Occasionally a classic car will appear on our desks here at Barn Finds, and it will leave us struggling for words. That is the case with this 1952 Pontiac Chieftain Catalina. Its presentation is superb, but that is the tip of the iceberg. The seller claims that not only is all of the paint and trim original but that the odometer reading of 6,395 miles is genuine. If these facts are all true, it makes this a pretty stunning find. The time has come for it to find its way to a new home and for someone to decide whether they wish to add anything to the mileage that it has accumulated. Located in Ramsey, New Jersey, you’ll find this Pontiac listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $20,100, but this figure remains short of the reserve.
This Catalina is one of those cars where the pictures do most of the talking. This is a good thing because the seller isn’t particularly forthcoming with information. This classic must have some sort of backstory because it is a rarity to see a car of this vintage that is so original and has a four-digit reading on its odometer. I decided to venture beyond the eBay listing to the dealership website, and all that I have been able to add to its history is that the seller refers to it as an original show car. It presents beautifully in its combination of Seamist Green with a contrasting Belfast Green top. The paint looks flawless, with not a mark visible anywhere. The panels are laser straight, and the comprehensive set of photos that the seller supplies indicate that the vehicle is entirely rust-free. The chrome and trim look factory fresh, while the original tinted glass shows no evidence of defects. The owner claims to have the original tires, although it isn’t clear whether these are the wide whitewalls that we see in the supplied photos.
With such a low odometer reading, it is no surprise to find that the Catalina retains its original drivetrain. It comes equipped with the 268ci flathead straight-eight engine that would’ve been producing 122hp when this car rolled off the production line. The original owner chose to back this with the 4-speed Hydramatic transmission, and this combination would’ve allowed the Pontiac to cover the ¼ mile in around 21.9 seconds. Okay, that’s not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still considered respectable in 1952. The engine bay presents exceptionally well for a vehicle of this age, but this car is about more than mere looks. It seems that it is in mechanically sound health, with the seller indicating that the Catalina runs and drives as it should.
If you slipped behind the wheel of this Pontiac and let your imagination wander, it would be easy to believe that you’d stepped back to a point where “Singin’ in the Rain” and “High Noon” graced the silver screen, and when Harry S Truman was the President. There are some marks on the carpet on the driver’s side, but these are minor. I’m also unsure whether there might be a small hole in the cloth on the front seat. The rest of the trim and upholstery are incredibly well preserved, with only some slight discoloring of the White leather as a fault worth noting. While I usually avoid the term, this could genuinely be classed as a time capsule. The painted surfaces are spotless, there is no evidence of wear on the wheel, and if you wish to seal the deal, the instruction card remains intact on the driver’s sunvisor. This was 1952, so buyers weren’t going to be drowning in luxury features. However, the electric clock and pushbutton AM radio all add a touch of luxury to the interior. I have included an additional photo gallery at the bottom of this article so that you can gain an insight into how spotless this interior is.
I have written about this 1952 Pontiac Catalina in good faith. Taken at face value, it appears to be an amazing survivor, and vehicles of this caliber don’t come along every day. Its condition is jaw-dropping, and I would love to know how it has managed to survive through 69-years with so few miles on the clock. We can only hope that the seller holds some background information on the car’s history because, to me, that is another vital part of what makes this car so unique. The bidding to this point hasn’t been particularly strong, suggesting that there might be a few people who harbor doubts about this classic. It makes me wonder what the reserve might be and whether the bidding will reach that level. What do you think?
Wow, just wow. I really want this, but I am afraid it is far above my pay grade. Mere mortals, need not apply.
Gary, my words exactly. “Wow, just wow”
I just scroll on by most of the low mileage, all original claims here on BF, the imposters are easy to spot even from a photograph, This isn’t one of them.
Show me the docs and then I’ll believe
you. Last one I saw like this was in 2015 when I came across a ’50 Chevy
coupe with than 600 miles on it. As for
the car shown here, what would you do with it? Driving it is not an option. This
one belongs in a museum. Jay Leno,
your car is waiting.
Not for Jay. He only buys cars to drive them.
