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Pontiac was American car manufacturer General Motors’ sub-brand, produced since 1936 until its demise in 2010. Pontiac was one of the divisions that General Motors was divided into, and was established to supplement another General Motors division, Oakland. The marque was named after the famed Native American leader who hailed from Ottawa.

Soon after Pontiac was launched, the brand surpassed Oakland’s sales as it offered a better alternative. Among its first production cars was the 1927 Pontiac Chief which garnered tens of thousands of sales within the first few months of its release. Pontiac could credit the car’s success to its stroke, which was the shortest across all American cars, and its six-cylinder engine. Pontiac also reaped the benefit of showcasing the car at the New York Auto Salon in 1926, where it attracted significant attention. The car would eventually rank among the best selling vehicles in the U.S as its sales doubled in just half a year.

In 1949, Pontiac start producing newer models. It launched Chieftain, Pontiac’s first car to be produced after the Second World War. It replaced the Pontiac Torpedo which was a larger and more expensive vehicle. The Chieftain featured several variants; it was offered as a sedan, coupe, and as a convertible coupe. Additionally, customers could choose from a range of different engine options which included six-cylinder and eight-cylinder engines. Pontiac would produce newer versions in the coming years during the early 1950s. In 1954, it offered power windows and air conditioning in the car. Pontiac also launched the Star Chief, the Chieftain line of cars’ flagship. In 1957, the Super Chief model was manufactured and sold in Australia.

Pontiac’s logo represented the Native American arrowhead. Besides its logo, the marque was recognizable from the silver streaks that adorned its cars. Originally, the silver streaks were drawn out from the hood to the grill of the cars. However, later they would extend to the whole of the car. The streaks were produced in only Pontiac’s early vehicles though, and last featured in 1957.