1955.E2.80.931960 Pontiac
pontiac star chief 1955
1956 canadian pontiac pathfinder sedan delivery. 1,383 built, not available in u.s.
completely new bodies , chassis introduced 1955. new 173 hp (129 kw; 175 ps) overhead valve v8 engine introduced. (see engines section below). sales increased. introduction of v8, six-cylinder engines discontinued; six-cylinder not return full-size pontiac line until gm corporate downsizing of 1977. four-cylinder engine introduced in tempest model line in 1961, followed overhead-cam six-cylinder starting in 1966, on firebird. first popular-priced, mass-produced engine in america utilizing overhead-camshaft configuration.
in 1956, when 42-year-old semon bunkie knudsen became general manager of pontiac, along new heads of engineering, e. m. estes , john delorean, knudsen began reworking brand s image. 1 of first steps involved removal of famous trademark silver streaks hood , deck lid of 1957 models weeks before 1957s introduced. step introducing first bonneville—a limited-edition star chief convertible showcased pontiac s first fuel-injected engine. approximately 630 bonnevilles built 1957, each retail price of $5,800. while new car buyers buy cadillac price, bonneville raised new interest in pontiac called america s no. 1 road car.
1959 bonneville rear, showing double rear fins
the following year bonneville became own line, built on 122-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase of a-body platform. 1958 tri power bonneville pace car year s indianapolis 500. also, 1958 last year pontiac motor division bear indian motif throughout vehicle. exception indian head high beam indicator light in instrument cluster.
with 1959 model year, pontiac came out arrowhead emblem, star design in middle. arrowhead design ran way hood between split grille, , on starchief models, had 8 chrome stars emblem design bolted both sides of vehicle chrome trim. knudsen saw car received reworked chassis, body, , interior styling. quad headlamps, longer, lower body of styling changes.
the chieftain line renamed catalina; star chief downgraded replace discontinued super chief series , first time did not have two-door hardtop, two-door sedan along four-door hardtop , four-door sedan, in addition there no star chief wagon. bonneville top of line, coming in 3 body styles of two-door hardtop, four-door vista , four-door wagon. star chief s four-door vista hardtop shared bonneville. catalina models included two-door hardtop, two-door sedan, four-door sedan, four-door hardtop vista , 2 wagons, 1 six-passenger , 1 nine-passenger wagon. bonneville , star chief built on 124-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase exception of bonneville wagon , catalina models , bonneville wagon rode on 122-inch wheelbase. catalina 7 inches shorter bonneville , star chief , weighed 1 hundred 2 hundred pounds less long-wheelbase counterparts. 1959 pontiac engines equipped 389-cubic-inch engine horsepower ratings 215hp economy engine conservative rated 345 hp tri power carbureted engine. automatics four-speed super-hydra-matics or, hydramatic division designed , built them called them, controlled coupling hydramatic . special note here oldsmobile used same transmission , called jetaway hydramatic , cadillac used transmission , cadillac called 315 or p 315 hydramatic. three-speed column-mounted stick shift standard on pontiacs. coincided major body styling changes across models introduced increased glass area, twin v-shaped fins , lower hood profiles. because of these changes, motor trend magazine picked entire pontiac line 1959 car of year. 59s have five-inch (127 mm) wider track, front @ 63 7/8 front track , 64.0 rear track because knudsen noticed new, wider bodies looked awkward on carried-over 1958 frames. new wide-track pontiacs not had improved styling, handled better—a bonus tied pontiac s resurgence in marketplace.
the 1960 models saw complete re-skinning exception of body s canopies remained identical 59 s, removed tail fins , distinctive split grille (which ford copied on final edsel models 1960). 1960 models standard engine had horsepower gain of 3 hp due compression bump of .25 1 on 59 engine. front track widened rear track @ 64 . ventura introduced, more luxurious hardtop coupe , vista 4-door hardtop being built on shorter 122-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase platform, falling between catalina , star chief models. ventura featured luxury features of bonneville in shorter, lighter catalina body.
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