Who had the orange display 1st Pontiac or BMW?

Neither. It was the Stanley steamer, 1908 model with the striped top. They sold the rights to GM, but BMW stole it.

I like how the '92-99 bonnies have the orange dot type light on the door panel so you can see the window and lock-unlock buttons on the driver and passenger side

Disclaimer: The above quote was a JOKE. But on the serious side, read this quote:

Steam cars could out-accelerate gasoline-powered cars. In 1906, on the beach at Daytona, a specially equipped Stanley was clocked at an incredible 127 miles per hour. Top speed in a steamer seemed to be limited only by the bravery -- or foolhardiness -- of the driver.
In 1908, the Stanley brothers produced and sold (for about $2,500) a Gentleman'* 30-horsepower Speedy Roadster capable of 60 miles per hour that could run more than 50 miles on a single tank of water. Since these almost 13-foot-long models were the sporty/racing cars of 1908, most were driven into the ground.

To clarify, the Stanley Steamer did NOT have orange colored dash lights. They were the originator of indiglo.

My experience with modern Pontiacs only goes back to 89. Had a Grand
Am with a Quad4....actually the second Quad4 I'd owned (my GA was the
same color as your B). As far as who started it, BMW or Pontiac, I don't
think it was either....I seem to recall one of the 1960'* Cadillacs played
around with orange instead of the old blue/green backlighting. Don't
remember the exact year, but my F-4 squadron in the Marines had one for
the Squadron drunk patrol car...painted just like our Phantoms. It'* possible
somebody converted it, but I don't think so. That car was had it all. Power
windows, power locks, and auto-mechanical seek on the AM radio. Pretty
cool for a car with tall fins. We spent as much time keeping that thing on the
road as we did keeping our old Phantoms in the air! I need to find a pic of
that car and post it...found the year....62.

Ok, imagine this:



Painted like this:

http://www.aero-web.org/database/air...ge.htm?id=2448

It was a head-turner! Better than any ricer could turn heads, that'* for damn sure!

The '88-present GP'* had this feature also, but the SE sport style Grand Prix I think in '89 had the buttons like that too with the big compass on the floor and the buttons on the middle console for the seats as well.. Do anybody disagree with me on this?

Cool. I missed our Grand Prix though. I called the G-Force a retro car because of the rear seating. It looks like the89 GP SE with the two seats in the back, and thhe compass which now the G-Force has a navigation system in-dash and replace of the rear armrest/console the G-Force has the radio station in there like the GP300 I forget the name of the Grand Prix Demo car from 1998 or 99. Oh GPX.
www.grandprix.net/limited/gpx_article.html

Right, right!

Now I remember my friend'* 88 or 89 Grand Prix. It had a digital dashboard, the 16-point compass that we have now was down near the gear shifter console. It had the 16-way seats. I also remember it had an HUD. I think it was the first Pontiac with an HUD. The engine was like a 3.1 liter with a turbo - Not so reliable.

I'd still take the bonny SSEi... Much classier.

I agree to. The Bonneville has more space anyway. The GP your talking about is the 90 or 91 Turbo with the HUD. The SE didn't carry it until I think 93 or 94.