Canadian car thieves have an affinity for the ugly, or so it would seem based on recently released data.

Do you remember the Pontiac Aztek? It’s OK if you don’t, we smacked our heads against a brick wall over its design too. But its ugly looks haven’t stopped it from making number eight on the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s top 10 stolen cars list of 2011.

Specifically, it’s the 2001 four-wheel drive model, not that there’s a difference between the dumbly-designed SUV that ceased to exist, much like it’s manufacturer.

Just to recap, we’re talking about an SUV with a 3.4-liter V6 making 185 horsepower. It weighs 3,779 lbs and gets a miserable 16/23 mpg city/highway, oh and has a face a mother couldn’t even love.

Why anyone would bother stealing this scrap heap is beyond us, especially considering the fact that there are plenty of perfectly easy-to-steal Cadillac Escalades out there that fetch a much better resale value.

That’s the one good thing we can say for the Aztek, if it get’s stolen you’re only out a couple grand. Heck, those thieves probably did you a favor by towing it free of charge.

Daniel O’Grady runs a website called Japanese Castle Explorer, where he documents and shares his experiences while exploring all of Japan’s historical castles. O’Grady is an Australian who also clearly has a passion for classic American muscle, for when he came across this lot of rusted vintage American muscle cars, he couldn’t help but share his pain with the world.

This cemetery of American awesomeness is located in Kurume City on Kyushu Island and the collection of cars seems to be unrelated to last year’s tragic earthquake and tsunami. No, these classics were left to rot long before.

O’Grady goes through each vehicle highlighting them one by one, with several Chevy Corvettes, classic Camaros, Ford Mustangs and even a Pontiac Trans Am. It’s a shame that such history has been left to just rot and become rusted. Our assumption would be that some members of the American military had them shipped over there and perhaps they were abandoned once their deployment ended. It’s even more strange though that they’ve just been sitting there untouched for who knows how many years.

Check out the video below.

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Hey, hey, it’s the Monkees’ 1966 Pontiac GTO. Ok, so it’s not the actual car the wacky band used to drive on their TV show, but this pristine replica will still draw a crowd wherever you drive it.

A detailed replica of the famous TV car (which was named the Monkeemobile), this 1966 GTO is street legal and is powered by a Pontiac 400cid motor. Even though it’s not the real deal, this car has picked up several awards and has been signed by the Monkees. Sporting a bright red exterior, a Monkees gold guitar logo decal and a tan interior, this GTO looks so authentic, it will make you a believer.

Interested in buying it? You’re in luck – the 1966 Pontiac GTO is up for auction through Barrett-Jackson. The auction takes place during the Scottsdale, AZ event on January 15 to 22. You can find out more about the car and the auction on Barrett-Jackson’s website.

Having just 158-miles on the odometer, this 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge hasn’t a single flaw and with an asking price of just $49,900, we can’t even complain about its price.

The numbers-matching GTO Judge was restored to better than showroom condition and was expertly detailed with a Judge stripe package – which can be removed if the buyer wants a pure OEM look. The 1970 GTO has an original WS 400 powerplant that has been rebuilt to Ram Air III specifications. That means it now packs 365-hp and 455 lb-ft of torque out of its fully-tuned V8. It has even turned the quarter mile in a respectable 14.60-seconds at 99.55-mph – though we feel like it has a bit more in it than that.

The restoration process was as thorough as it could get, with the car’s body having been stripped down to bare metal and made as smooth as possible. It was then blasted with a coat of Pontiac Orbit Orange, clear coated, buffed and shined to near flawless condition. Judge graphics are located throughout the classic, while the interior has also been completely redone with black vinyl.

Check out a video of the GTO Judge after the break.

GALLERY: 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge

[Source: RK Motors]

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In a follow-up to the world’s cleanest retro Camaro we’ve ever seen, up for sale is the world’s cleanest Pontiac Trans Am. This 1978 Trans Am is a Gold Special Edition model, restored from the frame up and has only 11,237 miles on it. Asking price? A rather steep $45,900 – but as you can tell, a lot of work has gone into this restoration.

