1965 · Pontiac · United States
1965 Pontiac Tempest LeMans: a sedan joins the line
The LeMans adds a four-door sedan and the four-barrel 326 is rated at 285 hp.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
This record's own dek states that the LeMans adds a four-door sedan for 1965 and the four-barrel 326 is rated at 285 hp. This record's own overview states that a compiled table lists four 1965 LeMans bodies, not counting GTOs: 14,227 four-door sedans, 18,881 sport coupes, 60,548 hardtops, and 13,897 convertibles, 107,553 in all, and that the fact sheet lists the 326 V8 at 250 hp with a two-barrel and 285 hp with a four-barrel at 10.5:1 compression, both SAE gross ratings this record's own engines section repeats in full.1
This record's own production rows document a separately scoped GTO row at 75,352, alongside the 107,553 LeMans total, its own production notes stating that the four LeMans body rows partition that total and that no 326 HO counts were found for the year. The hardtop, at 60,548, accounts for well over half of the 107,553 non-GTO total documented in this record, while the four-door sedan, new for the year, is the smallest of the four bodies at 14,227.1
This record's own engines section documents a 215-cubic-inch six-cylinder standard at 140 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque, both SAE gross, standard in Tempest, Tempest Custom, and LeMans but not with the GTO option, alongside the two V8 ratings already noted. This record's own transmissions section documents a standard three-speed manual, with an optional heavy-duty fully synchronized three-speed available with the 326 V8, an optional four-speed manual, and an optional two-speed automatic, none of the three carrying a production or installation figure in this record.2
This record's own prices section documents the LeMans sport coupe at $2,437, hardtop at $2,501, and convertible at $2,736, a spread of $299 between the least and most expensive body style, with no sedan price documented in this record. This record's own options section documents an extensive further list: a Handling and Ride package at $16, Rally wheels from $36, a tachometer at $54, air conditioning at $349, bucket seats at $145, a Rally Gage panel cluster with tachometer at $86, and a push-button AM/FM radio at $137, among many more.1
Fourteen exterior colors are documented for the year without production counts, each carrying a WA-prefixed stock number alongside its name, from Starlight Black to Mayfair Maize, none of the fourteen carrying a production figure in this record. This record's own specifications section documents a 115-inch wheelbase, a 206.2-inch overall length for passenger cars against 204.4 inches for wagons, a 73.1-inch width, a 54.0-inch height, an even 58-inch front and rear track, and tires ranging from 6.95x14 on the six-cylinder to 7.35x14 on V8s and wagons, with 7.75x14 optional.2
This record's own performance, identification, and conflicts sections are all empty for the year, a documented gap rather than an assumption that no such data exists. This record's own unpublished leads section is likewise empty, leaving the 1965 LeMans documented at the level of body-style production, pricing, engines, and colors, without a period road test or a VIN and body-code breakdown on file for this particular model year.2
Fact sheet · 1965 · United States
The numbers
1965 Pontiac Tempest LeMans — The LeMans adds a four-door sedan and the four-barrel 326 is rated at 285 hp.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
- Reported 1965 LeMans (non-GTO) production was 107,553.1
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempest LeMans total (excluding GTO)1 Tempest LeMans · not stated by source | 107,553 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeMans four-door sedan1 Tempest LeMans · 4-door sedan · not stated by source | 14,227 | built, model-year | Reported |
| LeMans sport coupe1 Tempest LeMans · sport coupe · not stated by source | 18,881 | built, model-year | Reported |
| LeMans hardtop1 Tempest LeMans · hardtop · not stated by source | 60,548 | built, model-year | Reported |
| LeMans convertible1 Tempest LeMans · convertible · not stated by source | 13,897 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeMans with GTO option (see GTO page)1 Tempest LeMans GTO · 389 · not stated by source | 75,352 | built, model-year | Reported |
The four LeMans body rows partition 107,553; the GTO row is separately scoped. No 326 HO counts were found.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| LeMans sport coupe1 | $2,437 | factory price as compiled, 1965 model year |
| LeMans hardtop1 | $2,501 | factory price as compiled, 1965 model year |
| LeMans convertible1 | $2,736 | factory price as compiled, 1965 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 326 V8 2-bbl2 326 cu in · two-barrel | 250 hp @ 4,600, 333 lb-ft @ 2,800 (SAE gross) | optional, not GTO | Not yet sourced |
| 326 HO 4-bbl2 326 cu in · four-barrel | 285 hp @ 5,000, 359 lb-ft @ 2,900 (SAE gross) | optional, not GTO | Not yet sourced |
| 215 I-6 (standard)2 215 cu in · 1-barrel, 8.6:1 | 140 hp @ 4,400, 206 lb-ft @ 2,200 (SAE gross (period advertised rating)) | standard in Tempest, Tempest Custom and LeMans; not with the GTO option | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Three-speed manual (I-6 2.94/1.68/1.00; V-8 2.58/1.48/1.00)2 | standard; heavy-duty fully synchronized three-speed (2.42/1.61/1.00) optional with the 326 V-8 | Not yet sourced |
| Four-speed manual (V-8, 2.56/1.91/1.50/1.00)2 | optional | Not yet sourced |
| Two-speed automatic (1.76/1.00)2 | optional | Not yet sourced |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Handling and Ride package2 | $16 | Not yet sourced |
|
Rally wheels2 | $36 | Not yet sourced |
|
Tachometer2 | $54 | Not yet sourced |
|
Air conditioner2 | $349 | Not yet sourced |
|
Bucket seats2 | $145 | Not yet sourced |
|
Carpets2 | $19 | Not yet sourced |
|
Cordova top2 | $72 | Not yet sourced |
|
Custom sports steering wheel2 | $39 | Not yet sourced |
|
Deluxe steering wheel with ring2 | $15 | Not yet sourced |
|
Electric clock2 | $19 | Not yet sourced |
