- Seller: John D
- Location: Sheridan, Arkansas
- Mileage: 131,575 Shown
- Chassis #: 2G2AH51W2H9230335
- Title Status: Clean
When it debuted, the Pontiac 6000 STE was a serious contender for anyone considering buying a sports sedan. The Special Touring Edition featured a high-output engine, a sport suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, and performance tires. You don’t see these sports sedans much anymore, making this pair a relatively rare find these days. That’s right, the seller is offering not one, but two 6000 STEs! The example above runs and drives well and needs little to lift its presentation to a higher level. The other car is best described as a parts car but would serve as an excellent source of spares to keep this classic on the road for many years. The owner offered this pair previously, but they want to see the pair go to a good home, so they have asked us to relist them. This time as a no-reserve Barn Finds Auctions!
Pontiac released the 6000 in 1981 for the 1982 model year, with the car remaining in showrooms until 1991. The company upped the ante in 1984, releasing the 6000 STE to recapture a slice of its performance roots. This STE rolled off the line in 1987, with its original owner ordering it in Code 19 Black. It retains its original paint, and while there is light deterioration on a couple of surfaces, it shines well enough to reflect its surroundings. The winning bidder could preserve the car in its current form, but refreshing the areas where the paint has begun to become patchy should be straightforward. The trim and glass show no signs of significant problems, and the alloy wheels should sparkle after some work with a high-quality polish.
Lifting this Pontiac’s hood reveals the fuel-injected 2.8-liter V6 that sends 135hp and 160 ft/lbs of torque to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. Power steering and anti-lock brakes were standard equipment, reducing driving effort and improving occupant safety. Pontiac targeted brands like BMW with the 6000 STE. While the strategy wasn’t as successful as hoped, the STE was a pleasure to drive and could cruise effortlessly at freeway speed while topping 25mpg. The news for potential buyers is positive, with this classic running and driving perfectly. The seller notes that the only mechanical need is a brake service. The brakes work and stop the car as they should, but the brake light is on. If it needs more than just a brake service, the seller believes the parts car would provide any needed parts.
This STE brings its share of creature comforts and is nicely equipped in a 1987 context. The buyer receives air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, cruise control, a digital dash cluster, a Driver’s Information Center, and a leather-wrapped tilt wheel. The stereo was considered state-of-the-art in 1987. It features an AM/FM radio/cassette player with touch controls, a graphic equalizer, and wheel-mounted controls so the driver can make changes without removing their hand from the wheel. That may not seem startling now, but it was big news in 1987. The interior is serviceable in its current form. There are splits on the driver’s seat, and the dash and pad sport a high-quality cover. The remaining upholstered surfaces are damage-free. The gauge cluster works as it should, and no significant functional issues have been reported. The interior isn’t perfect, but a set of slipcovers would make a substantial difference and would be an inexpensive solution to make this a tidy driver.
The 1986 STE parts car is finished in what appears to be Light Sapphire Blue. It is complete, although some parts have been removed, boxed, or left loose inside the vehicle. The panels are straight, there is no evidence of rust, and the plastic is in surprisingly good shape. There is also a collection of additional components and a factory Service Manual. Keeping the Pontiac on the road for years without spending money on replacement parts is an attractive idea, and it could be a reality courtesy of these inclusions.
These STEs weren’t the highest-performance sedan on the market, but they struck a nice balance of comfort, handling, and dependability. Making this example a pristine example again will take some work, but including a parts car will make the job much easier. And compared to an equivalent German sports sedan, this one will be affordable to run and keep going for years! So, will you be driving this Pontiac daily in the near future?
These cars were award winners when new. The best domestic sedans of that time. Perhaps a kind soul will save these 2.
These cross my mind now and then and of course the AWD that complimented the STE. Most people don’t recall that GM had to answer to Taurus/Sable that launched Ford into the “future” like nothing else at the time. Also a response to the Maxima which was nibbling at the middle luxury market. A good car that nobody else will be driving as long as the electrics and mechanicals are up to it.
My mom had the very plain LE version of this. 1987 model also. Dark blue on blue. Iron Duke. It was kind of a slug but it was pleasant enough. I remember being envious of the STE models! They seemed so sophisticated for the times.
I bought one for my Mom, it had a cracked harmonic balancer and needed tires, 300 bucks and it was mine. Cleaned it all up, waxed it, and everything worked. Perfect car for mom, Now this was an Olds, but it had about 80k. She loved it but the day came when she started hitting the house, and the time had come. Now I sold it for 1500.00. My Mom had a fit but it was time. About a week later I saw it, smashed to hell. I was so pissed at the owner, it really was a good car. No matter what I drove, I always took care it. It just pissed me off to see a nice car was ruined for no reason.
With all the litterature i read in the 80’s i never ever saw a 5 speed stick offered on the STE. And first year was 83
Back in the 1980s someone in our subdivision had an STE with the V6 and a 5 speed stick. Being a born Gearhead it was something that stood out and caught my attention. They definitely were available but rarely seen.
Buddy had a silver STE beautiful sedan it was. Required no key to start ..
