontiac and How GM Killed an American Icon

In 1964, Pontiac built the car that started the muscle car era, and for most of that decade it was the third best-selling brand in America. Chevrolet couldn't match its image. Ford was scared of its engines. Then on a Monday morning in April 2009, the company that created Pontiac announced it was shutting the brand down. Eighty-three years of history, ended in a single press release. And here's the part that still doesn't sit right. Pontiac wasn't killed by bad cars or empty showrooms. It was killed by the one company that was supposed to keep it alive.