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==First generation (1961–1963)== {{original research|date=January 2013}} {{Infobox automobile | name = First generation | image = '62 Tempest (6847766535).jpg | caption = 1962 Pontiac Tempest 2-door coupe | model_years = 1961–1963 | assembly = (main plant)<br />[[Pontiac, Michigan]] ([[Pontiac Assembly]])<br />(branch assembly)<br />[[Kansas City, Kansas]], United States, ([[Fairfax Assembly]])<br />[[South Gate, California]], United States, ([[South Gate Assembly]]) | class = [[Compact car|Compact]] | layout = [[FR layout]] | platform = [[GM Y platform|Y-body]] | body_style = 4-door [[station wagon]]<br/>4-door [[Sedan (car)|sedan]]<br/>2-door [[coupe]]<br/>2-door [[convertible]] | engine = [[Pontiac Trophy 4 engine|195 cu in (3.2 L) I4]]<br/> [[Buick V8 engine#215|215 cu in (3.5 L) Buick V8]]<br/> [[Pontiac V8 engine#326|326 cu in (5.3 L) V8]] | related = [[Oldsmobile F-85]]<br/>[[Buick Special#1961–1963|Buick Special]] | wheelbase = {{convert|112|in|mm|sigfig=4|abbr=on}} | length = {{convert|189.3|in|mm|sigfig=4|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Pontiac/1962_Pontiac/1962_Pontiac_Tempest_Brochure/1962%20Pontiac%20Tempest-15.html|title=1962 Pontiac Tempest brochure |website=oldcarbrochures.com}}</ref> | transmission = 2-speed [[Automatic transmission|automatic]]<br/>3-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]]<br/>4-speed manual | height = {{convert|53.5|in|mm|sigfig=4|abbr=on}} (sedan)<br /> {{convert|54.3|in|mm|sigfig=4|abbr=on}} (station wagon)<ref name="oldcarbrochures.org">{{cite web|url= http://oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Pontiac/1961-Pontiac/1961-Pontiac-Tempest-bw-Brochure/1961Pontiac-Tempest-bw-14-15 |title=1961Pontiac Tempest bw-14-15|website=oldcarbrochures.org|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150204173307/http://oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Pontiac/1961-Pontiac/1961-Pontiac-Tempest-bw-Brochure/1961Pontiac-Tempest-bw-14-15|archive-date=2015-02-04}}</ref> | width = {{convert|72.2|in|mm|sigfig=4|abbr=on}}<ref name="oldcarbrochures.org"/> | weight = {{convert|2810|-|3070|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} }} {{see also|Pontiac LeMans}} The Tempest was the result of a decision by the Pontiac division to enter the compact car market following the success of the Chevrolet Corvair.<ref name="Levin-36">''Grand Delusions'' by Hillel Levin p. 36 {{ISBN|0-670-26685-X}}</ref> The division wanted to produce a clone of the Corvair, but instead GM gave Pontiac the lead to develop a new car in an interdivisional program coded named "X-100."<ref name="Levin-36"/><ref name="howDeLorean">{{cite web|url= https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1961-1963-pontiac-tempest.htm#pt1 |title=1961-1963 Pontiac Tempest: DeLorean and the Pontiac Tempest |date=12 October 2007 |website=How Stuff Works |access-date=8 April 2022}}</ref> [[John Z. DeLorean]], Pontiac's chief engineer and general manager, went to work on a car that would meld components GM already produced.<ref name="Levin-36"/> His objective was for the new model to be more than just an ordinary compact car.<ref name="howDeLorean"/> The Tempest was ''[[Motor Trend]]'' magazine's 1961 [[Car of the Year]]. ''[[Road & Track]]'' praised the Tempest as "exceptionally roomy" and "one of the very best utility cars since the [[Ford Model A (1927-1931)|Ford Model A]]." In hindsight, DeLorean admitted that the Tempest was "less than successful," adding, "there was no mechanical problem, but the car rattled so loudly that it sounded like it was carrying half-a-trunkful of rolling rocks."<ref name="Levin-36"/><ref name=Gunnell>{{cite book | editor-last = Gunnell | editor-first = John | title = The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 | publisher = Krause Publications | year = 1995 | isbn = 0-87341-204-4}}</ref> [[File:Pontiac 2119 Tempest 1961.jpg|left|thumb|1961 Pontiac Tempest sedan]] [[File:1962 Pontiac Tempest Custom Safari (33934454973).jpg|left|thumb|1962 Pontiac Tempest Custom wagon]] It shared sheet metal with the Oldsmobile F-85, the first-generation Tempest had several features that differentiated it from the other compact GM cars. The engine was a 195 cubic inch (3.2 L) [[straight-4]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Pontiac/1962_Pontiac/1962_Pontiac_Tempest_Brochure/1962%20Pontiac%20Tempest-15.html |title=1962 Pontiac Tempest brochure |website=Oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=2012-05-31}}</ref> marketed as the "[[Pontiac Trophy 4 engine|Trophy 4]]," derived from the right cylinder bank of [[Pontiac V8 engine#389|Pontiac's 389 cubic inch "Trophy 8" V8 engine]].