Pontiac Banshee
Encyclopedia
The Pontiac Banshee is a line of concept cars designed by General Motors. Four of these "dream cars" were fabricated as design exercises beginning in 1964. They were intended to establish exterior and interior design themes that would be modified for production versions of Pontiac sports cars.
unveiled their newest concept car, which they dubbed the Banshee. During its development it was called the XP-833 project. This car was a small two-seater with a long, sweeping hood and a short rear deck. Several different versions were constructed, but only two drivable prototypes were ever built. One was a silver hard-top with a straight six engine and the other is a white convertible with a V-8
. Both survive today and are in the hands of private collectors. The silver hardtop version of the Banshee can be seen in the classic car section of Napoli Indoor Auto, In Milford, CT.
The name Banshee was originally used on a sports car for racing in 1960 designed by Eugene F. Lally
a space pioneer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
of the California Institute of Technology
. He designed the body style and all the components except for using Corvette engines. He raced it in the California Sports Car circuit. After building three cars and satisfied with its performance he continued with his conceptual planetary spacecraft design work. Several years later General Motors asked for the rights to use his name Banshee on a new production automobile but would not pay Lally the fifty cents per car he asked. General Motors then brought out that new model and named it Firebird
not Banshee
.
The styling on these cars is highly reminiscent of what appeared on third-generation Corvettes in 1968. Another styling cue that made production was the design of the tail lights, which are nearly identical to that found on first-generation Pontiac Firebird
s.
Indeed, the high performance and sensuous styling of the Banshee may have led to its demise. Head of Pontiac John DeLorean called this car the "Mustang Fighter" and rumor has it he fully intended to bring it to production. However, his bosses at GM felt that it would be a threat to the Chevrolet Corvette
in that it would steal sales from the Corvette and also that (if DeLorean had his way) it could out-perform the Corvette as well.
This did not sit well with GM execs who had marketed the Corvette as their top performer; even today, recent models such as the Camaro and Firebird - even though using the same engine as Corvette - have those engines de-tuned slightly so they will not have as high a horsepower rating as a Corvette. The Banshee would have had equivalent horsepower, yet weighed 500 lb (227 kg) less than the Corvette and so would have been a potent package. It was able to reach 60 mi/h in second gear. GM executives instructed DeLorean to cease further development in 1966.
The 1968 Pontiac Banshee II had aerodynamic fiberglass skins over stock Firebird inner panels and a near stock black interior.
In 1969, the Banshee II was modified with white paint and graphics, including a chicken decal on the nose. It was then re-christened the Firebird Fiero.
It had flush wheel covers, a deep louvered hood, cut down glass, brake cooling vents, minimal ground clearance, and separate headrests for passenger and driver. It was powered by a 400 C.I.D. V8 engine.
The 1974 Pontiac Banshee III was developed from a Pontiac Firebird platform with a long sloping front end and more aerodynamic rear styling. The front was a smooth blend of bumper sheet metal and covered headlamps for improved aerodynamics. The soft face bumper system consisted of body color urethane over an energy absorbing foam base, and the quartz halogen rectangular headlamps had a three-beam system, low, freeway and high.
Side glass was fixed and flush to sheet metal for improved aerodynamics and reduced wind noise, and an electrically operated access panel or toll window, was provided in the fixed side glass design.
The interior had red leather upholstery. The rear seat folded for additional luggage space and the seat harness system was anchored in the structural seat. A 455 CID Super Duty V8 Pontiac engine powered it.
The metallic maroon Banshee III made its public debut in 1974. It had four slit style taillights, but these became twenty “high-tech, round-hole” taillights when it was updated in 1976.
body was painted bright red, while its triangular hood was matte black. A 230 horsepower
fuel-injected, single overhead cam V8 engine powered the rear wheels. A heads-up display
system (HUD) projected information about speed, engine RPM, and fuel level on the windshield in the driver's field of vision. The dashboard featured video displays and numerous buttons; the steering wheel alone contained about twenty. The dual rear wings were also adjustable.
Like its predecessors, it was intended to establish exterior and interior design themes that would be modified for production versions of the Pontiac Firebird and Pontiac Trans Am sports cars. The Banshee IV successfully influenced the overall appearance for the fourth generation of the Firebird, the Trans Am, as well as extending to the fourth generation of the Chevrolet Camaro. It was 201" long.
Banshee I
In 1964 PontiacPontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
unveiled their newest concept car, which they dubbed the Banshee. During its development it was called the XP-833 project. This car was a small two-seater with a long, sweeping hood and a short rear deck. Several different versions were constructed, but only two drivable prototypes were ever built. One was a silver hard-top with a straight six engine and the other is a white convertible with a V-8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
. Both survive today and are in the hands of private collectors. The silver hardtop version of the Banshee can be seen in the classic car section of Napoli Indoor Auto, In Milford, CT.
The name Banshee was originally used on a sports car for racing in 1960 designed by Eugene F. Lally
Eugene F. Lally
Eugene F. Lally is an American space scientist, spacecraft and mission conceptual designer and photographer, and was born in South Boston, Massachusetts in 1934. He was educated as an electrical engineer at Northeastern University...
a space pioneer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
of the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. He designed the body style and all the components except for using Corvette engines. He raced it in the California Sports Car circuit. After building three cars and satisfied with its performance he continued with his conceptual planetary spacecraft design work. Several years later General Motors asked for the rights to use his name Banshee on a new production automobile but would not pay Lally the fifty cents per car he asked. General Motors then brought out that new model and named it Firebird
Firebird
-Music:* The Firebird, ballet for which Igor Stravinsky composed the music* Firebird , late 1990s/2000s blues-based power trio* The Firebirds, a rock and roll band from Bristol...
not Banshee
Banshee
The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
.
