Pontiac 1957

Highly refined, more powerful V8 engines. Fuel injection to be made available to the public as an option by January 1st. Silver streak and Indian symbols buried for good by major facelift. Wide choice of station wagons including the special Safari and a four-door version of it to be introduced at N. Y. auto show. Genuine leather interior trim standard in Star Chief.

Your Choice

Pontiac's model line~up sounds lots like a Santa Fe RR timetable. We hope these two are better coordinated than Packard was with Pan American Airline when the latter sued over the use of Clipper. Chieftains are the lowest priced series, infringing in some instances on the upper end of the low-priced field. Next comes the Super Chief, an all-Pullman extra-fare car on the same 122-inch wheelbase. All body styles except the convertible are available in both grades.

The Star Chief, with a two-inch longer wheelbase and seven inches greater overall length, is Pontiac's answer to Mercury Montclairs, small Buicks and Oldsmobiles, DeSotos, and Studebaker Presidents. The two-door sedan is dropped, but there are both varieties of hardtops, a four-door sedan, and a convertible to answer most everyone's need.

Both Chieftain and Super Chief offer two- and four-door wagons but with hardtop styling. Last year's snappy Safari lends its name to all Pontiac wagons now; the true Safari for 1957 uses the adjectives Star Chief Custom. There will be a fourdoor version with the fancy tailgate in time for the New York auto show.

Pontiac must wait until 1958 before it gets an all-new body shell, but stylists meanwhile have done wonders with the old. Those who thinks it looks a little high compared with this year's crop of cars should glory in the additional headroom while they still have the chance.

Pontiac Power

The whole story won't come out until after Speed Week this year, but believe it or not, we're putting our money on Pontiac to walk away with top speed honors with full knowledge that there will be a mighty potent Chrysler 300-C after the same title.

Details of the new competition versions of the 347-cubic-inch Pontiac V8 weren't available at press time, but remember that these engines must be sold to the public in quantity by January 15th to be eligible for competition at Daytona. Most interesting from the private owner's standpoint will be the optional fuel injection system. Race drivers, however, will probably choose the granddaddy of factory-produced power packs--three fourbarrel carburetors!

Standard on Chieftains with synchromesh transmission is a 227-horsepower engine with 8.5 to I compression ratio and a two-barrel carburetor. Super and Star Chiefs use a 270-horsepower, 10 to I compression ratio version with one four-barrel carburetor regardless of whether HydraMatic or tbree-speed transmission is chosen. A similar engine of 252 horsepower is used on Hydra-Matic-equipped Chieftains.

Interesting engine detail on all models is a vent that opens the intake valve guide to atmospheric air pressure. This prevents the substantial loss 'of oil into the combustion chambers caused by high negative pressures when the car is decelerating. Hydra-Matic and the rest of the drive train are fundamentally unchanged from last year.

Pontiac and the Road

Pontiac is the only GM make not switching over to ball-joint front suspension this year. The reason, of course, is that it would have required changes too extensive to fit into chassis without complete redesign. Without a new body to go with it, there wasn't much point.

Chassis refinements are all aimed at softening the ride without loss of handling capabilities. Sixty-inch-long rear springs have rubber liners on station wagon, models, full length liners of another material on others. Shock absorbers are revalved for softer ride.

Inside Your Pontiac

Without doubt, Star Chiefs offer more for your upholstery and trim dollar than any other car in their price class. Top-, grain, hand-buffed leather is featured, either by itself or in combination with nylon cloth. Hardware and trim are rich and neat.

A driver used to high-hooded Pontiacs ,of the immediate past will be pleased by the new view out the larger windshield. The hood is an inch and one-half lower and free of distracting ornamentation. Instruments, true gauges all, are mounted high on the panel, as close to eye-level as possible without being obscured by the steering wheel.

The more expensive transistor-powered radio deserves a paragraph by itself. There is one speaker in the panel and two behind the rear seat. Each can be separately adjusted for tone and volume by turning a dial. The power-operated -aerial extends automatically when the radio is turned on, retracts when you shut it off.

Why Buy?

Super performance from power options for those who want it. Extreme quiet and smoothness, for those who drive normally. Attractive and extensive modifications to awell-proved basic body design. Excellent resale value.