Pontiac's Silver Streak

General Motors began the production of the Pontiac in the mid 20s but because of the Great Depression the car didn't do that well then and the sales wore low. However all that began to change in the nineteen-thirties. Back then, the Pontiac was given its very own trademark, a silver streak that ran down from the cowl to the radiator of the car.

Pontiac was introduced during the Great Depression in 1926. However, due to the state of the economy the sales were low until 1932, after which Pontiac gained its own personality with the introduction of the famous 'silver-streak' trim that stretched from the cowl to the bottom of the radiator. Six and eight-cylinder models continued to be manufactured under the Pontiac brand through the 1930s until WWII brought a halt to production of the Pontiac and the US auto industry overall.

The end of WWII saw the reemergence of the Pontiac with a chrome trim. After a minor face lift in the 1947 models, the introduction of elaborate grille work had buyers lining up at dealers, with record sales of 235,500 Pontiacs sold in 1948. Among the Pontiac cars manufactured in 1948 were the Torpedo Six, Streamliner Six, Torpedo Eight, and Streamliner Eight. The Streamliner series also featured DeLuxe station wagons in six and eight-seater models which were considered the most expensive Pontiacs in 1948 at $2,490.

The 1948 Pontiac Silver Streak, apart from its originality, had some outstanding features such as its wood work. The 'woodies' were not manufactured on a large scale. The Pontiac Silver Streak was powered by a 4.1 liter 8-cylinder engine with valve filters. The 'Hydra-Matic', hydraulic system-based automatic transmission was among the main features of the 1948 Pontiac.

One of the all time classics, these cars were great for drifting. A well balanced chassis with a high center of gravity combined with a long wheel based made it easy to drift. The Torpedo version fitted with the inline eight-cylinder engines that produced 107 horsepower at 3700 RPM, which was excellent in those days. The Silver Streak was powered by the inline 8-cylinder during its 21 years of existence until it was replaced by the V8.

The engine was silent due to lesser vibration, which was why it was fitted Pontiacs right through to 1966, and included the Torpedo (1940-48), Streamliner (1942-52), Chieftain (1949-58), and the 1954 Star Chief. A floating bar at the top of the grille made the front end look wider on the 1948 Pontiac Silver Streak. The 1949 Chieftain saw a change in shape which moved up from the grille surround to the bottom of the Silver Streaks which numbered five. Round lamps replaced the rectangular taillights from the 1948 version. The Torpedo was available as semi-notchback sedans, coupes, and convertibles.

These were the last traditional 'woodies' to roll off the assembly lines of Pontiac. To many there is no more faithful or satisfying car than the 1948 Pontiac. Sadly, the entire Pontiac family will soon be assigned to the history books.