In 2009, the vehicle was sold to its second owner, who commissioned Tom Fischer of Muscle Car Alley to do a complete frame-off rotisserie restoration. Paired with its straight, original body, the only new parts added at that time was a new tail panel and new quarter panel. Once the bodywork was completed, the vehicle was sprayed GM’s Solar Gold making it as beautiful as ever.

Under the hood of the Gold Special Edition Trans Am is the original 400-cubic inch V8, upgraded with a mild cam swap helping it make 300-hp. As expected, everything under the hood is immaculate and pristine, including the GM satin black paint found in the bay. The interior matches the rest of the package, with a uniquely retro blend of Camel Tan upholstery with Special Edition Trans Am gold trim.

Each corner features a restored 15-inch Special Edition wheel finished in an exclusive gold snowflake. A huge collection of documents will come with the vehicle’s sale including the car’s original build sheet, an original order acknowledgement sheet, a two page original window sticker, original purchase invoice, original owner’s manual and warranty book, maintenance records, ownership history, restoration photos and a stack of restoration receipts.

GALLERY: 1978 Pontiac Trans Am Gold Special Edition

[Source: RK Motors]

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Originally proposed as a competitor to Ford‘s Mustang, the XP-833 project got two working prototypes, one a V8 convertible while the other was a coupe with a straight-six powerplant. The project was squashed in 1966, as GM’s brand-conscious boardroom wasn’t interested in producing the Banshee and both prototypes were ordered to be destroyed.

But of course they weren’t destroyed, and one one them was ultimately sold directly by GM to a private individual, who in 2006 was consigned by Barrett-Jackson. At that 35th anniversary Barrett-Jackson auction, Len Napoli, a longtime Pontiac collector, purchased this 1964 Banshee Prototype for $210,600. Now he’s looking to make some profits off his investment, having the prototype listed up on eBay for a buy it now price of $750,000.

This isn’t the first time Napoli has tried to sell the Banshee prototype, having been on eBay for $1.3 million back in December of 2007 and then a $1.5 million price tag on eBay in March of 2008. With no success on eBay, Napoli attempted to to have it sold at an RM Auctions event and despite receiving a pre-auction estimate of $400,000-$600,000, the highest bid was just $325,000.

We’re not really sure if Napoli is going to have luck this time around asking $750,000 for the prototype, but he remains optimistic saying that he just has to find “the right person who wants a museum piece”.

Check out a video of this unique, one-of-a-kind Pontiac after the break.

GALLERY: 1964 Pontiac Banshee Prototype

[Source: eBay via The New York Times]

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One of only 5,700 1980 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo Pace cars is up for sale, in mint condition and clearly a nice collectible. It sports only 11,285-miles on the odometer with an asking price of $29,900 – which is a killer deal for any classic car collector. The Turbo Pace Car was built to commemorate the first time one car paced both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500 in the same year.

Under the hood is a turbocharged 301 V8 with 236-hp and 345 lb-ft of torque, and like the rest of the car has been untouched. Maintenance was done on the vehicle from 1980 all the way to 2011, with the only major restoration that was done recently was a fresh paint job of GM Cameo White. All body panels are original and straight, and the Oyster interior features optional doeskin vinyl with hobnail cloth inserts, all of which are in excellent condition.

Check out a video showcasing this beauty after the break.

GALLERY: 1980 Trans Am Turbo Pace Car

[Source: RK Motors Charlotte]

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Looking for a used car? See AutoGuide’s Used Car section here.

The Pontiac G8, the brand’s last hurrah before GM completely discontinued its operations, is now subject to recall due too concerns regarding the front passenger air bag module.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the air bags may suffer from a possible delay in airbag deployment at the moment of a collision, causing it to fail compliance with federal standards for head injury protection.

GM aims to reprogram the sensing and diagnostic controls of the airbag. To date, no injuries have been reported as a result to the delay and malfunction.

Paul Teutul’s Hurst Edition Trans Am is already up for sale with only 100-miles on the odometer with a ridiculous price tag of $125,000. Clearly there’s a price to pay for a vehicle that was once in the hands of a celebrity. The Kevin Morgan-designed Trans Am is a reworked 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS sporting a body transformation and new paint scheme, along with Hurst’s standard conversion modifications.

