Video by Concept and prototype cars

The 1989 Pontiac Stinger concept car continued a tradition of auto-show excitement at Pontiac. Year after year in the late 1980s, Pontiac’s display models were a big hit with critics and show goers alike. In 1987, for example, the performance-oriented Pontiac Pursuit concept car was a hot four-seat coupe. Then came the 1988 Banshee, which hinted at the 1993-2000 generation of Firebirds. What to do for an encore in 1989? Turn to something completely different, of course; something like the rapidly emerging sport-utility vehicle marketplace. And do it in a way that suggests the great outdoors, fun and frolic in the sun. Send a message to young people that Pontiac has their interests and lifestyles in mind. The result was the 1989 Pontiac Stinger concept car, and you didn’t need a second look to realize that it’s a youth-oriented sportster, guaranteed to capture the attention mainly of lively singles. Pontiac’s general manager, J. Michael Losh, described it as “spirited, great-looking transportation for the under-35 car buyer or the young person in all of us.“