September 13, 2004 – Oprah gives away 276 free cars

(Oprah/Motor1)

“You get a car! And you get a car! Everybody gets a car!” The moment Oprah gave away 276 Pontiac G6 sedans to her studio audience on this day in 2004 certainly ranks among the most memorable TV moments in history, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Yes, the announcement solicited real screams and cheers, but when the dust settled, recipients found themselves stuck with a tax bill totaling about $6,000. So, while Oprah had asked producers to fill the audience with people who really needed a new ride, more than a handful couldn’t afford to keep the car.

Furthermore, it was certainly charitable, but the giveaway didn’t come out of Oprah’s pocket. Pontiac footed the bill for the whole event. The automaker donated the vehicles, each worth about $28,500, from its advertising and marketing budget. Earlier in that episode of Oprah,

the host toured a Pontiac plant, oohing and awing at the new G6 lineup. Of course, all this isn’t too say that the event was not incredibly generous, it certainly was. As one winner put it, “It’s not really a free car. It’s more of a 75 percent-off car. Of course, that’s still not such a bad deal.” However, even Oprah’s free car giveaway couldn’t save Pontiac
.
(Oprah)
Brian Corey

Recent Posts

March 26, 1879 – Othmar Ammann, NYC bridge designer, is born

Othmar Ammann may not be a familiar name to most, but if you live in…

6 days ago

The History of the Arizona Automotive Industry

Lucid Air by Mr.choppers - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=138255918 Arizona may not be…

6 days ago

March 25, 1930 – Larry Shinoda, designer of Corvettes and Mustangs, is born

Larry Shinoda (Ford) Lawrence Kiyoshi Shinoda was born on March 25, 1930, in Los Angeles,…

1 week ago

March 19, 1999 – Ford establishes Premier Automotive Group

2000 Land Rover Discovery, from the year Ford purchased Land Rover. Ford Motor Company's Premier…

2 weeks ago

March 18, 1858 – Rudolf Diesel’s birthday

On this day in 1858 Rudolf Diesel, would later patent the type of engine by…

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2006 – The last Chevrolet SSR is built

On March 17, 2006, Chevrolet built the last example of one of the most unconventional…

2 weeks ago