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Pontiac Purveyors: 1936

"1936 Pontiacs and salesmen at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco." Lined up at the Bottom of the Mark. 8x10 inch Kodak safety negative. View full size.

"1936 Pontiacs and salesmen at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco." Lined up at the Bottom of the Mark. 8x10 inch Kodak safety negative. View full size.

 

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Fascinating

Nearly 20 years later my grandfather, father and two uncles would strike exactly the same pose outside of the family business with their company Buicks (Dad's was a cherry red convertible).

"The wheels will fall off", as Mom would say

My father, a genius certified by the U.S. Army, loved Pontiacs, even more than the Cadillacs, Studebakers, and Jaguars he'd owned. Perhaps it was the adventure aspect--searching for mechanics in the most remote scenic byways of pre-interstate America. All of us kids remember vividly our made-up games of collecting bottlecaps to while away hours as Dad and the Sinclair greasemonkey reattached the wheelhub of our '56 Chieftan, our '59 Starfire, our '63 GTO or our '66 Bonneville so we could get on with our vacation. It was no wonder that whenever Dad came home grinning with the new one, Mom would say simply, "The wheels will fall off".

Heading home two weeks ago, the turn lane onto my street was blocked by a police cruiser. "An accident", I thought. But no, the officer was merely protectively blocking off traffic for a man in one of the last Pontiacs built, its right front wheel, hub and all, detached and lying over on its side nearby.

Dad finally admitted at age 80 that Mom was smarter.

Nevertheless, one of my fondest memories is as a child of three, driving my uncle's hot pink '56 Pontiac down the brick streets of Amarillo, Texas, with my mother and aunt in the back seat asking, "Do you think this is a good idea?" Thank goodness the wheel didn't fall off.

Pontiac Stripes

Those long stainless stripes that sweep down over the front of the hood decorated Pontiacs in one form or another, every year for 20 years and became more or less a Pontiac trademark thru' 1955 or '56, second only the the Indian Chief.

Silver Streak

This was the second year for the brand identifying metal band down the hood and on the trunks of some models and would stay around through 1956.

Third Car Interlopers

The two Pontiacs with the headlights not attached to the nose are 1935 models. The other Pontiacs, with the lights attached just behind the grille, are from 1936. The 1935 models were the first with the "Silver Streak" running down the hood.

The two cars in the background are 1935 Fords.

Different Pontiacs

The third car from the front is a 1935 Pontiac. It is very similar to the '36s. The '35 introduced the first "turret top". The most noticable difference was the front door hinge location, which was moved from the front to the back.

Some are new, some are not

Vitojo, the two that have the headlights mounted to the fenders are 1935 models; the rest are '36 models. Notice also that on the '35 models, the side elements of the grilles contain vertical bars, instead of the horizontal bars seen on the '36 models.

The Silver Streak Pontiacs

The two Pontiacs with headlights attached to the fenders instead of the nose are 1935 model year cars. Also note that the third from the back has turn signals on the fenders, this was called the "Improved" model and it also featured a more artistic hood ornament. The hood ornament on the third from the front is the normal 1935 version.

[I believe those are parking lights, not turn signals. -tterrace]

What no tailfins?

I was born just as cars were starting to sprout tailfins, but if asked to draw a car today, one representing all, this is the silhouette that comes most often to mind. A lasting design statement.

Re: Third car from the front or the back

I think the car with the headlights not attached to the nose is a 1935 model while the others are 1936. Someone near my house had a 1936 Pontiac similar to these for sale last year. I would drive by and think how great it would be to own something like that, but boy you would have to know a lot about old cars (and where to get parts!) to maintain something like that.

Cool hood ornament

That Pontiac hood ornament; the Indian w/the ring around it was very fragile --I wonder how many were intact a year later

Car number 3

Is a '35. Guessing that #4 is your base model with no straight 8 engine or emblem, and painted as opposed to chrome grille.

Third Car is a 1935 Model

The third car with the headlights attached to fenders and different insignia is a 1935 model. Could this photo have been taken in late 1935 when the 1936 models were introduced?

Third car from the front or the back

Headlamps not attached to the nose and different insignia. What would be the difference between these and the others? Very stylish cars indeed.

I love those grilles

I do, I do, I do.

Fender sitting

Don't try that on your new car today, you'll wind up with dents.

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