Pontiac, maker of muscle cars, ends after 84 years

By TOM KRISHER

DETROIT

The Pontiac name plate is is going out of business.

The General Motors brand was known for muscle cars drag-raced down boulevards, parked at drive-ins and roared across movie screens.

The 84-year-old brand has been moribund since GM decided to kill it last year as it collapsed into bankruptcy and was in decline for years before that.

It was undone by a combination of poor corporate strategy and changing driver tastes.

GM's agreements with Pontiac dealers expire Sunday.

Pontiac's sales peaked at about 1 million in 1968, when the brand's speedier models were prized for their powerful engines and scowling grills.