The styling on these cars is highly reminiscent of what appeared on third-generation Corvettes in 1968. Another styling cue that made production was the design of the tail lights, which are nearly identical to that found on first-generation Pontiac Firebird
Pontiac Firebird
The Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as the automaker's platform-sharing model, the Chevrolet Camaro...
s.
Indeed, the high performance and sensuous styling of the Banshee may have led to its demise. Head of Pontiac John DeLorean called this car the "Mustang Fighter" and rumor has it he fully intended to bring it to production. However, his bosses at GM felt that it would be a threat to the Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
in that it would steal sales from the Corvette and also that (if DeLorean had his way) it could out-perform the Corvette as well.
This did not sit well with GM execs who had marketed the Corvette as their top performer; even today, recent models such as the Camaro and Firebird - even though using the same engine as Corvette - have those engines de-tuned slightly so they will not have as high a horsepower rating as a Corvette. The Banshee would have had equivalent horsepower, yet weighed 500 lb (227 kg) less than the Corvette and so would have been a potent package. It was able to reach 60 mi/h in second gear. GM executives instructed DeLorean to cease further development in 1966.
Banshee II
Made in 1968, the Banshee II was the second in the Banshee series.The 1968 Pontiac Banshee II had aerodynamic fiberglass skins over stock Firebird inner panels and a near stock black interior.
In 1969, the Banshee II was modified with white paint and graphics, including a chicken decal on the nose. It was then re-christened the Firebird Fiero.
It had flush wheel covers, a deep louvered hood, cut down glass, brake cooling vents, minimal ground clearance, and separate headrests for passenger and driver. It was powered by a 400 C.I.D. V8 engine.
Banshee III
Made in 1974, the Banshee III was the third in the Banshee series. The front end bears some similarities to the later Trans-Ams.The 1974 Pontiac Banshee III was developed from a Pontiac Firebird platform with a long sloping front end and more aerodynamic rear styling. The front was a smooth blend of bumper sheet metal and covered headlamps for improved aerodynamics. The soft face bumper system consisted of body color urethane over an energy absorbing foam base, and the quartz halogen rectangular headlamps had a three-beam system, low, freeway and high.
Side glass was fixed and flush to sheet metal for improved aerodynamics and reduced wind noise, and an electrically operated access panel or toll window, was provided in the fixed side glass design.
The interior had red leather upholstery. The rear seat folded for additional luggage space and the seat harness system was anchored in the structural seat. A 455 CID Super Duty V8 Pontiac engine powered it.
The metallic maroon Banshee III made its public debut in 1974. It had four slit style taillights, but these became twenty “high-tech, round-hole” taillights when it was updated in 1976.
Banshee IV
Known within GM as the "Banshee IV", this car was unveiled in 1988 the two-door, four-seat Banshee IV had a sleek and sensuous futuristic design. Its fiberglassFiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
body was painted bright red, while its triangular hood was matte black. A 230 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
fuel-injected, single overhead cam V8 engine powered the rear wheels. A heads-up display
Head-Up Display
A head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
system (HUD) projected information about speed, engine RPM, and fuel level on the windshield in the driver's field of vision. The dashboard featured video displays and numerous buttons; the steering wheel alone contained about twenty. The dual rear wings were also adjustable.
Like its predecessors, it was intended to establish exterior and interior design themes that would be modified for production versions of the Pontiac Firebird and Pontiac Trans Am sports cars. The Banshee IV successfully influenced the overall appearance for the fourth generation of the Firebird, the Trans Am, as well as extending to the fourth generation of the Chevrolet Camaro. It was 201" long.
The Banshee in the media
- The March 1989 issue of Motor TrendMotor TrendMotor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
magazine included a three-page article describing the Banshee. - A vehicle modeled after the Banshee appeared as the "Knight Industries 4000" in the Knight Rider 2000Knight Rider 2000Knight Rider 2000 is a 1991 sequel movie to the television series Knight Rider. It is included in the Region 1, Region 2 and Region 4 versions of the Knight Rider Season One box set/...
(1991) sequel TV movie, although a customized 1991 Dodge Stealth was actually used. - The name "Banshee" is used for a parody sports car in the video games Grand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,...
, Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
, Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
, Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsGrand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsGrand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a video game for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and iOS, developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with Rockstar North. It is the thirteenth game in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the very first for Nintendo DS and iOS.-Gameplay:Chinatown Wars has a...
. It is based on a Dodge ViperDodge ViperThe first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
and Chevrolet CorvetteChevrolet CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after... - A RevellRevellRevell is the brand name today of two manufacturers of scale plastic models. The original US company merged with another, Monogram, but now trades only under the Revell name. European Revell Germany separated from the US company in 2006.-Early history:...
brand 1:25 scale model was also made of the Banshee. - The 1988 Banshee IV can be seen in the 1989 movie "Back to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
" - Featured briefly in the movie Demolition Man (1993) as well as several other GM concept cars for the futuristic sci-fi movie.