The Tempest/LeMans nameplates got promoted to mid-sized status when Pontiac introduced its new intermediates for 1964 (along with the rest of GM). They would also provide the foundation for the “soon-to-become” immortal GTO muscle car. The LeMans was a step up from the entry-level Tempest and this ’64 2-door sedan purports to be 100% original at just 16,500 miles. This sweet machine can be found in Broadview Heights, Ohio, and here on eBay where the bidding has reached $15,600. But the seller has wisely set a reserve north of this figure.
Originally, the Tempest was a compact when it was rolled out in 1961, and the LeMans was its top trim level. Along the way, the LeMans became its own series when the cars moved to the new A-body platform for 1964. These changes would boost sales, which included 11,136 examples alone of the pillared coupe equipped with the inline-6 engine. The seller’s car is said to be wearing its factory paint, which looks like Skyline Blue. There are no signs of rust or other imperfections.
If it’s to be believed, the odometer has yet to see 17,000 miles after 57 years. How a car like this comes to be driven so little is unknown, but that makes it an even more attractive find. The tan interior with bucket seats looks quite inviting with no obvious issues given the single photo provided. There is no console, and the 2-speed automatic transmission is column-shifted.
We’re told the powerplant is a 6-cylinder, which should make that Pontiac’s new 215 cubic inch motor that was good for 140 hp. This LeMans also has a posi-traction rear end and wears belted tires from the days before radials. According to Hagerty, the top dollar for a ’64 LeMans is $30,000 and this car looks nice enough to come close to that. It looks like it would be a fun classic to show off and tool around in, but it wouldn’t hold a candle to his cousin the GTO in the performance department.
Beautiful car, but an inline 6? There goes any true value…
The I6 might explain the low miles. No one wanted to to drive it.
Me, I love the straight six in a car like this. So easy to work on, enough pick up to move out into traffic with confidence, and far less likely that someone has beat the car especially a low miles car in this condition. I thought my 1965 Falcon 2-dr sedan with 28K miles was a rare bird in 1986, it was reliable, cheap to maintain, 20 MPG around town and 25 MPG on the interstate.
There are lots of clones and rebuilds, but a car is a cream puff only until a certain point in time, and the number of cream puffs is so small that this car will keep climbing, I bid and was quickly pushed out by another bidder. I think this car is going to go for $24K +
Those words may become edible. Bidding is at $21,600. I am a little surprised that the reserve is still not met.
Will this bring GTO money? No. But it is still quite desirable, as evidenced by the bidding.
Under 6 hours to go.
Interesting color combination, a PHS report would clear up any questions…
Seller also has an interesting ’69 GTO for sale.
I always liked this body style- LeMans, GTO, Tempest. But it doesn’t look right without color-keyed seats/ exterior.
That interior is amazing, but I can’t believe the seller photographed the car without closing the hood and trunk. 16K miles over 56 years? Hard to fathom.
Ironically I was hoping it had a 6, oh I believe.
This is just a very handsome car. The cars of this era, the well styled ones at least, were very handsome, and maybe a bit “rakish”. Around 1968, and I’d say between 1968-1973, the cars in this segment of the market got a little more “I read playboy for the articles and also I’m a swinger” vibe to them…
My fave is still 64. Same dimensions just looks smaller and “tighter”. 65 is my #2.
There should be a law against building a Blue Paint exterior with a brown interior!!!!!! What was the person thinking when they ordered this car?
A classic car magazine I get often has letters from assembly workers back in the day. One of them said that car companies, to get rid of parts at the end of the model year, would assemble all kinds of ridiculous color combinations and make the dealers take them. Blue and brown wasn’t considered that bad at the time though.
I believe it, my mother bought 64 Cutlass in Pacific Mist with a RED interior. The dealer begged her to buy it, got quite a deal. It was a nice car, but not easy on the eyes.
I don’t think it’s that bad. Tan is a neutral color.
It’s not exactly blue, this color is a sky blueish/grayish hue and the interior isn’t brown either – Pontiac called this upholstery ‘Saddle’ in ’64 though it’s actually gold metallic.
While we today may find this color combo strange I remember in the early 90s seeing a ’64 Olds Dynamic88 ‘vert wearing these colors (just that the Olds saddle is same as Chev and not metallic), and believe it or not it actually worked IRL
I saw a 70 Boss 302 Mustang in Light Lime? Gold with a red interior when I was a kid, it wasn’t as horrible as it sounds though. My dad traded his maroon 66 tripower GTO in on a 71 Grand Prix SJ he ordered in bronze with a buckskin? vinyl top and interior. The dealer didn’t really want to order it as they felt it would not look pleasing. I can’t remember if they had him put a deposit on it or not. After It showed up they asked my parents if they could put it in the showroom for a week as they got several inquiries while it was being unloaded and I believe three or four orders for cars in the same color combo. I worked in a Chevy dealer ship years later and we got a yellow Iroc Camaro in. They brought it back to us in service to get it prepped as it was a ordered car. It had a red interior and stripes, looked really good. The dealership owner made the guy put down $5000.00 I heard to order it as no other dealer would even order it for the guy and our dealer principal was afraid he’d get stuck with it.
That six banger, which has Chevy roots, is pretty much a forgotten engine (1964-65). The OHC six the following year got all the glory.
In the film “My Cousin Vinny” doesn’t the jury get told that Positraction wasn’t available on the 1964 Pontiac LeMans? We are told that and that the car that left the tire tracks had Positraction and independent rear suspension. The only 1963 LeMans that could do that was the high-po 326 version. Plus…how can anyone with legal eyesight possibly confuse a 63 with a 64? I call sloppy police work and wanting to make a quick arrest of some unlucky Yankees. I would’ve called the guy who ID’d the car and made him do it on the stand.
Dave, the car in the movie was a 64 Buick Skylark.
That makes the misidentification of the getaway car even worse.
And the getaway car was a 63 tempest. Non car people could easily confuse the 2
I’d love to hear the story about how an ordinary car came to be preserved so perfectly.
What a clean, survivor. With a six cylinder and AT it just shouts original Mee Maw car. Probably explains its low mileage and condition. Even Grandsons wouldn’t have wanted to drive or try to abuse it. It would be hard to resist transplanting a 389 in her IMO. She may sell for $18k-25k. Great find!
How does value differ between a Lemans and Tempest? I have a 64 Tempest Custom that looks just like this one. It has a V8 326 though and the teal interior. It has 98k original miles on it since my grandma bought it new and didn’t drive much. It only gets driven a few times a year these days.