1963 Pontiac Le Mans (326 Cu In V8)

The Pontiac Le Mans model was offered by General Motors Pontiac division 1962 to 1981. It was replaced by the downsized Pontiac Bonneville for the 1982 model year, then Pontiac returned the name for the 1988 model year as a badge engineered Daewoo Le Mans that was sold briefly until 1993. Most GM fans like myself prefer to forget that last installment ever happened...some are probably still recieving therapy to this day. Woof . ( I file THAT one under "...ahhhhhh..No. " )

Introduced on GM's new Y Body platform, the Tempest Le Mans was essentially a trim package featuring sportier and more luxurious trimmings than the Tempest, including different badging and bucket seats. That year the name was used only on a two door pillared coupe. In 1962, Le Mans continued on this path, adding a convertible to the offerings and an inline 4 cylinder 4bbl carb engine. Four body styles (coupe, sedan, convertible and station wagon)were available as Tempests, but there was no four door sedan or station wagon Le Mans. There was also no pillarless hardtop version of either Pontiac.

In 1963, the Le Mans name was still used only on coupes and convertibles, but the name was officially made its own model. This would last for just one year. It's these 1963 cars of both nameplates that had the high-performance 326 cu in V8 option and specially modified Super Stock Drag versions of them ( 6 LeMans coupes and  6 Tempest wagons with Super Duty 421" engines with a semi automatic four speed transaxle became the cars of racing legend.)

I covered the Super Stock lightweight Drag Version in a previous AJ Car of The Day installment a few months ago...you can check it out in the archives.

The high-compression 326's output was 260 hp , but the actual displacement was 336 cu in. Why ? Rumor has it that since no GM division compact was allowed to have a motor larger than Chevrolet Corvette's 327, the advertised number was 326.  Performance was strong enough that magazine's stated that no one will wonder why they didn't use the 389 V8,  and fuel economy with the 326 ranged up to 19 mpg. The Le Mans V8 option proved to be very popular, as 52% of the 131,490 Tempests and Le Mans sold in 1963 were ordered with the 326. The 326 sold in the 1963 cars is a one year-only motor because in 1964,  the displacement was adjusted so that it was actually 326 cu. in.

It would be VERY cool to have a 326 / 336 V8 Pontiac Le Mans today. Good looking car too...love it!