The Polaris design apparently made it to full-scale clay before it was canceled. This was the brand's entry into the fuel economy segment of the market. Introduced in 1982, the wedge-shaped Firebird was the first major redesign of the pony car since 1970. To me it seems its quarter taillight extension trim is unique to 4door wagons only. Pontiac began work on a V8 configuration in 1946. Beginning in 1953 the model lineup consisted of the base "Pathfinder", mid-range "Pathfinder Deluxe", and top-of-the-line "Laurentian". Motor Trend magazine selected the Pontiac line as the 1959 Car of the Year. However, there was never controversy during the brand's lifespan. 1957 pontiac star chief custom safari Values | Hagerty Valuation Tool 1957 Pontiac Star Chief. [3] Typical for the 1955 Pontiacs is the design with two wide "Silver Streaks" running the length of the hood. Mecum is not responsible for information that may be changed or updated prior to the auction. The transmission was a Jetaway 4 speed automatic. [2] The 1932 V8 had an oversquare bore and stroke of 3.4375in (87.3mm) x 3.375in (85.7mm) displacing 251cuin (4.1L) with a compression ratio of 5.2:1. To ensure that used car buyers in the U.S. were not sold less expensive Canadian models, different series names were used. A two-wheel alignment was performed in January 2023. CLASSIC.COM is a trademark of CLASSIC.COM LLC. The Parisienne sold in profitable numbers and this car continued in production until 1986 for the sedan, and 1989 for the Safari station wagon. The car is finished in red over red and ivory vinyl upholstery, and power is provided by a 347ci V8 mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. BaT Auctions Presents: The Monterey Touring Vehicles Collection from Mohr Imports, Live from The BaT Alumni Gathering: Randy Nonnenberg on The Horsepower Heritage Podcast. The two-spoke steering wheel has a chrome horn ring and frames a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for coolant temperature, fuel level, and oil pressure. 149,631. The Sunbird was replaced with the (still J-body) Sunfire in 1995. Pontiac's second-generation V8 engines shared numerous similarities, allowing many parts to interchange from its advent in 1959 to its discontinuation in 1979. IMO youre doing mankind a favour by showing it! The Safari was introduced on January 31, 1955, over three months behind the rest of the 1955s. 49,500 1957 Pontiac Star Chief. In 2002, both the Firebird/Trans Am and Camaro were discontinued as a result of declining sales and a saturated sports market. [16] When the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred in September, both Pontiac and Oakland sales dropped dramatically and because Oakland was the more expensive, GM leadership decided that Pontiac should remain. 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Safari 2-Door Wagon Walk Around and Drive The 1961 models were restyled. The car left the factory finished in Kenya Ivory and was repainted in red under previous ownership. The car's body and suspension were also changed to be lower, longer, and wider. That prod# is actually rather impressive for a mid-year luxury wagon; in the 58-64 period Pontiacs top dog wagon sold between 2.905 5.844 examples so they were never really massive sellers. May include vehicles with color changes, and/or minor removable modifications, but preserve their original engine specifications and body configuration. The Tempest was discontinued, after being renamed 'T-37' and 'GT-37' for 1971. A four-cylinder engine was also introduced in the Tempest model line. Pontiac Star Chief - Wikipedia The mileage is unknown and it would be telling to see how this Safari appeared before its restoration. It would also be Pontiac's final year in NASCAR. The Solstice concept shown in 2002 was approved for production as a roadster (2006-2009) and, for a few months, a total of 1,266 coupes (2009) were built in Wilmington, DE before the end of Pontiac. Knudsen directed that the Pontiacs received a completely reworked chassis, body, and interior styling. Call JD with interest or questions. Pontiac Super Chief (Australia) Model years: 1955-1957: Body and chassis; Body style: 2-door sedan 4-door sedan 2-door hardtop 4-door hardtop 2-door station wagon 4-door station wagon: Layout: FR layout: Platform: GM A platform: Related: Chevrolet 210 Chevrolet Bel Air Pontiac Safari: Powertrain; Engine: 1955: 287.2 cu in (4.7 L) V8 Car of the Week: 1956 Pontiac Safari wagon - Old Cars Weekly Dealership Showcased. The car was easily identified by its chrome star trim along its sides, a feature all Star Chiefs were equipped with. [1] Seat belts were added as options in 1956. This was initially intended to be an L-head engine, and 8 experimental units were built and extensively tested by the end of the 1940s. For 1993, the Bonneville added a new option package (H4U) called the Sport Luxury Edition (SLE), which was available on the SE model. Author says its too nice to be driven Id say DRIVE IT for heavens sake, but with care! Find 1957 Chevrolet Wagons for Sale on Oodle Classifieds. This 1957 Pontiac Star Chief is part of the Sam's Auto - A Lifetime . The concave rear window was replicated on Tempest/LeMans four-door intermediates in 1964 and 1965. With all the options its supposed to have I wouldve had a/c, power windows and power seats higher up on my option list. Pontiacs built in the late 1960s conformed to new U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. For 1963, the Grand Prix received the same styling changes as other full-sized Pontiacs such as vertical headlights and new body lines with a squared-off roofline with a concave rear window, along with less chrome. In addition to speeding up decisions on Saturn, Saab, and Hummer, GM would be left with four brandsChevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. [37] On April 27, 2009, GM announced that Pontiac would be dropped and that all of its remaining models would be phased out by the end of 2010. The first all-new Pontiac models appeared in 1949. But is the roof rack installed the wrong way? As the seller states, Pontiacs most expensive 1957 car. [1], When the storyline of I Love Lucy pointed towards a Hollywood setting in the 1954-1955 season, the characters drove (in episode 110, "California Here We Come") to the West Coast in a red on white 1955 Star Chief convertible, that in the previous episode "Lucy Learns to Drive" was "bumped together" with a 