Jim Wangers

Titles by the Author

Jim Wangers is that rare combination of automotive enthusiast and automobile executive who was in the industry at the right place and the right time. After stints at Kaiser-Frazer, Chevrolet and Chrysler, Wangers joined Pontiac's advertising agency in 1958, just as Pontiac's new and aggressive management was turning over the division's staid image in place of youthful performance. His intimate knowledge of what excited performance enthusiasts allowed Wangers to transmit their passion to the managers and engineers at Pontiac, who in turn developed products like the legendary GTO, Catalina 2+2, Firebird 400, and The Judge.

In the early 1970s Wangers left Pontiac and struck out on his own, opening a Chevrolet store in Milwaukee. He soon discovered retail was not for him, and he returned to Detroit to became a highly respected consultant for Chrysler, Ford and GM. He established Automotive Marketing Consultants, Inc. in 1981. Now living in California, Wangers travels thousands of miles every year to attend shows and races while constantly adding to his collection of Wide-Track Pontiacs.

"Who Killed Pontiac?" Click here to read Jim Wanger"s March 2009 article on the demise of Pontiac and his thoughts on what led up to it.