1956 Pontiac Star Chief, 5,200cc. Registration number 838 UY...

Hammer

£5,900

1956 Pontiac Star Chief, 5,200cc. Registration number 838 UYW (non transferrable). Chassis number L856H4129. Engine number 521560.
Sold with the V5C, original owners guide.and a copy of the USA title.
1956 was a watershed year for Pontiac as a group of enthusiastic managers, led by Semon ('Bunkie') Knudsen, took over the division and began the rapid evolution that transformed Pontiac. He led a group that included Bill Estes and John Delorean that quickly put their stamp on what had been a staid and conservative marque and set all their careers on a fast track.
Since 1935 Pontiac's styling signature was the 'Silver Streak' chrome hood embellishments. In a symbolic break with the Division's past, 1956 was to be their last year. Knudsen and his crew had a good base upon which to build, as Pontiac's ohv V8 was, appropriate to its conservative past and long gestation, robust and incorporated many lessons learned in several families of sister GM divisions' V8s. All Star Chief models were V8-powered and most were backed up with the proven Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. With luxury trim, standard chrome rear wheel skirts that continued into chrome bumper moldings and audacious paint combinations, Star Chiefs were easily recognized as top-of-the-line.
UYW was owned by Daphne Harris of Laurelton N.Y. in 1978 and was imported into the UK in 2017, having spent its life in New York State, by Neil Hill and he sold it to Christopher Cragg that year. It has had a new radiator and carb and runs very smoothly on our test drive. It appears that most, if not all oof the hard to find trim is present and this car will make a great base for a running restoration of live it with the US of A patina.