The “Pontiac” was actually a model introduced by Oakland, which was part of GM, in 1926. Pontiac proved so popular that Oakland was absorbed into the Pontiac division by 1932. Meanwhile, a young man named Harley Earl was working with GM at the time. His crew, including Frank Hershey – Father of the Thunderbird – set to designing a more aerodynamic body for the upcoming Pontiacs. The result was a complete departure from earlier generation Pontiacs. The dash panel was made to mimic the instrument panel of an airplane. The grill was a deep “V” on a slant. The car received a chrome strip on its hood – the beginnings of the famous “silver streak” employed with extravagance after 1935. The 1933 Pontiacs also benefited from the company’s first straight 8 engine. Here on eBay is a rare 1933 Pontiac 5 Window Coupe, bid to $26,900, reserve not met. The car is located in Grafton, North Dakota.

The seller has owned this car since 1980 and indicates that it was painted by Sam Foose – Chip Foose’s father. It is a twin side-mount, meaning it carries spares on both sides of the engine compartment; this feature and the 5 window coupe body style are quite rare. This was the first year GM introduced vent windows, originally called “no draft individually controlled ventilation”, later shortened to “ventiplanes”. The seller says the car has won many trophies over the years and is now driven around the neighborhood to keep it in working order. This photo shows off the “V” grille.

The straight 8 engine was billed as the longest straight 8 with comparable horsepower – about 77 bhp – of its time. The motor was paired with a single Carter carburetor and a manual transmission. A bit of attention under the hood would steer this car towards show-worthiness once again. This photo isn’t in the eBay listing; I asked for it and the owner kindly supplied it.

The interior was finished in mohair by a Ford master upholsterer. Other than soiled carpets, it’s in fine condition. The dash is simple and to the point. The odometer reads 46,880, with no indication of whether that’s original mileage or not. This is a beautiful example of a 1930s car with rare features in fine condition. Documentation of work completed, its show record and books and manuals can add value here. While cars from the 1930s are encountering declining interest lately, this one is so stylish that perhaps it can rise above the trend – what do you think?