Well, how’d you do? The car from this morning’s CC Clue is one of only 1,266 convertible sedans produced in 1937 (including both ‘sixes’ and ‘eights’), and they are very rare on the ground today. I had no idea when I shot the car, but I’m really glad I did now!
It’s a stunningly beautiful car, and was the highest-priced model Pontiac offered that year, at $1,235 – Ford’s V8 convertible was faster, lighter and cost less ($859), but was in a different league than the Pontiac.
The Pontiac’s straight-eight engine was stroked for 1937, bringing displacement to 249 c.i.d. (4.1l) and horsepower up to 100 – even with the increased size and power, fuel economy was improved by 10% from 1936. This engine would continue relatively unchanged through 1950.
The clean-looking dash was finished to give the appearance of walnut, and made provision for one of two optional radios at its center.
Low-priced elegance with numerous available options was Pontiac’s brand promise for 1937, and the Deluxe Eight Convertible Sedan delivered it in spades!
That’s really a fine looking car. It looks like Mister Earl made a brilliant decision to give the roof a mild chop, straight from the factory. If anything, the windshield is more rakish than the later, cockpit-inspired looks. I noticed that on the clue, especially.
What a beautiful car! Typically, one would expect to see this body style on a Buick or Oldsmobile, but a Pontiac is a true gem of a find.
There is so much to appreciate in these pre-war cars – the style, the execution, the vast number of bodies available. I wouldn’t want to risk one as a DD, but it would be fun to try for a while.
Gee, they did a great job with the roof line, particularly that almost fastback-ish rear. CC effect of sorts; caught this Buick recently.
Beautiful car, but priced at over $1200 it probably was quite rare. A halo for the Pontiac brand maybe? Would dealers have fought over having one of these in their showrooms to draw ooohh and ahhhhh traffic?
Very much a halo model! Most dealers would have loved to have one on the showroom floor (if they didn’t have to floor plan it) to generate traffic but the Six was their bread-‘n-butter. Guesses are that most convertible sedans were sold by city dealers with a better healed clientele.
I had figured “Pontiac” from the lineup of holes for the “Silver Streak” on the decklid, but wasn’t aware of THAT model.
Harley Earl was able to hire great talent: Frank Hershey arrived from custom coachbuilder Walter Murphy in time to create the ’33 Pontiac styling which saved the marque; for 1935 he designed the silver streak styling that lasted through 1956. In ’36 Hershey was assigned to Opel, to be replaced by Virgil Exner who is the main fellow responsible for the attractive 1937-38 Pontiacs. Shortly, he would depart for Raymond Loewy to handle Studebaker’s account, then onto Chrysler for his greatest triumph.
Thanks for this Ed. Such a clean, elegant, and confident design. Refreshing to enjoy styling not trying hard to get noticed, but still holding great prescence. There is so much understatement and dignity in it’s design. And the simple brightwork on the grille and trunklid easily identify it as a Pontiac.
Beautiful car. These 4 door convertables seem to be offered by many American brands well into the ’30’s but they did not seem to come back after WW2. There were probably various 4 door convertables around after the war of which I am not aware, but i cannot think of any real standouts until the early ’60’s Lincoln.
There was talk of Mercedes doing an S Class 4 door Convertable a few years back – their Cali studio produced that Ocean Drive concept version, but I have not heard anymore since.
The Dowager Queen of the Netherlands, Juliana, had a W-126 convertible sedan custom-built for her summer house, called the Caruna. Nice ride:
The bunch of central speedlines appeared of course in other manufactured items. Pretty amazing that the idea lasted in Pontiacs, if split in two, until 1958. This is a GE refrigerator from the 1940’s. (Don’t know if it is pre or post war, or both. No consumer stuff was manufactured during WWII, including cars.)
Yes, because nothing says ‘speed’ like a large appliance! 🙂
Your first two pics bring out the subtle shaping that makes all the difference.
Compare with 1937 Chrysler/DeSoto convertible sedans. “In theory” all the elements are pretty much the same, including lots of speedlines and other deco devices. But there’s no doubt at all about the difference in beauty. Pontiac is just right, Chrysler is YAAAARRRGGGHHH!
Agreed. Despite Ray Dietrich’s best efforts, the contemporary Mopars are stubby, while this body flows. I particularly like the swell across the rear – it envelopes the rear seat and turns it into a kind of throne.
The convertible sedan era is interesting, because despite the ubiquity of pheatons and/or touring cars across all price levels, convertible sedans were pretty spotty in lower-priced model lineups. You started seeing them as custom bodies on luxury cars starting in the late 20s, and they were pretty standard on luxury makes though the late 30s / early 40s.
But I don’t believe Chevy had one for more than a year or two, and ford only did so in ’38-’39 IIRC – the body went over to Mercury for ’40-’41. Plymouth’s ’39 was a one-year wonder.
I see the Eight offers “concealed spare tire or two spare wheels in front wells”. That’s what this one needs – sidemounts!
Love the Art Deco hood ornament.
A beautiful car – clean, simple and elegant.
Late prewar convertible sedans are a weakness of mine. Every single one of them was uniquely attractive, but none moreso than those coming out of GM.
Beautiful car, Ed. I would adopt it in a New York minute.
Saw one of its younger brothers recently
As with many cars from about 1936 to ’48, I just wanna give it a hug.
Anyone else think that instrument panel is amazing for the time? Looks like something from decades later, like the taillights on a Continental Mark II.
A beautiful convertible. Had an opportunity to acquire a 1937 Pontiac Deluxe six model 2649 convertible. Looking forward to having the rubber meet the pavement roads in California.