Want To Own The Coolest Pontiac Ever, The 1964 Banshee Concept?

Have you ever wanted to own a one-off concept car? Well, here’s your chance.

There’s something about a concept car that wakes up the kid in us. Maybe it’s the styling, maybe it’s the rarity, or maybe it’s the feeling that it doesn’t confine to any rules. The concept car represents the rebel in all of us, making the average Joe realize that the sky’s the limit.

Unfortunately, the majority of automotive studies are built for display purposes only and that means they don’t work. Heck, in some cases, you can’t even take a peep at the interior because they don’t have one. Sure, nowadays things have changed a little, and many of them are completely functional and, sometimes, homologated for street use – or so we’re told.

It’s rather hard to come across a fully functional road legal concept car, that’s why this 1964 Pontiac Banshee XP-833 Concept Car is a real gem.

It was created from the need of General Motors to compete with cars such as the new Ford Mustang. Its design was inspired by the Corvair Monza GT show car, but it looks like the forefather of the Corvette C3. It even resembles an Opel GT, don’t you think? Its long hood and short rear deck make for a sleek visual presence, giving the car an elegant and aggressive classic look.

According to the seller, Pontiac actually built four editions of the Banshee, each with its own individual specific upgrades and styling. Unfortunately, only this original number one show car was saved from the crusher and it’s in the same condition as when it was created.

Under the hood lies a very unusual engine for a 60’s American concept car – an overhead cam Pontiac straight-6 engine. The Pontiac OHC-6 engine was almost the same as the 3.8-litre Chevrolet straight-6, but had the block and the head casting unique, built specifically for its requirements. This power-plant was considered an excellent competition engine and produced 207 bhp in its highest performance spec.

The estimated sale price for the car is around $600,000, in case you were wondering. It will go under the hammer at the 2015 Greenwich Car Event Weekend Auction on May 30.

By Bogdan Zoltan