<ref name=hemmings>[https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hmn/2010/08/1961--63-Pontiac-Trophy-4/3632031.html 1961-'63 Pontiac Trophy 4, ''Hemmings Motor News'' August, 2010]</ref> The Tempest featured a drivetrain with a rear-mounted [[transaxle]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Pontiac/1962_Pontiac/1962_Pontiac_Tempest_Brochure/1962%20Pontiac%20Tempest-13.html |title=1962 Pontiac Tempest rochure |website=Oldcarbrochures.com |access-date=2012-05-31}}</ref> that was coupled to a torque shaft arcing in a {{convert|3|in|mm|abbr=on}} downward bow within a curved, longitudinal tunnel. Use of the torque shaft was the result of being forced to use the Corvair floorpan which, being a rear engine platform, had no drive shaft.<ref name="Levin-36"/> To combine flexibility with strength in the proper proportion, the shaft was forged of SAE 8660 steel (high nickel, chrome and [[molybdenum]] alloying percentages) for torsion bar specifications. For automatic cars, the shaft was {{convert|0.65|in|mm|abbr=on}} in diameter and {{convert|87.25|in|m|abbr=on}} long, while the manual-box shaft was {{convert|0.75|in|mm|abbr=on}} by {{convert|82|in|m|abbr=on}}. This joined the forward engine and the rear transaxle (therefore no transmission hump) into a single unit, helping to reduce vibration.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news| title=Auto Ego, 1961 Pontiac Tempest, When Half a V-8 Is Enough|work=The New York Times|date= April 9, 2010|first=Richard S.|last=Chang|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/automobiles/collectibles/11EGO.html?ref=global-home}}</ref> The design, known as "rope drive," had been seen previously only on General Motors' 1951 [[Le Sabre concept car]].<ref name=Flory>{{cite book|last=Flory|first=J. Kelly|title=American Cars 1946-1959: Every Model Year by Year| year=2008|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-3229-5|page=1021}}</ref> The combination of a rear-mounted transaxle and front-mounted engine very nearly gave the car an ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. This, along with a four-wheel independent suspension, helped make the Tempest a nimble-handling car for the era. The front engine/rear transaxle design also eliminated the driveshaft/transmission tunnel in the front of the passenger compartment, while lowering the driveshaft tunnel in the rear compared with a conventional front engine/front transmission layout.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNsDAAAAMBAJ|title=Popular Mechanics|work=google.com|date=January 1961|publisher=Hearst Magazines}}</ref> The Trophy 4 four-cylinder engine was promoted for its economy, but Pontiac also saved money on its assembly: Because it was based on the right cylinder bank of the Pontiac 389 V8 engine, both engines could be built on the same assembly line. There were three versions of the Trophy 4: An economy version with a relatively low 8.6:1 compression ratio and a single-barrel [[carburetor]]; a hotter version with a 10.25:1 compression ratio and a single-barrel carburetor; and the most powerful Trophy 4 engine, which had a 10.25:1 compression ratio and a four-barrel carburetor. While both Trophy 4 engines (low and high compression) equipped with single-barrel carburetors produced {{convert|110|-|140|hp|kW PS|0|abbr=on}}, the high-compression, four-barrel Trophy 4 engine produced {{convert|166|hp|kW PS|0|abbr=on}} at 4,800 [[Revolutions per minute|RPM]] and {{convert|215|lb·ft|N.m|abbr=on}} of [[torque]] at 2,800 RPM (all ratings are SAE Gross). The three Trophy 4 engine versions offered fuel economy ratings ranging from 18 to 22 MPG. ''Popular Mechanics'' reported fuel economy of 21.3 MPG at 60 MPH.