I borrowed it, and i said hey i need the keys 🔑, he said nope just turn it lol.
Never saw a stick shift, ever in a 6000, Century, Cierra, or Celebrity model.
I saw plenty in captivity. Maybe one in the wild.
Wake me up when it’s a Barn Find G8.
I always thought Pontiac did a credible job with the STE being an upscale version of the 6000. I remember being blown away seeing all those buttons on the steering wheel. Little did we know how this concept would expand.
My parents bought an ’84 6000 STE in 1986. Theirs was white over silver with suede seats and a sunroof. The car was amazing. Pontiac had a knack for taking basic GM parts and building something really special, and the STE was an exceptional example of that skill. It was probably the first American car to truly nail the European ride and handling experience, and the growl from that tuned exhaust was intoxicating. Inside, it was clear it was assembled with care, and there were little details sprinkled around that showed Pontiac went the extra mile with this car. The trunk was fully finished, as was the trunk sill. The taillight bezels extended all the way to the weatherstip, leaving no painted metal visible.
My father was so proud of his STE, and it completely transformed my mother. Her previous car was a glacier blue Grand Prix, and any time she saw another glacier blue car, she’d say “Look! There’s a car just like mine!” even if it was something like an LTD sedan. After some time with the STE, not only could she tell a 6000 apart from its very similar corporate cousins, she could tell an STE from a regular 6000. She even understood the European image: upon seeing an STE with whitewall tires, she said, “that’s tacky.”
It’s a pity Pontiac is gone. They really did know how to turn a family sedan into a respectable driver’s car.
The digital dash is dope and pushes this into Radwood-worthy territory.
That is an awesome dash pad, custom fitted and everything. Is it hiding any cracks? If not, I’d call this car a winner.
These had the most distinctive exhaust note. General Motors put the 2.8 liter V6 in a lot of vehicles in the 1980s but nothing else sounded like a Pontiac 6000 STE accelerating away from you. It quickly got to the point where I didn’t even have to look to know that it was an STE going by. And all of those lights up front gave the vehicle a very distinctive and dashing appearance.
I owned a 1986 STE. Loved that car. Really miss it, but love my CT6 3.0TT Platinum even better.
Speaking of all those lights up front, I remember a car mag of the day (prolly Car & Driver) describing the original STE with its quad sealed-beams plus slightly-narrower inboard driving lamps as “The Tri-Light Zone”.
The facelift incorporating flush-mount composite headlights as seen here continued that overall look for the STE, tho’ IMO it left the lesser 6000 trim levels lacking the driving lamps looking a bit awkward with headlamps seeming a bit undersized for the fascia, shoulda just used the wider units from the facelifted Ciera for those.
These had the most distinctive exhaust note. General Motors put the 2.8 liter V6 in a lot of vehicles in the 1980s but nothing else sounded like a Pontiac 6000 STE accelerating away from you. It quickly got to the point where I didn’t even have to look to know that it was an STE going by. And all of those lights up front gave the vehicle a very distinctive and dashing appearance.
My Dad was shopping for a new car and it had to be a four-door sedan for his business. I had been reading all of the car magazines, and the Pontiac 6000 STE had been getting very good reviews, a rarity for American iron at the time, so Dad took my brother and me to go for a test drive at the local Pontiac dealer. As soon as the salesman saw us walk through the door, he charged at us like a junkyard pit bull and almost screamed: “HI. I’M LOUIE! WHAT’S YOUR NAME!” My Dad, somewhat taken aback by this, replied: “I’m not going to tell you my name!” After a few minutes, things calmed down a bit, and we discovered that this dealer was marking the cars up about $3k over list price, with the “Additional Dealer Markup” or “Availability Charge” trick, because they were big sellers at the time. At that point, Dad didn’t even want to test drive one, and headed straight for the Audi dealer, where he bought an Audi 5000 turbo!
But that was the reason to buy a 6000, as someone at GM said; it’s like an Audi 5000, only better!
Sadly, way better…and that isn’t saying much.
I owned a 1990 STE, and it had AWD. It had a rear axle using the Corvette design and had disc brakes on the rear.
When I first saw “STE” in the headline, I thought it would be AWD. I had forgotten about these Pontiacs, I wonder how that AWD system fared over time?
I didn’t know that you could get these with AWD! When was that added to the option list? My Dad’s Audi 5000 was a 1984, so the STE we declined to test drive would also have been a 1984 example, so I suspect that the AWD option came later, but how much later?
I hope the STE I test-drove years ago was an anomaly. It was a dog. And I wanted one SO bad.
I had an ’85 Celeb Eurosport with the 2.8 MFI V-6. It wasn’t near as quick as I was expecting. Aside from a nice growl from the engine, it was a pretty sedate sedan experience. Not quick at all. I wouldn’t call it quite a dog, especially for the times, but it was no performance car, that’s for sure. This has the same motor.
Buddy, if one of those were to drop into my lap, with AWD and in well-kept condition, I believe I’d pull-out all of the stops to get it. There is an old video on YouTube of a pristine AWD STE and I revisit it often enough. I wanted my wife to get one back in ’90 or so but she was too pleased with her ’88 Bonneville SE.
