Tempest Original online shopping search

Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/eBay seller rlabagto

1963 brought plenty of changes to the short-lived first Pontiac Tempest contraption.

On the one hand, the Le Mans was upgraded to a separate series, and this decision significantly impacted Tempest's annual sales. On the other hand, Pontiac tried to make the Tempest a bit more intriguing for people seeking a thrilling driving experience.

To do this, the GM brand introduced a second V8 option in addition to the 215 (3.5-liter) borrowed from Buick. The new engine was a 326 (5.3-liter) rated at 260 horsepower, therefore being positioned at the opposite pole from the lazy yet economic Trophy 4 entry-level configuration.

Pontiac offered multiple variations of the four-cylinder unit, including a four-barrel generating 166 horsepower. The base version produced only 110 horsepower.

The Tempest I recently discovered on eBay is a low-mile surprise fitted with the Trophy 4 engine, though its current condition is unclear. While it's pretty clear the four-cylinder unit is the original one that came with the car, seller rlabagto did not reveal if it's still running or not.

However, it's probably worth emphasizing that the car was last on the road in 1978, so a car that's been sitting…

Photo: Nobody's Show/YouTube

The nameplate was introduced for the 1961 model year as the company's entry into the then-emerging compact car market. Another Tempest, a rebadged version of the compact Chevrolet Corsica, was sold from 1987 to 1991 in Canada. This Tempest was also sold in Israel and the Middle East.

Today, I'm here to talk about the early 1960s compact version. Many Detroit-based companies had joined the compact market in 1959 and 1960, and Pontiac jumped on the bandwagon with the Y platform, which GM made available for the 1961 model year. These new underpinnings were shared with the Buick Special and Oldsmobile F-85.

However, unlike its corporate counterparts, which hit showrooms with V6 and V8 engines, the Tempest received a four-cylinder as standard. Unique to the Pontiac, the mill was derived from the right cylinder bank of the 389-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) "Trophy 8" V8 engine. Displacing 195 cubic inches (3.2 liters), the "Trophy 4" generated 110 to 166 horsepower…