The Family Pontiac

I was reading a story in the newspaper today about a family that had their 1969 Pontiac Beaumont stolen.  Father and son had bought and lovingly restored it.

I once had a conversation with my father about Pontiacs.  There was a Pontiac commercial in the sixties that he claimed was one of the most successful in that decade.   When it aired, Pontiacs flew off the car lots, selling like hotcakes.  He thought the woman appearing in it had been put under contract never to appear in another TV commercial again.

I vaguely remember the commercial, even though I was a child.  I think there was some sort of crescendo of orchestral music, a Pontiac drove into view and pulled to a stop.  The camera moved in as a leggy, beautiful young woman opened the door and stepped out.  Her hair may have been blown by a fan.  She smiled, looked into the camera, pointed at the camera and said “Yooouvvve got a PONTIAC!”

That was it.   I told this story to R. later and said, “I didn’t think about it at the time, but my father had a Pontiac.”

“So did mine.” he said.