I have a good friend at work who is about fifteen years younger than I am, and he regularly asks me and another work friend outlandish “would you rather?” questions. An example of such a question could be something like this, family-friendly and courtesy of Parade Magazine: “Would you rather be forced to sing along or dance to every single song you hear?” Or this: “Would you rather be chronically overdressed or underdressed?” The ones I hear are rarely this tame, but the concept is the same, and it came to mind when I realized that the restored 1928 Pontiac 6-28 Sport Landau Sedan I saw at the 2025 Greenfield Village Old Car Festival was not that same as the one I saw at the 2023 show. One looked as if it were awakened yesterday from a sixty-year slumber, and the other looked as if it had emerged yesterday from a five-year restoration. I’ll do my friend proud and ask the question: Would you rather have a perfect car or a car that looks like it has seen some stuff? Because you’re reading Curbside Classic, I think I know the answer, but in this case, it’s not that simple.
It is old news by now, almost 100 years into the future, but Pontiac was the only General Motors companion brand to outlast its parent, which was in this case Oakland. Although Oakland trudged along until 1931, it was clear that the car named after Chief Pontiac of the Odawa tribe was a sales success. By 1928, when our featured cars were produced, Pontiac was selling 130,000 cars a year (224,784 if you count the late-year “1928 1/2 models” that were actually sold as 1929s – more on that in a minute). The 1928 models were introduced in January, and when I say “models,” I really mean “bodystyles,” as Pontiac sold only one basic car, the “6-28” (not very creative, Pontiac: 6 cylinders, 1928…get it?). Model breakouts are unavailable, but the sedans with padded roofs and fake Landau irons were titled “Sport Landau Sedans,” and they were the most expensive model in the lineup at $875 (compared to $745 for the two-door coupe or roadster).
Both of the examples pictured were built in the first half of the year; cars built after June 1928 were titled as 1929 models and had a few minor changes from earlier cars, such as heavier-spoked wooden “artillery” wheels. I’ve done a spoke count, and neither of these cars falls into that category. The car pictured above was an entrant in the 2023 festival, and being that it was either an original-condition car or a very old restoration, there was little I could do to hide my admiration; it was just as well that the owner wasn’t around, because it might have been awkward. Like most of you, I love cars like this (but I love most cars, so that’s faint praise).
And that is why I was actively disappointed this year upon seeing this beautifully restored Sport Landau Sedan; my assumption was that the owner showed the car in its original state before tearing it down for a complete restoration. Upon reviewing my photographs, I realized that the owners and their locations on the show placards were not the same, so unless the car was sold and restored within the last two years, they are completely different cars. When I realized this, I breathed more easily and could enjoy the restored car for what it was – a beautiful example of a rarely seen Pontiac.
Both cars appear to be painted in the original Cactus Green with brown fenders, which seemed to be a Pontiac staple color in 1928. A 1928 Sport Sedan from the Nethercutt Collection that sold on Hagerty Marketplace in June was an older restoration from the Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar, California. (It is not the same car as the restored example pictured in this article.) The hammer price was a ludicrously low $10,700, which gives the “would you rather” question a little more nuance. Pity the poor 1920s sedan, huh? What chance does this original car have when a restored car sells for that little?
The upholstery and all the accouterments in the restored car look identical to the original car, except they are in better condition. Finding this unique fabric must have been a chore, but perhaps it was done before the myriad upholstery outlets closed their doors, leaving only SMS standing for the time being.
The 1928 models had a few important upgrades over their 1927 predecessors, including four-wheel-brakes (imagine a time when that wasn’t an obvious engineering choice!) and a new G-M-R cylinder head that “[reduced] ‘spark knock’ or detonation to a negligible factor,” according to Pontiac’s sales literature.
Unfortunately, the ads don’t dive into the meaning of the acronym “G-M-R”, but it did give the 186.5 cubic-inch six “an increased margin of power and snap.” What did that mean in terms of specifications? The compression ratio was increased from 4.8:1 to 4.9:1 and the horsepower from 40 to 48, maybe. The materials I’ve found don’t list a horsepower rating, but other internet sources mention 48. The N.A.C.C. (National Automobile Chamber of Commerce) rating was about the same, but those ratings are akin to taxable horsepower and therefore of limited use to actually deriving a car’s real output.
Other improvements for 1928 included a crossflow radiator and a new thermostat, and an AC mechanical fuel pump that replaced the old vacuum tank that previous Pontiacs used to provide fuel to the carburetor (this was apparently an industry first). The aforementioned four-wheel brakes were of the internal-expanding type (such as you might be used to on your more “modern” drum-brake-equipped car) in front, and the old external-contracting type in the rear (seen here).
Back to the “would you rather?” prompt. My heart and my head, being subject to the laws of biology, are certainly connected by way of both circulatory and nervous systems. But it doesn’t feel that way. While I don’t like the staining on the Landau top, the rest of the car is almost exactly as I’d want to buy it.
The surface rust, worn paint, and the small and slightly askew “Fisher Body” tag mounted low on the cowl speak to the car’s status as a 97-year-old veteran of a hard Earth.
We all have our scars and bruises, and I don’t personally like a hypocrite who isn’t aware that they’re being one. While a 1928 Pontiac is a machine and not a person, honesty is an attractive trait regardless of the atoms that make us up, and we like what we like.
On the other hand, our spouses often enjoy riding in our hobby cars with us, and don’t they deserve to not come home with laundry to do because they accidentally brushed up against some dirt and rust? Don’t they deserve a seating surface that hasn’t been stained by sixty years of sitting around? Does anyone appreciate that mouse-ridden smell?
