The Pontiac Tempest is an automobile that was produced by Pontiac from 1960 to 1970, and again from 1987 to 1991.
The Tempest was introduced as an entry-level compact in October 1960 at the Paris Auto Show for the 1961 model year.
An innovative design, it shared the new unibody Y platform, GM’s first, with the Buick Special/Skylark and Oldsmobile F-85/Cutlass, and featured the “Trophy-4” four-cylinder engine with a flexible drive shaft to a two-speed rear-mounted transaxle automatic transmission.
The line offered the optional LeMans trim upgrade, beginning with a few 1961 LeMans coupes and adding a performance aspect in 1962.
By 1964 the Tempest, Tempest Custom and Lemans are separate trim packages on the updated GM A-body platform, and the GTO was a performance option upgrade to the LeMans for 1964 and 1965.
The GTO was offered as a separate model line beginning in 1966.
In Canada, Pontiac also marketed a rebadged version of the compact L-body Chevrolet Corsica under the name Tempest from 1987 to 1991.
The name “tempest” is from Old French tempeste (French tempête), from Latin tempestas (“storm”), from tempus (“time, weather”).