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e98DAAAAMBAJ|title=Popular Mechanics|work=google.com|date=June 1961|publisher=Hearst Magazines}}</ref> The Trophy 4 engine was generally reliable, but could be harsh when it was out of tune, due to its inherent lack of secondary balance and absence of balancer shafts. The Tempest was offered with quite a few options such as air conditioning, transistor radios, windshield washers, a parking brake warning light, padded safety dash, child-proof door locks, and dealer-installed seat belts, as such restraints were not yet Federally required at the Tempest's introduction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Pontiac/1961-Pontiac/1961-Pontiac-Tempest-Accessories-Booklet/1961-Pontiac-Tempest-Accessories-04-05-06-07|title=1961 Pontiac Tempest Accessories-04-05-06-07|work=oldcarbrochures.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204172607/http://oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Pontiac/1961-Pontiac/1961-Pontiac-Tempest-Accessories-Booklet/1961-Pontiac-Tempest-Accessories-04-05-06-07|archive-date=2015-02-04}}</ref> [[File:1962PontiacSlantFour.jpg|thumb|left|{{convert|194.5|cuin|L|1|abbr=on}} [[Pontiac Trophy 4 engine|Trophy 4]] engine in a 1962 Pontiac Tempest LeMans]] Another departure from the other Y-body cars was the Tempest's {{convert|9|in|cm|abbr=on}} brake drum, which used five studs on the same bolt circle ("five-on-four-and-a-half") and {{convert|15|in|cm|abbr=on}} wheels - a configuration unique among General Motors cars. Both Buick and Oldsmobile had standardized their Y-body cars on an odd {{convert|9.5|in|cm|abbr=on}} brake drum with four lug studs on a {{convert|4.5|in|cm|abbr=on}}-diameter circle (a "four-on-four-and-a-half" bolt pattern), with {{convert|14|in|cm|abbr=on}} wheels. This arrangement was also not used by other General Motors cars at the time. Along with the Trophy 4 engine line another optional engine for the Tempest in 1961 and 1962 was the innovative aluminum [[Buick V8 engine#215|Buick-built 215 cubic inch (3.5 L) V8]].<ref>Flory, p.1021.</ref> It is estimated that just 3,662 Tempests were ordered with the 215 engine, or about 1% of production. This engine produced, in its various incarnations, from {{convert|155|-|215|hp|kW PS|abbr=on}} despite weighing just {{convert|330|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} installed. The engine blocks used for 215-V8 engines installed in Tempest models were distinct from 215-V8 engine blocks used in other models because, in addition to Buick factory markings, they were also hand-stamped at the Pontiac plant with the [[Vehicle Identification Number]]s of the individual vehicles that they were installed in. Thus, in 1961, all Pontiac 215 engine blocks begin with "161P"; for 1962 the stamping began with "162P". Further code numbers indicated the car's transmission (manual or automatic). In 1961, the transmission choices were a three-speed column-shifted manual with a non-synchronized first gear, or a two-speed automatic [[transaxle]] controlled by a small lever to the right of the ignition switch on the instrument panel. Called TempesTorque in company literature but unmarked on the unit itself until 1963, it was similar in concept to the Chevrolet [[Powerglide]] automatic transmission used on the [[Chevrolet Corvair]], although few parts overlapped. For 1962, a floor-mounted, fully synchronized four-speed manual transmission became available. At its introduction, the Tempest was available only as a four-door pillared sedan and as a station wagon that, like other Pontiac station wagons of the time, had the name Safari added to it. A pair of two-door coupes (one of which was named [[Pontiac LeMans|LeMans]]) were added at the end of 1961, both in the 1961 body style. [[File:'62 Pontiac Tempest Convertible (Destination Décarie '12).JPG|thumb|1962 Pontiac Tempest convertible]] For the 1962 model year there were four Tempest models available: a sedan, a coupe, a station wagon, and a convertible. Customers wanting something fancier could opt for the LeMans [[trim package]] upgrade, which featured front bucket seats. Tempest LeMans models were available with either the coupe or the convertible; there was no LeMans sedan or station wagon. And although Oldsmobile and Buick offered pillarless [[hardtop]]s on the Cutlass and Skylark respectively, Pontiac did not offer a pillarless hardtop LeMans model. In 1963, the LeMans became a separate series; its sales were nearly 50 percent of combined Tempest and Le Mans production. 