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What does "Bonneville" mean?
Just curious, what exactly does the word "Bonneville" mean?
Is it a French word? And "Pontiac", and "Grand AM"? I only know that "Grand Prix" means big racing car... |
bonneville salt flats
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Pontiac started out as a Star Cheif, way back in the day, then renamed Pontiac, I belive it is a native name
Bonneville...well...who really knows..I don't |
Pontiac was a native tribe if I remember correctly...
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Originally Posted by captainmiller
Pontiac was a native tribe if I remember correctly...
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Originally Posted by SSEimatt93
Originally Posted by captainmiller
Pontiac was a native tribe if I remember correctly...
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Bonneville means "Good city" in French. I live in a French settled area and have dozens of things named "Bonne" around here.
Even one is called Bonneville Bowling. |
Pontiac and Bonneville are both Indian names, which is where the Salt Flats got their name.
Matt, you're close, but the Star Chief was renamed Bonneville, and always was a Pontiac. The car may have been named for the Indian name or the Salt Flats. I'm not sure which. |
Pontiac was an Native American Chief, wasn't he? There might have been a Pontiac tribe, but I think more famously, it was the person.
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Wow.... I'm amazed at how little we know of our name sakes.....
Ok.... here's what I know... Bonneville is named after the Bonneville Salt Flats.... I believe the name "Bonneville" is French..... not Indian.... Pontiac was a Tribe of Indians.... but we probably take our name from Pontiac Michigan. The Oakland Motor Car Co., predecessor to Pontiac Motor, is founded by Edward M. Murphy on August 28, 1907 in Pontiac, Michigan. Bills right... the Star Chief turned into the Bonneville, and both were Pontiac's. Pontiac has been around since 1932.... GM bought Oakland in 1909, and carried the name Oakland until it was renamed Pontiac in 1932. Grand Am & Grand Prix are taken from famous car racing circuits. Much like Le Mans was..... everyone knows the Le Mans 24hr race..... Le Mans, Grand Prix & Grand Am were all car racing circuits AND names of Pontiac cars..... I'm guessing that they picked "Bonneville" as well because although it was not a circuit or a course... it was the fastest place to drive on earth. ;) UPDATE...... found this using Google.... In 1827, trapper, trader, explorer, and frontiersman Jedediah Smith was perhaps the first white man to cross the salt flats in 1827 while returning from his first expedition to California. Six years later, Joseph Reddeford Walker, another trapper, mapped and explored the areas around the Great Salt Lake and crossed the northern perimeter of the flats while in the employ of Captain Benjamin L. E. Bonneville. It is from Benjamin Bonneville that the salt flats and prehistoric lake derive their name, although it is unlikely that Bonneville himself ever saw the flats. |
Glad to learn all these. Thansk!
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Pontiac is 15 minutes from me ;)
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I'm gonna throw my "I think" into this, based on the fact that if you go to a classic car swap meet, you will find people wanting or buying "Chief Pontiac" hood ornaments...
Chief Pontiac Chief Pontiac (1720 - April 20, 1769) was a great leader of the Ottawa Indian tribe. He organized his and other tribes in the Great Lakes area to fight the British, in what is known as Pontiac's War (1763-1764). Chief and Leader of Many Tribes Pontiac became chief of the Ottawa Indians in 1755. He soon became the head of the Council of Three Tribes, an intertribal group consisting of the Ottawa, Potawatomi, and Ojibwa people. The French traders and the Indian tribes had coexisted well, trading furs for supplies like food, guns, ammunition, and tobacco. In 1760, the British had just defeated the French and taken over their forts. Sir Jeffrey Amherst, Major Robert Rogers and British/colonial troops occupied Fort Detroit, and the British took possession of other forts around the Great Lakes region. Some of the British, including Amherst, were contemptuous of the Indians, limiting trade and angering the tribes. Attacking the British In 1762, Pontiac enlisted all of the local tribes to drive out the British. The English called this action "Pontiac's Conspiracy." Pontiac's strategy was to have each of the 18 local Indian tribes attack the fort nearest to them in May 1763, and then to eliminate the British settlements. Pontiac planned to begin the rebellion by taking Fort Detroit. Attacking Detroit and the Other Forts Pontiac planned to conquer Fort Detroit (what is now Detroit, Michigan) on May 7, 1762, but his plan was betrayed, and the British found out about it. He therefore did not attack as planned. Pontiac did lay siege to Detroit, encircling the fort with warriors, blocking supplies and reinforcements. On July 31, Pontiac won the Battle of Bloody Run, but reinforcements eventually did come to Detroit, and Pontiac retreated. The tribes captured eight of the 12 forts that they attacked, and the settlements were left in ruins. Surrender By 1764 the French no longer supported the Indian efforts and actually sided with the British, and the British re-took many of the areas. Pontiac agreed to a peace treaty in July 1766 at Fort de Chartres, Illinois. He was murdered by a Peoria Indian three years later. To avenge Pontiac's death, the Ottawa Indians killed many Peoria Indians. |
Originally Posted by shortstuf212559
Pontiac is 15 minutes from me ;)
:lol: :lol: Only 30 from my house. |
middlebelt and square lake rd here.
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did the L.E. trim level come from Benjamin L.E. Bonneville as well?
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Originally Posted by Sol
Originally Posted by shortstuf212559
Pontiac is 15 minutes from me ;)
:lol: :lol: Only 30 from my house. Mine's in my driveway. . oh ........ thats not what you ment is it :lol: |
Originally Posted by ssesc93
did the L.E. trim level come from Benjamin L.E. Bonneville as well?
Benjamin S.S.E.I. Or even Benjamin C.B.N. |
Double post I don't know how to delete it.
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well you are sorta right... pontiac, michigan was named after the famous ottowa chief known as you guessed it pontiac
on august 28, 1907 the company know as oakland was founded by a man named: edward m. murphy of couse established in pontiac, michigan from 1908-1909 what we know as general motors is established it encompasses olds, buick, cadillac, rapid motor company of pontiac(predecessor of GMC truck), fisher body(you might have seen this on daddy's old car kick plate)and oakland in 1932 the name oakland is dropped and funny GM changes it to pontiac naming it after the ottowa chief or the town the plant resides in im not sure which it is or if it is both reasons by 1922 GM owns AC delco spar plug company ha get this Bankers turn down William Durant's (owner of GM) request for a loan to buy Ford Motor Co. for about $9.5 million. this also was listed under 1909 for dates |
http://www.gm.com/company/corp_info/...gmhis1920.html
this is a good reliable website to check... after all its straight from GM |
Nice bit O history guys & gals! I never knew about our "history."
On another note, I have a Frigidaire refrigerator in my warehouse built by GM! I though that was cool. 8) |
Propably the earliest Pontiac you can find is the first Oakland.
An original Oakland is on display at Oakland Community College -- Auburn Hills Campus, Mi. .... And by the way, Buick is known for using French names. I think I heard somewhere that it used to be a Canadian car maker. :? |
Bonneville-The ultimate large sedan, sporty, stylish, powerful, sleek, stealth, fast and fun... The best load up the family, bang for you buck, American car, hotdogs and fries large car! Oh and its a Pontiac! ;) Thats what it means to me! :lol:
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I always have to laugh at what the names really mean (not what they were named for but the actual French words). Bonneveille is "good city"...lol...wierd name for a car.
And my favorite...Grand Prix..."big price"! :lol: |
The Bonneville was named after the Salt Flats because it had the fastest land speed record for a bone stock automobile. I think the year was 1957 or so.
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Here I thought it meant "Buckle your seatbelts it's gonna be on helluva ride!" ;)
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