Mystery car pix....

Replying to: au1994 (Nov 04, 2009 5:08 am)

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• imidazol97 (Nov 04, 2009 1:24 pm)
  • andys120 (Nov 04, 2009 4:24 pm)
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• lostwrench1 (Nov 04, 2009 4:56 pm)
  • Mr_Shiftright (Nov 04, 2009 5:16 pm)
  • magnette (Nov 05, 2009 10:34 am)
    • Mr_Shiftright (Nov 05, 2009 2:13 pm)

Replying to: andys120 (Nov 04, 2009 1:01 pm)

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Replying to: imidazol97 (Nov 04, 2009 1:24 pm)

Pontiac 1953 Catalina
 
It's definitely a '53 Pontiac, even if Jalopnik has it mis-captioned as a '52 (not!). I doubt it is a Catalina which I think was a subset of the Chieftain and back then (IIRC) Catalina=Hardtop.
 
The pictured car is a low-end two-door model lacking side chrome, I don't know what they called low-line ponchos back then but I'll bet we're looking at one. If you're wondering what the side script says, it's no help, it simply reads Pontiac.
 
FYI, this is a typical '53 Catalina Chieftain.
 
I have to confess to knowing very little about '53 Ponchos even though my family acquired a new one when I was ten. I think it was a 4-door/4-post Chieftain.
It seemed pretty exciting and cool at the time but in retrospect mid-50s
Pontiacs were pretty dowdy.

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• kyfdx (Nov 04, 2009 4:41 pm)
• imidazol97 (Nov 05, 2009 5:25 am)
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Replying to: andys120 (Nov 04, 2009 4:24 pm)

Replying to: andys120 (Nov 04, 2009 1:01 pm)

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• Mr_Shiftright (Nov 04, 2009 5:16 pm)
• magnette (Nov 05, 2009 10:34 am)
  • Mr_Shiftright (Nov 05, 2009 2:13 pm)

Replying to: lostwrench1 (Nov 04, 2009 4:56 pm)

Replying to: andys120 (Nov 04, 2009 4:24 pm)

The Pontiac picture has bugged me. The side chrome (little as there is!) doesn't quite look like "Pontiac" in the picture. I searched and found two exemplars of a 53 with only that chrome accent; most have more chrome.
 
I found pictures claiming the name Chieftain and Catalina. To me the script on the picture looks like "Catalina." I think the blue picture below supports that.
 
I believe this car is really a stripper. I wonder if it was a businessman's special car. I have seen a few businessman's coupes from a little later in the 50 at car shows.
 
I find the names used here intriguing to try to figure out.
 

Replies to this message:
• steve_ (Nov 05, 2009 7:33 am)
  • imidazol97 (Nov 05, 2009 8:19 am)
• Mr_Shiftright (Nov 05, 2009 8:22 am)
• andys120 (Nov 05, 2009 8:41 am)
  • imidazol97 (Nov 05, 2009 8:51 am)
    • Mr_Shiftright (Nov 05, 2009 9:10 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Nov 05, 2009 5:25 am)

I believe this car is really a stripper.
 
Hertz has been around since 1918 - maybe it was made for their rental fleet.

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• imidazol97 (Nov 05, 2009 8:19 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 05, 2009 7:33 am)

>made for their rental fleet
 
Yup. That way people could judge all the well-equipped Pontiacs as being the same as the stripper model and inferior to the then few imports?