1956 Pontiac Star Chief Safari

Lot details
Registration No: Un-Reg
Chassis No: C756H4480
Mot Expiry: None

The Pontiac Star Chief was first produced in 1954 as one of Pontiac's new prestige models, lifting the company from its previous dowdy image. New A-body styling and an 11in-longer frame were among the marks for the new Star Chief series, which could be identified by the chrome star trims along its sides. For 1955, the Safari version was added to the line-up, a sporting estate in the same mould as the Chevrolet Nomad. Like the Chevy, its styling was descended directly from Harley Earl's 1954 GM Motorama Corvette Nomad show car with its raked-forward B-pillar. Both cars retain two-door styling, a large 'Vista Dome' glass area, plus that distinctive raked tailgate with chrome strakes. Both were the work of Carl Renner, who had much to do with the design of the Corvette Nomad. His job was to mate the new top to the 1955 Chevrolet lower body, windscreen and other elements. The more production body parts he could use, the lower the costs would be. Windscreens and door inners from two-door hardtops were used, as were floors from two-door wagons. But the Pontiac is 7in longer in the wheelbase than the Chevy at 122in, and features heavier styling.

For '56, both cars were facelifted along with Harley Earl's longer, lower, and wider dictate though, as in 1955, the 1956 Star Chief Safari was longer and more luxurious than the Nomad. The Safari's V8 was bored from 287 to 316.6 cubic inches for 1956, upping the horsepower to 227. Pontiac also boasted about its smoother-shifting 'fluid-flow' Strato-Flight Hydra-Matic, which replaced the old Dual-Range Hydra-Matic on Star Chiefs. These were expensive cars to make, and just 9094 Pontiac Star Chief Safaris against 22,375 Chevrolet Nomads were built over the three years of production. This car retains its 316ci V8 engine, automatic transmission, tinted glass and tissue dispenser, and benefits from front and rear seat belts. It has its original chromework and interior and has apparently been repainted just once. "The Pontiac is a very good, drivable and impressive car", says the vendor. It's one of 4042 built in 1956, of which less than 10% are thought to remain, and is certainly a stylish, rarer alternative to a Tri-Chevy or '50s Ford. Imported into Germany from America, this rare Pontiac has been part of a small private collection ever since.