1963 models, referred to as senior compacts, were slightly larger and heavier than the 1961 and 1962 models had been. These new models featured a redesigned transaxle that improved handling, as well as a high-performance option that was much more powerful than the rarely-ordered 215-V8. This new V8 option for 1963 was Pontiac's [[Pontiac V8 engine#326|326 cubic inch (5.3 L) V8]], an engine with the same external dimensions as the venerable Trophy 8 389, but different internal components designed to produce more torque relative to displacement. A new version of the automatic transmission (now officially stamped TempesTorque on the case) was redesigned to handle the new V8's additional torque. The four-speed manual transmission had not been redesigned, and very few V8-equipped Tempest models were built with this transmission. The three-speed manual transmission remained available for all engines. The high-compression 326 V8 engine's output was {{convert|260|hp|kW PS|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|352|lb·ft|N.m|abbr=on}} of torque (SAE Gross). The actual displacement was 336 cubic inches, but according to lore, since General Motors management edict declared that no GM compact was allowed to have an engine that was larger than the [[Chevrolet Corvette]] 327 V8, the advertised displacement for the Tempest V8 was 326 cubic inches. However, for 1964, the engine's displacement was adjusted so that it actually was 326 cubic inches, making the 1963 "326 V8" a single-year engine. The cast-iron V8 engine increased the Tempest's weight by {{convert|260|lb|kg|abbr=on}} over the weight of a Tempest equipped with a Trophy 4 engine; front/rear weight distribution changed somewhat to 54/46. Performance with a 326-powered Tempest was strong enough that ''Car Life'' magazine wrote "No one will wonder why they didn't use the 389." Fuel economy with the 326 could be as high as 19 mpg. The V8 option proved popular: 52 percent of the 131,490 Tempests and LeMans models sold in the 1963 model year were ordered with it. ===Super Duty=== Perhaps the most famous of all Tempests were the twelve 1963 "Super Duty" cars built to compete in the [[NHRA]] Factory Experimental class.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2008/05/01/hmn_feature9.html |title=Hemmings Motor News: Master Wagon |publisher=Hemmings.com |date=2008-05-01 |access-date=2010-10-19}}</ref> These were assembled at the Pontiac plant in Michigan over Christmas 1962 with the knowledge of an impending General Motors ban on factory racing. Among those who successfully raced them was [[Wild Bill Shrewsberry]], who turned low 12-second quarter-mile runs in the 1963 [[NHRA]] Winter Nationals driving for [[Mickey Thompson]]. Shrewsberry still owns his car, and it is still equipped with Pontiac's "Powershift" transaxle as retrofitted later in the 1963 season. Developed specifically for the Super Duty model, this was essentially two Chevrolet [[Powerglide]] automatics in a single four-speed unit, allowing clutchless shifting in much the same manner as modern drag racing transmissions do. On October 31, 2008, one of the rarest factory race cars, the missing [[Stan Antlocer]] Super Duty Tempest Le Mans Coupe, was auctioned on eBay. The seller started the auction at $500 being unaware of the car's true value. Eventually, the car was sold for $226,521.<ref>{{cite web|last= Tutor|first=Chris|url=http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/10/ebay-find-of-the-day-1963-lemans-tempest-sells-for-226-521|title=eBay Find of the Day: 1963 Le Mans Tempest sells for $226,521|publisher= Autoblog.com|date=2008-11-10|access-date=2010-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportscarmarket.com/Profiles/2009/March/American/|title=Report on the "barn find" 1963 Super Duty which also chronicles Wild Bill Shrewsberry's accomplishments at|publisher=Sportscarmarket.com|date= 2009-02-28|access-date=2010-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/1963-pontiac-super-duty-lemans-coupe|title=1963 Pontiac Super Duty LeMans Coupe|date=March 2009 |publisher=Sportscarmarket.com|access-date=2019-03-21}}</ref>
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