Absolutely beautiful!!! Its at 25K and I have no idea of if it is priced well or not. But the reserve is still on. If it were a trifive it would be going for 3 times that. But its not, and it is an early 50’s car which limits its desirability. Still, what a gem. Its not for me though, just reminds me of a old persons car and I don’t need another reminder of that.
looks like a napa tote in t in trunk….
For whatever its worth, back in the late 70’s when living in the East Bay of San Francisco, a banker friend of mine I knew, told me a story about an aging customer at his bank who had a small warehouse in Emeryville. The fellow, he said was a retired bus driver for the local Oakland transit and had a collection of similar cars as this Pontiac with ultra-low mileage. It seems that when this fellow bought a new car every couple years he would buy a second to store away in case he ever needed parts. Seems he had been through a terrible accident at sometime and felt “safer” if he had a back up.
Anyway, this friend of mine had actually seen this collection of approximately a dozen or so cars when he was younger in the 60s doing appraisals for the bank and really never knew what became of the collection as he just assumed the old guy had eventually passed away.
Odd story I thought I’d share that this listing reminded me of. Somehow I just assumed this Pontiac may have been part of that collection at some time in the distant past.
The condition is even more amazing than you think. This is a 1952 model. That’s “Korean War chrome” which was so bad it would practically wipe off on a polishing rag, and wasn’t durable at all. Yet it looks like new on this car.
I’d love to hear the backstory on this one. Somebody’s pride and joy, that’s for sure.
I was going to make the same comment about the chrome. I inherited a 51 Pontiac two door sedan, a one owner car that ran and drove, but the chrome grill was was too rusty to save. It would have cost more to make it look good so I sold it. Also, I have to agree about the whitewalls on this car, they are too wide.
Kingpins! same as my 62 Covette, underneath looks like it should for it’s age, this car appears to be the real deal, paper trail history will tell all to verify mileage same as speedo, wonder if it has the original spark plugs, only original once. nice!
This is a pearl clutcher.
they may not have been the fastest but that 8 is s smooth. Park it in my garage.
Beautiful Automobile.
Get those wide whites off that beautiful car!
Those wide whites belong on this car! What are you a seventeen-year-old?
Excellent!
I don’t think BR is a 17 year old, but makes a valid point. The wide whites pretty much draws a line in what one thinks looks good on a car. I’m 66, you’d think I’d like wide whites, and maybe on a full classic, they are appropriate, but on a nice car like this, they are too much. Continental kits, same thing. Either you like them or you don’t and the “likers” are fast disappearing.
I’m sure that I remember cars of that era coming from the factory with wide whites. They were not just aftermarket tires. Try real hard to remember Howard A.
Beautiful car that needs to be driven carefully but driven.
Not to say that the mileage is not original, but the underhood ID tag on my 51 Pontiac has not been painted over like the one on this 52. Further, the yellow inspection marks are also still visible on the firewall of my 51 after over 100,000 miles. I don’t see those marks on the firewall of this 52.
For the umpteenth time since I began reading here, I’m wondering how you know the 1/4 mile times for these old, non-muscle cars? Not that it makes any difference to me – I’m more interested in the passing ability of 50-to-80 times. Or 40-to-60 on the older cars. But it is a question that hasn’t been answered.
Hi Kenn, I chuckle at that too. The author gives the performance times on some of the most unlikely vehicles. 1/4 mile times for cars like these was the last thing on buyers minds. They wanted a fancy Chevy, which is what Pontiac was. 1955 changed all that.
In the early car magazines it was common to show performance tests on the cars. Like Speed Age, Motor Trend, Mechanix Illustrated, etc,. For example the 53 Mercury with Mercomatic did the quarter mile in 20.8 seconds at 65 mph. Right up there with the Pontiac. Top speed and fuel mileage tests were also performed. Very interesting to read now.
It’s a beautiful car BUT in photo #5 check out the condition of the Bailey channel, it’s virtually non existent.
I have never heard of a “Bailey channel”. What is it?
A friend of mine owned this car in the mid to late 1990’s. At the time it had 5,200 miles. He is a long time Pontiac collector and the car is legit.