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To mark the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, we shift into reverse to --
San Francisco, 1935. "Golden Gate Bridge under construction. Pontiacs on Presidio ramp." 8x10 negative, late of the Stanley-Blaisdell collections. View full size.
I'm not an auto buff, but I immediately noticed that none of these Pontiacs has a fabric roof. Instead, they all feature then-new solid-steel roofs, a design feature that had just come into general use a year or two earlier.
[GM's all-steel "turret top" roof was first used in 1935 models, such as these Pontiacs. - tterrace]
On the right side of the photo, several biplanes are parked alongside the runways and outside the hangars of the short-lived Crissy Army Airfield in the Presidio. Established in 1920, the field would close the year after this photo was taken due both to the need for longer runways and also to the growing (literally) aviation hazards presented by the looming towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.
My aeronautical historian buddy Burl Burlingame has identified the planes as Consolidated PT-1 "Trusty" trainers.
Cannot distinguish the vehicle's manufacturer from the placard on the grill. Input welcome.
[Luckily, the photo has a caption. - tterrace]
More than a ramp, this would carry U.S. 101 to the bridge. In 2015 the 15 year, $1.1 billion Presidio Parkway project was completed, replacing this original approach to the bridge.
Pontiacs are also a selection of ceased sedans.
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