The extensive list of modifications include an Eibach spring kit and anti-roll kit, 20-inch Forged T6 6061 Hurst Deep Dish wheels on all four corners with Pirelli P-Zero rubber, RTM OE-style Shaker hood, functional air intake Shaker scoop, flanged drop fender extractors, RIM urethane front and rear bumpers, three-piece rear spoiler, new side skirts, Xenon HID quad headlights, new fog lights, front running lights, LED brake and taillights, LED custom turn signals and parking lights, a Hurst shifter, custom sill plates, and hurst decal package. Under the hood is a supercharger for the LS3 V8 while the interior is completely decked out with gold-and-black 1970s-themed interior.

Worth the price tag? We’ll leave that up to you.

[Source: eBay via Autoblog]

GALLERY: 2011 Hurst Edition Pontiac Trans Am – Paul Teutul Collection

A 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six often referred to as the Ghost Car is to be auctioned July 30 at the RM Auctions St John’s sale in Plymouth, Michigan. This unusual car’s exterior is made of Plexiglas body panels making it transparent. Plexiglas was a relatively new material in 1939, and supplier Rohm & Hass replicated each of the car’s body panels by hand.

Interior structural metal parts were copper washed and other parts including the dashboard  were chrome plated. Rubber moldings and tires were manufactured in white, adding to the cars ghostly appearance. The ghost car featured an 85-hp six cylinder engine coupled to a three-speed manual transmission, has four-wheel drum brakes and the odometer reads 86 miles. In 1939 the Pontiac Deluxe Six cost $25,000, which is $397,000 when adjusted for inflation. The pre- auction estimate is somewhere between $275,000 and $475,000.

GALLERY: 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Want a free ride? Raybestos has built one serious 1964 Pontiac GTO, sporting 700-hp and hitting 128-mph down the quarter mile on street legal tires. The one-of-a-kind barely street legal custom was fabricated to look amazing and haul ass. The result speaks for itself, and now Raybestos is handing over the keys to one lucky winner who enters the sweepstakes on their website from now until September 15th.

Also on the website are a ton of videos documenting and showcasing the brilliant minds behind the build. All of the progress of the ’64 GTO is complemented by commentary from build partners and performance parts suppliers. You’ll also get a chance to watch the barely street legal Goat get driven down the quarter mile by NHRA Top Fuel driver Clay Millican at Great Lakes Dragway in Wisconsin.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to www.raybestosgarage.com and enter today.

In his book, “Car guys versus Bean Counters,” the indomitable Bob Lutz talks about many things relating to General Motors. He talks about how the company is now on track, giving credit to former CEO Ed Whitacre and his replacement Dan Akerson.

He talks about how the company went from being obsessed with numbers and statistics, to building quality cars and trucks as its number one priority.

And he also talks about the passing of GM’s late, lamented brands, Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac. While Hummer is described as being the target of left-wing activists and politically viewed as the automotive anti-Christ, even though to quote Lutz himself “an H2 doesn’t burn any more fuel than a V12 Mercedes,” he says it was too bad that Saturn didn’t make it, because GM had given the division it’s best ever lineup, with offerings like the Aura sedan and Astra hatchback.

As for Pontiac, it’s this one that he laments the most. Not only did GM’s sporty division already boast a great lineup with cars like the G8 and the Solstice, but before the decision was taken to shutter the brand, Pontiac was also working on another sporty, rear drive offering, likely based off the Alpha platform.

Unfortunately, now we’ll never know what could have emerged from the Arrowhead division and that’s just too bad. As Lutz says, “Pontiac was virtually destroyed by the fact that we had a new head of Pontiac division about every eight months, and every head had a brand-new idea for its product direction.”

Perhaps a sign of what could have been, we’re reminded of an incredible looking Pontiac coupe design model (above) that we recently stumbled upon at GM’s North Hollywood Design Studio. How cool would that have been?

[Source: Ward's Auto World]