1961 Pontiac Tempest Monte Carlo Concept
Written by Bill Bowman
The Monte Carlo was a 1961 Pontiac Tempest show car with a racing motif. Bill Mitchell created the two-passenger Monte Carlo as a Corvair Sebring Spyder show companion on the 1961 show circuit.
It featured a shortened Tempest platform and a supercharged four-cylinder engine. Rear deck headrest pods enhanced its competition look along with racing stripes and racing mirrors. A cut-down windshield wrapped around the passenger cockpit, the hood was louvered and featured built in head restraints.
The Tempest Monte Carlo was finished in pearlescent white with twin blue racing stripes. For the 1961 show season the roadster rode on a set of Halibrand knock-off racing wheels with Firestone tires. For the 1962 show season, the wheels were replaced with a set of wires with Goodyear tires.
After the Monte Carlo’s tour schedule was completed, it was presented to Ed Cole, GM Vice President, who had several modifications preformed. The car was used by the Cole family until Ed Cole’s tragic death in a 1977 airplane crash. His widow donated the car to the San Antonio Museum of Transportation and it eventually was auctioned to a private collector.
Tag Cloud
 |
English |