Car Spot: Pontiac Solstice

It was only with us for 5 short years

I can’t think of a car guy who has been more instrumental in bringing so much performance to the market than Bob Lutz. The ex-Marine, while at Ford of Europe, led the creation of the Ford Escort III and Ford Sierra, at Chrysler, the Viper, and at General Motors, this week’s spot, the Pontiac Solstice.

Lutz was the cheerleader for the idea of an affordable, pure roadster for the North American market. Initially, GM wasn’t for it, but eventually, thanks to some smooth talking, it gained corporate approval for the car to be built on the new “Kappa” rear-wheel-drive platform.

RELATED Spot: I actually thought the Saturn Sky was cooler looking.

Always up for putting on a big show or a reveal, as the GM product guy, Lutz drove the Pontiac Solstice concept car onto the stage at the 2002 North American Auto Show in Detroit, generating significant buzz. People wanted it badly, and the concept show cars were green-lit for production. In an almost unheard-of timeline in just two and a half years, the first Solstice roadsters began rolling into showrooms for the 2006 model year. GM underestimated the response. The initial estimate was for 7,000 cars, but they had orders for 13,000, 7,000 in the first 10 days. To keep development costs down, it usedthe GM Kappa platform, which also underpinned the Saturn Sky, Opel GT, and Daewoo G2X. It was the brand’s first two-seater since the Pontiac Fiero was discontinued in 1988. Base models listed at around 20 grand, Lutz’s target number.

Like most Lutz-created cars, the automotive press loved the Solstice, considered a “dream roadster,” and was praised for its near 50-50 weight balance and handling. Reviewers highlighted its fun-to-drive nature, excellent handling, crisp steering, and strong braking performance. To add even more fun to the platform, the GXP model was launched, with a 260-horsepower turbocharged engine, quite a step up from the standard 177-horsepower engine. Of course, that wasn’t cheap. To get your hands on that much fun, you’d have to dole out $29,485 and be prepared to pay up to $33,000. In an effort to keep it fresh, a targa coupe version of the Solstice was introduced in 2009. The roof could be removed, but the hard roof couldn’t be fitted into the trunk. These are quite rare, with only 1,266 produced.

Ok, now for the not-so-fun stuff, the stuff GM is known for, cutting corners. Both the Solstice and its stablemate, Saturn Sky, were part of a larger airbag sensor recall across GM, which could impact crash safety. They also have a reputation for low-reliability water pumps and low-quality materials being used for some parts of the powertrain. Its trunk space was too small, especially when the top was dropped, but what did they expect? It’s a convertible, not an SUV.

But of course, all this fun had to come to an end. In 2008 out economy took a dump, and GM decided to can both Pontiac and Saturn by 2010 to stay in compliance with its bailout by the US Government. There was talk about the Solstice continuing to be manufactured by another GM line, but that never happened when the Wilmington, Delaware, plant where the cars were made was shut down and sold it never came to be. The high mark in sales came in 2006 when 19,710 were sold, but it went downhill after that, dropping to 16,782 the next year, then 10,739, and 5,642. Overall, there were 67 thousand units produced, so not sure where the other ones ended up. It was one of the last Pontiac cars.

It became an instantly collectible modern classic alongside its siblings, the Saturn Sky and Opel GT. As far as the Pontiac goes, they are very affordable. According to Hagerty, one in #3 Good condition can be had for anywhere from $8-14 grand. The rarest, 2010 Pontiac Solstice GXP, with the 4-cylinder, 122cid/260hp DI Turbo, is a bit more at $26,100, but get this, one in #1 Concours condition, $68,900. Sure, there are a couple of manufacturers still making drop tops like the Miata and Mustang, but try to find one in the lower Solstice prices.

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my latest spot. Come back next Sunday for another one of my finds, along with some of its history. Have a great weekend.