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The mid-size model line of Pontiac was called Tempest. It was one of the
prettiest 1960s mid-size designs and had an youthful and modern appeal in the U.S.A. In
Europe it was impossible to market the car as such because it would compare as large and
expensive to competing European cars. So in advertising style and luxury were stressed and
a older segment of buyers were addressed, as you can see in the Mediterranean picture
above (note the obsolete Citroën Traction Avant as a contrast in the background; if it
had been the contemporary DS model instead this picture would have made a totally
different statement...).
Mid-size according to American standards meant very large in Europe. A contemporary
European large and luxurious car like the Mercedes 300 SEL for instance measured 490 x 181
x 144 cm. (length x width x height) where the same measurements for the Tempest 4-door
versions (all hardtops) were 524 x 189 x 137 cm. Considering that the Mercedes was one of
the largest (and costliest) European cars within the segment the Tempest was competing in
you probably can imagine that it was hard to sell it as an entry-level offer.
The car in the picture above is the Le Mans hardtop sedan. The Le Mans range was a more
luxurious edition of the Tempest range. At 13,897 units produced the Le Mans hardtop sedan
wasn't the most successful version, but it was one of the more popular models in Europe
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