How many Pontiac Tempests are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 233,744 on the road Built 1962-1970 American
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
One of the most unusual American cars of its day. The 1961 Tempest compact had a four-cylinder engine made from half a Pontiac V8, a gearbox at the back and a flexible curved driveshaft between them. It was Motor Trend's Car of the Year. From 1964 it became a conventional mid-sized car, and the GTO grew out of it.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1966: 8 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 1 |
| 1964 | 2 |
| 1965 | 2 |
| 1966 | 8 |
| 1967 | 2 |
| 1968 | 2 |
| 1969 | 2 |
| 1970 | 1 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 20 still registered, the Pontiac Tempest is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks 14th of the 29 Pontiac models and equal 1,684th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.