Lemans

This nameplate began in 1962 as a sporty trim level on Pontiac’s compact Tempest, helping give the early 1960s Pontiacs a more upscale and performance-oriented image. In 1964, the line moved into GM’s intermediate A-body family and became a full model range rather than just a trim package, evolving through several body styles over the years, including coupes, sedans, convertibles, and wagons. It became closely associated with Pontiac’s midsize performance and personal-luxury image during the 1960s and 1970s, and it also served as the platform for important factory-performance versions such as the early GTO. The original run ended in the early 1980s when GM reorganized its midsize lineup and phased the name out of U.S. production. The nameplate later returned for a separate production period in the late 1980s and early 1990s on a small front-wheel-drive compact built from a Daewoo-derived GM design. That revival was a much more economy-focused car than the original, but it kept the familiar badge alive for a new market. Because the name was used in two distinct eras separated by a production gap, the model is treated as having multiple production periods.