1922 Cadillac Type V-63. This full-size model featured aerodynamic styling, large expanses of curved glass, front-wheel drive, and the 3800 Series I V6 as standard equipment. Pontiac was one of three brands General Motors eliminated in 2010; the other two being Hummer and Saturn. If you don't win, the pre-authorization will be released. Prior to the introduction of the Star Chief, all Pontiacs had shared the modest wheelbase of the Chevrolet since the beginning of Pontiac. Displacement ranged from 287 to 455cuin (4.7 to 7.5L). Wire-spoked wheel covers returned for the first time since the 1930s. The 3800 Series II V6 had become standard in 1995, featuring 205hp. Although GM had already discontinued the Pontiac brand, the fact that GM had used the name gained some controversy in 2021 when the Cherokee Nation asked Jeep to rename its popular Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee vehicles. This was accomplished two ways, mechanically for the manual transmission models, and via a vacuum switch on the automatics. Located in Ladner, British Columbia, Canada is this 1957 Pontiac Safari Transcontinental Star Chief station wagon and it is available here on craigslist for $53,500. This package included leather bucket seats, a specific grille, side trim, exhaust, dash trim, lace-styled alloy wheels, as well as a rear spoiler, sport handling suspension systems, and anti-lock brakes. Between 1954 and 1957, the Star Chief was Pontiac's prestige model and was based on the Pontiac Chieftain. GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson said the Pontiac brand would be closed by 2010, calling it an extremely personal decision. At the beginning of the Star Chief's production run, the model represented the top of the Pontiac line. The Star Chief featured a 11-inch (280mm) stretch to the A-body platform giving it a 124-inch (3,100mm) wheelbase. Large circular replaceable filter. This went through various permutations as it was only a factory-installed option from 1957 through 1966. In 1968, our family, 4 kids and mom and dad, were driving in our wagon lime this one. On December 2, 2008, General Motors announced that it was considering eliminating numerous brands, including Pontiac, in order to appease Congress in hope of receiving a $25 billion loan. The Street Machinery Sales And Service Sunday Swap-A-Rama | 1957 1958 was also the year the "Silver Streak" styling feature was no longer offered, which was first used in 1933. Why cant suburbanites have a little motoring excitement too, right? This design was subsequently picked up by nearly every OHV engine manufacturer at one point or another. The Beaumont-badged Chevelles were in production in Canada until 1969. The 455cuin (7.5L) V8 was the largest and available in most Pontiacs except in the compact-size cars. For the 1977 model year, the full-sized Pontiacs received the same "downsizing" as GM's other "B" body cars. The 1966 model year saw the introduction of a completely new overhead camshaft (OHC) 6-cylinder engine in the Tempest. Sign up for our free daily email and youll never miss another find: Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases. Cool grocery getter and patina finishes are both red hot right now. (Sunbird Safari wagon through 1979.). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please enable JavaScript to engage in the discussion on this site. Paint imperfections are shown in the gallery. The 1958 Star Chief received all-new bodywork and an updated chassis with an appearance that was shared with all GM cars for that year. For 1996 the Bonneville received updated front and rear fascias along with several other enhancements. In November 1961, Knudsen moved to Chevrolet. The response was that more than half of the 1963 Tempests and LeMans (separate lines for that one year only) were ordered with the V8. This year also saw DeLorean leaving the post of general manager to accept a similar position at GM's Chevrolet division. (Ive owned both) The coupe version of the Grand Prix was also discontinued. It was first offered as a Notchback, with a Hatchback body style added in 1977. WINNERS UPDATE Question of the Week: What Car Did You Learn To Drive Stick In? The GTO was also initially powered by the 350 HP LS-1 V8 in its first model year. Sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by GM, in the hierarchy of GM's five divisions, it was slotted above Chevrolet, but below Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. GM Canada also built right-hand drive versions of their Pontiacs for export to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa as knock-down kits until the late 1960s. [32] By April 2009 several automotive websites and business publications were reporting that GM was doing a study suggesting it might eliminate the brand altogether, along with sister truck brand GMC. And. The arrowhead logo is also known as the Dart. TAPshift was also introduced as well as a Competition Group package (Comp G). [3] In spite of the new bodywork, sales of the 1958 Star Chief dropped precipitously; down by around 60% while Pontiac's overall sales dropped by more than a third. As a result of Pontiac's rising sales, versus Oakland's declining sales, Pontiac became the only companion marque to survive its parent, with Oakland ceasing production in 1932. Base Wagon 4-Door: 5.7L 350Cu. As the economy began to recover, by 1933, Pontiac had moved up to producing the least expensive cars available with straight-eight engines. Bonneville taillights and the three chrome stars on each side continued to distinguish the car from the Catalina. Pontiacs were also manufactured from knock-down kits at GM's Japanese factory at Osaka Assembly in Osaka, Japan, from 1927 until 1941. The Pontiac Safari is a series of station wagons introduced in 1955. The models they produced were largely the same as their US-built counterparts. 1957 Pontiac Safari Thorndale, Texas | Hemmings.com In 1952, Pontiac discontinued the Streamliner and replaced it with additional models in the Chieftain line built on the GM A-body platform. The Safari was added to the Pontiac mix mid-year, perhaps as a way for GM to justify the tooling for the Nomad. The only exception would be the Indian head high-beam indicator light in the instrument cluster. It was Pontiac's top trim package on the Pontiac Chieftain, with later generations built on longer wheelbases, and serving as the foundation platform for the Pontiac Bonneville.