|
LeMans console shift2 | $48 | Not yet sourced |
|
Padded dash2 | $16 | Not yet sourced |
|
Rally Gage panel cluster with tachometer2 | $86 | Not yet sourced |
|
Parking brake signal2 | $3 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power brakes2 | $43 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power convertible top2 | $54 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power steering2 | $97 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power tilt bucket seat, left-hand2 | $67 | Not yet sourced |
|
Push-button radio2 | $62 | Not yet sourced |
|
Push-button AM/FM radio2 | $137 | Not yet sourced |
|
Remote control deck lid2 | $11 | Not yet sourced |
|
Safeguard speedometer2 | $16 | Not yet sourced |
|
Super-Lift shock absorbers2 | $40 | Not yet sourced |
|
Tilt steering wheel (with power steering only)2 | $43 | Not yet sourced |
|
Two-speed wipers and washers2 | $17 | Not yet sourced |
|
Wheel discs2 | $20 | Not yet sourced |
|
Whitewall tires2 | $39 | Not yet sourced |
|
Wire wheel discs2 | $54 | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
WA0848 |
Starlight Black2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3300 |
Blue Charcoal2 | Not yet sourced |
WA2661 |
Cameo Ivory2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3301 |
Fontaine Blue2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3302 |
Nightwatch Blue2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3303 |
Palmetto Green2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3305 |
Reef Turquoise2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3306 |
Teal Turquoise2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3307 |
Burgundy2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3308 |
Iris Mist2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3309 |
Montero Red2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3418 |
Capri Gold2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3136 |
Mission Beige2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3312 |
Bluemist Slate2 | Not yet sourced |
WA3313 |
Mayfair Maize2 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase1 | 115 in | all Tempests |
| Overall length2 | 206.2 in | passenger cars (wagons 204.4) |
| Overall width2 | 73.1 in | 1965 Tempest line |
| Overall height2 | 54 in | 1965 Tempest line |
| Track, front / rear2 | 58 / 58 in | 1965 Tempest line |
| Tires2 | 6.95 x 14 (I-6); 7.35 x 14 (V-8 and wagons); 7.75 x 14 optional | 1965 Tempest line |
Identification
Read a 1965 Pontiac VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1965
- Buick Riviera The Gran Sport arrived with the dual-quad Super Wildcat 425 and a 3.42 axle; 3,354 of 34,586 Rivieras had it.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX Buick's first Gran Sport was a Skylark option with the 401 'Wildcat' V-8 rated at 325 hp; a production tabulation counts 15,780.
- Buick Wildcat Second-generation B-body Wildcat on a 126-inch wheelbase in standard, Deluxe and Custom series; the 1965 total is disputed between published lineages.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The Malibu SS continued with 327 options, and late in the year RPO Z16 put a 375 hp 396 into 201 Chevelles.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova The 327 V8 appears in the source engine table; several body-style counts are unavailable. Enthusiast-compiled production: 122,800 cars; Super Sport 9,100.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS No factory Super Sport El Camino is documented for this year; the record carries the host El Camino production as context.
- Chevrolet Impala SS The record Super Sport year: 243,114 built, as the 409 gave way to the 396 mid-year.
- Chrysler 300 letter series The last letter car: a slab-sided restyle on a 124-inch wheelbase, one 360 hp 413, no cross-ram, and an illuminated grille medallion; 2,405 hardtops and 440 convertibles.
- Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee The 1965 performance Coronets were competition-only Race Hemi lightweights, not showroom muscle cars, and even their number is published two ways.
- Ford Fairlane A restyled small-block Fairlane whose performance ceiling was the 271-hp K-code 289 High Performance V8, offered with the Sports Coupe.
- Ford Falcon Sprint The last Sprint moved to the 289 V8 and a new V8 front suspension; the club records 2,806 hardtops and 300 convertibles.
- Ford Galaxie A new full-size body with the LTD added above the Galaxie 500 XL; the 427 continued in Q-code (410 hp) and R-code (425 hp) form.
- Ford Thunderbird A mild update of the 1964 body kept the 300-hp 390 as the standard engine; production fell to 74,972.
- Mercury Comet and Cyclone The Cyclone was the performance Comet hardtop: vinyl roof, chrome wheels, bucket seats and console, tachometer and a 225-hp 289 as standard.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 The last year of the first Marauder generation: 74,590 Marauder-roof cars across Monterey, Montclair and Park Lane, per mercurystuff.com.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The 4-4-2 package moved to a 400 cu in V-8 rated at 345 hp, the name was reread as 400 cubes, 4-barrel, 2 exhausts, and production rose to 25,003.
- Oldsmobile Starfire A 425 V-8, Turbo Hydra-Matic and a rarely ordered four-speed; 15,260 built.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda The first full-year Barracuda introduced the Formula S package and the 235-hp 273 Commando, and production reached 64,596.
- Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite The Belvedere became Plymouth's intermediate line, with the bucket-seat, V-8-only Satellite hardtop and convertible at the top and the 426 Street wedge as its hottest regular-production engine.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty The 2+2 gained a standard 338 hp 421 and reached 11,521 cars, its best year.
- Pontiac GTO Ratings up to 335 and 360 hp, and GTO production more than doubling to 75,352.
- Pontiac Grand Prix New 121-inch body and a 333 hp standard 389; 57,881 built.
- Rambler and AMC Marlin AMC's six-passenger fastback, introduced in February 1965. Its best year was 10,327 cars.