The recession claimed another victim this week as GM announced the shutdown of the storied Pontiac brand. Pontiac represented both the best and the worst of car design at GM over the years, evolving from a staid image in the 1950s to the so-called “excitement” brand by the early 1980s. Along the way it boosted the careers of automotive luminaries like John DeLorean who rose to stardom within GM by adding much-needed flavor to the brand with nameplates like GTO, Tempest, Firebird and LeMans. Here are some of the best designs to come out of a brand that will be missed not just by the many people who worked in it’s factories, dealerships and offices but by enthusiasts of American design:

1954 Pontiac Bonneville Concept

1956 Pontiac Club De Mer

1961 Pontiac Ventura

1964 Pontiac Banshee Prototype

1964 Pontiac GTO

1966 Pontiac GTO

1968 Pontiac GTO

1969 Pontiac Grand Prix

1977 Pontiac Trans Am

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

1984 Pontiac Fiero

2006 Pontiac Solstice