Oprah Winfrey reveals how she came up with 'You get a car' in the iconic Pontiac G6 giveaway moment
Published on Dec 14, 2025 at 2:35 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Dec 14, 2025 at 2:35 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Among other things, Oprah Winfrey gave the world one of the most ‘memeable’ moments when she came up with the tagline ‘you get a car‘, after giving each member of the audience a Pontiac G6.
The whole thing had been carefully planned and arranged, except for the tagline.
This legendary TV moment apparently cost GM a fortune because the company provided all the cars.
But there’s a reason why audience members were genuinely surprised.
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This is why Oprah came up with the tagline on the spot
In 2004, during Season 19 of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the TV star came up with a tagline that’s still a memeable moment to this day.
“You get a car! Everybody gets a car!” she exclaimed.
The whole thing had been thoroughly arranged, of course, but the tagline wasn’t.
It was something Oprah came up with on the spot.
Audience members initially thought one of them would go home with a Pontiac G6 – worth about $28,500 at the time – because that’s what they’d been told.
Each member was given a box and was told that only one of them would contain the keys to a brand-new Pontiac.
But then the audience quickly realized all the boxes had car keys in them, which is when Oprah came up with the iconic catchphrase, and that’s also why they were genuinely surprised.
So instead of just one audience member getting a brand new car, they all did.
The car was free, but it cost GM a fortune
The whole thing had been in part sponsored by GM, because the American automaker was trying to promote the Pontiac brand and the new Pontiac G6.
It was certainly good news to the audience, maybe not so much for the manufacturer.
The audience was specially selected – many were struggling with old or unreliable vehicles – and each member was given a cash option as an alternative because they’d have to pay for federal taxes on the vehicle.
However, everything else was paid.
GM invested around $7-$8 million into the cars, and the show covered sales tax and registration.
The problem is, with hindsight, this probably didn’t help GM as much as the company hoped, considering Pontiac no longer exists.
GM is bringing back the namesake for accessories and spare parts, but as an automaker, Pontiac is now defunct.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