That Bonneville was a nice car, especially compared to the 88 and LeSabre it was spawned from. A complete about face for the A/G body car, too.
Nelson, I agree with you. I appreciated driving it on occasion. It was very comfortable and accelerated well. My wife was partial to the styling and I believe it suited her.
I purchased one of these brand new in 1985 and it was such a great car. Everytime I took it in for an oil change, I kept asking my mechanic ….. are you sure it needs no other maintenance. He just laughed and said no your good. I wish I could say this for every purchase I have made. Good on ya Pontiac!
My first new car was a 1983 6000 STE. The ’83 was unique in a few ways. It had the carbureted 135 hp “LH7” 2.8l same as the Citation X-11. It had an analog dash and 3-speed automatic. Agree with previous comments, it had a unique big-bore exhaust with delightful hum. It also had the bigger brakes from the diesel A-body cars. The seats were amazing. I remember the Car And Driver photo of an ’83 STE with all 4 wheels in the air hanging, poster sized, in the Pontiac Engineering garage at the GM proving grounds. They were rightfully proud of it. I really loved that car and if I find another I’ll buy it in a flash! I drove an ’89 5-speed AWD STE wagon once – sad GM could not capitalize on all that wonderfulness.
Gary, your comment is very thoughtful and well-written. Best wishes.
I remember when the 6000 (not necessarily the STE) and its siblings were everywhere. I never owned one, but did own a 1986 Cutlass Cierra. I guess they’re kinda like many other vehicles that were used as intended and later, used up and scrapped. Who would’ve ever imagined that they’d be collectible one day, but I’m sure that there are those looking for them today. It’s nice seeing one now and then.
My favorite errand run lot car was the 6000 Eurosport. Comfortable, good handling front wheel drive and most importantly the good sounding “blastable stereo. Even liked those fancy looking trick alloy wheels. Basically a dressed up square Celebrity but way nicer Good driver’s for sure, back in the good old used car lot days.
Why didn’t these sell at the end of last year?
They didn’t meet the seller’s reserve.
The 6000 STE came along for 1983. My parents had a white/silver 1984 with both options – sunroof and suede seats – when I was in college. It had the carbureted HO V6 from the Citation X-11 as opposed to the fuel injected version that appeared for 1985. I still remember the exhaust note. It sounded like nothing else out there. All four of GM’s mainstream divisions offered a “sporty” A-body – Celebrity Eurosport, 6000 STE, Cutlass Ciera ES, and Century T-type – but Pontiac took extra steps to make the STE special. Details such as power locks that could be activated with the key from outside and chrome taillight bezels that reached all the way to the trunk weatherstripping for a finished look set the STE apart from the other divisions’ efforts. So did the handling. Pontiac’s chassis calibrations were much more refined than the others and resulted in a very good emulation of European ride and handling. These were great cars that deserve to be preserved.
CC, excellent comment with a slew of fine observations. Your comment is a fitting commemoration of the Pontiac 6000 STE.
I remember my dad had one and mechanically (drivetrain) it was fine. Ran forever. Then the digital dash went out and by that time it wasn’t worth putting the money in.
I recall Dad’s ’85 EuroSport as having the standard lock/unlock buttons on the key fob. We sold it for Mom about 15-20 years ago, so my memory could be faded; but I don’t think so … Replaced it with a ’96 Cutlass, which she never liked. That was her last car …
Bought a new ’88 for the Mrs. way back when. Been so many years now but I recall it was a competent car that drove well and that it was reliable during the 3-4 years that we had it. It wasn’t particularly exciting or fast I recall. I would say a more sporty family sedan, back when we had those!
Interesting. My Dad’s last car was the Chevy twin to this – an ’85 Chevy Celebrity Eurosport. Not a bad car; a little sporty style. This looks like a fun project for the right person.
This thing would have to be dead mint to interest me. I drove the s#!+ out of these…had a white STE for a demo when I was 18 years-old and sold Pontiacs new at Star Pontiac in Leesburg, VA. That was in the late ’80’s.
Back around 1998-2003 the Indiana State Police used a lapped out, rust bucket, brownish 6000 STE as a stealth car on I-94 between State Road 249 and State Road 49.
They’d sit at the top of the on ramps and used VASCAR radar to nab speeders.
While most people realize that they can’t (Or shouldn’t try to) outrun a police radio there was one day when that brownish beater went flying past me in pursuit of a Camaro at what had to have been well in excess of 100 MPH, with the Pontiac lit up like a flashing Christmas tree.
I still wonder if that guy in the Camaro was thinking “No f***king way is that a cop”.
About fifteen miles down the road both were pulled over with several white Crown Vic’s as well.
I bought a new 84 STE when we got tired waiting for the Fiero we ordered. The STE came with everything standard and no options, and was one of the best tourers we ever had. Super comfortable seats, peppy engine and great handling in the Tennessee mountains.
My wife drove an STE for over 2 years back in the 80’s and loved it. These were great cars. Maybe this one will be great again…