[Charley Lillard]

There was a comment about the "Jack Nicklaus Pontiac" emblem looking too new. I found this on the web. It reads as if Jack didn't have the dealership very long.


Golf course design was only one arm of Golden Bear. When Pierman took over the company, he instituted a new way of dealing with Nicklaus's endorsements. Nicklaus had previously never met with people from the companies whose products he endorsed. Pierman had the golfer meet with his endorsement clients and had the different client companies meet all together. This led to fruitful arrangements, such as a Nicklaus commercial for Eastern Airlines with a Pontiac car, another Nicklaus-endorsed goody, in the background. Nicklaus also lost weight in 1969 and let his hair grow, making him more photogenic. He continued to play incredible golf, winning the British Open in 1970, and then seven more major tournaments over the next five years. Nicklaus was a rising star, and Golden Bear fielded all sorts of business offers. The company bought a Pontiac dealership in Florida, and expanded into several other areas that had nothing to do with golf. These did not always do well. The car dealership, for example, faltered and had to be sold. Yet it made money under its new owner, who had more knowledge of the car business.