And if these restored Pontiacs are selling in the ten-grand range, that makes my indecisive head spin. My answers to my friend’s questions tend to be a meandering discussion of the pros and cons of each (shout out to anyone who puts up with my quirks, by the way), but I eventually come down to an answer. In this case, my commitment would come down to price: If I could buy this restored ’28 for $10,700, there’s no way I don’t choose it. But maybe I could get the original one for five. Thank goodness for hypothetical questions.
I feel like the “original” hasn’t even been cleaned. Maybe I’m wrong, but some of the Marks/drips on the paint seem like they would come off. Not only that, but the wheels & tires look dirty. The roof, well based on the rest of the car, I’m also assuming they didn’t try to clean it, but I also think that if they did, it might just deteriorate. It must smell… well, musty in there.
Personally, I’d choose the restored version.
As a Mechanic I always go for the unrestored vehicles, like this beautiful Pontiac .
Not all unrestored survivors are this nice .
-Nate
I like them both but regardless of which one I owned I’d put a GTO emblem on the grille just to confuse everyone. As to the stained roof, the chances of those stains coming out may not be great but the roof could be dyed to match the darkest stains.
I appreciate this tribute to 1920’s sedans, particularly those not made by Ford or Chevrolet. Interest in them is sinking fast, and I worry about the continued availability of parts. The two generations that have hoarded parts for cars like these are about gone, and not enough people know what to do with those treasures when the old guy leaves this Earth.
Your question is a tough call. I admire an all-original car, but the price would have to be under $5k to get me interested. But then I am being a choosy and tough bargainer and would not look at the restored car until it got under $7500. Which is, sadly, where it will probably wind up fairly soon. Anyone who buys one of these had better love it, because the odds of reselling it are pretty grim.
I love a good survivor and that Pontiac (the patina one) is lovely with the small exception of the roof staining. If I owned it I would not restore it but it is way too hard to pass up the value proposition of the restored one if one was buying.
Original for me.
I like the mostly untouched example it has been looked after well and restored cars going cheap or not selling at all is a worldwide trend, also meaningless word salad badging isnt only done in Japan, this is a prime example, it is a sedan its not at all sporty and the landau effect is faked.
It’d be hard not to take the restored car at current prices, for practical reasons if nothing else.
Though I’ve had a ’36 Olds and great unrestored ’37 Dodge it’s been 30 years since I’ve had a prewar car. If prices keep dropping might have to get one more, though actually driving one in my mid-late 70s might be a different story. I’ve always kind of cottoned to the ’37 GMs and now might have to look around a bit.
I suspect the “unrestored” car to be a deteriorated older ’60s or ’70s restoration. Having seen some late 20’s and early ’30s cars that were purportedly put away in excellent condition into good dry storage when they were still relatively young, when finally seeing the light of day for the first time they were far far worse than this one.
I would prefer the unrestored version but can’t tolerate the roof staining. I don’t know how that could be remedied without being inharmonious with the rest of the car so I’ll go with the restored one. I definitely wouldn’t spend the money to restore a car like this because it would cost four times as much as it’s worth. And will be worth even less in 15-20 years.
The only non-prestige car from this era that will remain viable is the Model A because the tooling and support is solid. But most in the future will be heavily modified so as to be tolerable to the ten-screen, ai-dependent consumer.
Refurbished, as in painting my ’93 Ford F-150 with a gallon of Rust-Oleum … in the appropriate color of dark green.
My instinct is the original un restored car, but on the other hand the restored car could earn it’s oats as a wedding/prom/ tv car. It’d funny here as Pontac means Firebird to anyone here who’s even heard of Pontiac. Prices definitely seem to be getting softer here for anything pre fifties that isn’t a solid investment car.
I love both of these cars, and especially that patterned upholstery!
Incidentally, this ad below (in the 2nd paragraph) states that G-M-R stands for General Motors Research:
Interesting. It looks like it was just a renaming of Kettering’s Delco Labs.
The unrestored car looks like it should be heading for California with the Joad family on board.
Which way would I go? Well it all depends on the price difference between the two and who is selling the restored version. Let’s say it is a grade 2 restoration since a grade 1 is ungodly expensive to do. Then is seller an owner, a flipper, or a dealer. If an owner and the restored was 10K, as here, and the unrestored $4-5K then it is the restored. I can do most work but not upholstery and that costs bucks. If the gap was $10-15K then I’d buy the unrestored as I can do the work for less and have enjoyment doing it. The unrestored could use a basic detailing and then I would concentrate on the mechanicals so it was drivable/reliable while leaving the body as is.
Then there is the fact that interest is declining in cars from the 50’s on back. Sellers don’t seem to realize this but those who would buy are either too old or dead. Talking with a Honda/Toyota tech friend who cut his teeth on mid-80’s cars his crowd is interested in the small Hondas and Toyotas from those days. Those would be mid-80’s Civics, to Tercel, to Starlet where they can pull the engine and put a more powerful one in. He has an MR2 with a 500 HP engine in his garage and is changing out another MR2 engine, as a private job, for an over 600 HP turbo engine.
I appreciate a well preserved original. However, if a previously restored example is available at a reasonable price, I’d go with the restored car. My ’46 Plymouth was restored some time in the 1980’s. The gentleman that I bought it from had owned it for 37 years, and it was done before he bought it. It’s lived another whole lifetime since it was redone. Though it’s still in pretty good shape, I’ve been busy repairing some things that need fixing. I’m glad that it is still a presentable, good running car, that lets me enjoy it more, with less work.
I think my sweet spot is somewhere between those two. If the rougher one is an older restoration, I think I would go that route. You could work gradually on making it a little nicer without destroying the originality without ever getting to the too nice to just use condition of the fully restored one. I suppose the other way to go is to have a budget where you don’t worry about the restored car, but I don’t think most of those folks are buying Pontiacs.