The Pontiac Star Chief was big brother to the Chieftain, and later little brother to the Bonneville. Riding on a slightly longer wheelbase than the former (by two inches), this 1955 Star Chief Catalina Coupe is an attractive vehicle. And a symbol of what great styling could look like back in the day. Likely wearing a restoration, this beauty seems to want for nothing but a new home and is offered by a dealer in Brooksville, Florida. $15,100 is the current bid here on eBay and – of course – that’s not enough to crack the seller’s reserve.
Pontiac literature included the Star Chief from its arrival in 1954 to its departure in 1966. To help differentiate the auto, stylists added chrome star trim along the sides of the body. The big news for 1955 was the advent of a new “Strato-Streak” V8 engine to replace the aging straight-eight that Pontiac cars used for years. It began with a displacement of 287 cubic inches and grew each of the next two years to 347. Fans of the old I Love Lucy TV show might recall that a ’55 Star Chief convertible took the Ricardos on a road trip from New York to California.
The Star Chief Catalina Custom Coupe, like the one featured here, was quite popular, and nearly 100,000 of them were produced in 1955. The seller is quite colorful in his/her description of this one, which wears White Mist over Turquoise Blue paint. The cool Indian Head hood ornament lights up at night, helping to draw more attention to the sculptured lines of the automobile. The body and paint are excellent as is the matching interior.
This Poncho rolls on new bias-ply tires, harking back to the time when the car was built. And the 4-speed Hydramatic transmission should go through the gears nicely. The odometer reads north of 81,000 suggesting a restoration or a car that was meticulously carried for by prior owners. The buyer will not only get to take possession of this cool car, but also an extra set of chrome fender skirts. After all, it was the 1950s
Might be wrong but I think you might be looking at a 56 here, not a 55
The car advertised is definitely a 55 Pontiac.
My first car was a ’55 Pontiac Starchief only in a 4-door model It was given to me In March 1972 ! I had alot of fun with it , sitting in it and playing the radio back then .As I recall parts were hard to find for those cars even in ’72 . Those ’55 Pontiacs will always be special , ” being my first car!!” Happy Motoring !
It’s not “might be wrong”, you ARE wrong. This is a 55, no question.
The 1955 & 2956 Pontiacs looked quite similar with minimal changes between the two years.
If you look at the eBay listing tor this Olds, there is a 1956 Olds listed. Offers a chance to compare the two years and observe how similar they are in appearance.
Really really nice !! I actually like this better than a 55 chevy!!!!
The official title for this car is Star Chief Custom Catalina. It differed from the lesser Star Chiefs by virtue of its deluxe, leather interior and a limited color selection, inside and out.
The Star Chief was created to give Pontiac something closer to the B-body Olds and Buick, while retaining the A-body shared with Chevrolet. The wheelbase was stretched 2″ at the rear, and the deck was extended a total of 7″ for a more “important” look.
Stunning, just simply stunning. Can you imagine walking into dealerships back then?
This is one of the two 1955 cars of my choice…the other being the 1955 Studebaker Speedster…both show a lot of class in automobile history .
1955 was a design change in the different manufacturers of cars. I had a 55 Ford Customline as my first car in the early 1960s. Also a 55 Chevy in the middle 60s. I liked all the 55 models. I liked all the chrome and the two tone paint on this Pontiac Fire Chief. Pontiac back had a very distinctive look with the Chrome going down the middle of the hood. A big water fall of chrome.
Pontiac “Fire Chief”????
I am selling a car next month. If it were already done, I would be bidding on this one.
My first car was a ’55 Pontiac Starchief which I got back in 1972 . They were sturdy well built cars back then and unlike today’s autos , really stood out ! Our current automobiles almost all look similar in styling compared to cars of the fifties and even the sixties . Drive one of those old Pontiacs out on the highway today , and you will really get noticed !! Happy Motoring !
Presents nicely but I wish there were better photos of the interior. I like the color and that lighted hood ornament is cool and ahead of its time. It’s a welcome change of sight from the thousands of Tri-five Chevys I see; if this were a Bel-Air it would top $70K.
Hey Lucy, I’m home!
I have said this before and I know I will say it again. I would buy a car like this before I would buy most newer calls these days. Probably all of them. Don’t know what this will go for but $20,000 for a car like this, knowing that I don’t really drive much more than 10,000 miles a year makes more sense than a $40000 Chevy or KIA that will lose half its value in a year. This is a beautiful car. Granted, it shouldn’t be sweeping along the Interstate but my kids say the same thing about me.
I love the 55 Pontiac Star Chief. I had one back 1964, mine had the bronze and cream colors, it also had leather upholstery. I would have kept it not for Uncle Sam. If I wasn’t in the middle of a major move, I’d be on this beauty.
Mine is a frame off 56 restomod very pristine that I wouldn’t take 30k for.
If this car sells for less than $30K, I’d be very surprised.
I have never owned a big car like this when I was younger, so i don’t know much about them. It looks awesome from the pictures.
Someone must have spent a lot of money and time to get this Pontiac to look like it does?
I didn’t see any flaws in the paint work or interior, and the panels align up really well.
This must be a rare vehicle, because most folks seem to want a Chevy?
I’m happy to see a Pontiac looking this good for a change.
I’m sure the new owner will be elated.
A good find!
Just my oponion!
Rick Polsley: as others have responded to you, ‘ti’s a ’55. The 1955 had an entirely new body-shell (which Cadillac, Buick, and Oldsmobile had gained in 1954). The 1955 Pontiac tried to retain many of the cues from the ’54, and largely succeeded: when you saw one of these for the first time in the early autumn of 1954, you knew immediately that it was a Pontiac. The 1956 was a face-lift from this design — and in my mind, and rather poor one. The side-trim looked odd, and the rest of it made you prefer a ’55 (at least, in my opinion). The 1954 Pontiac looked less dowdy than the 1954 Chevrolet, and carried well in preparation for the ’55. As a result, however, the ’55 Chevy came as a bit of a shock (much as the ’49 Ford had done in the summer of 1948). The 1955 Chevrolet, though, was elegant in its own way at the time — though you could be forgiven for not instantly recognising it as a Chevy. I personally loved the unique grille — and I mourned the return to more “standard” front-end styling for ’56. But the 1957 face-lift did both the nose and the rear of the Chevy proud — and the sides weren’t bad, either! The ’55 had looked so “new” in 1954; but against the ’57, it suddenly was “old”. But I confess a special love for the timeless look of the 1955 Pontiac. Going to view these new cars in their dealers’ showrooms was a joy for me — and I liked the 1955 Packard the best. The 1955 Cadillac face-lift made me prefer the ’54. Likewise, with Buick and Oldsmobile. And the ’56ers on those were worse. The 1957 GMs were weird — except for the Chevrolet. But if you REALLY want a bad facelift: I could not BELIEVE how Ford uglified their Fairlane for 1958! — After such a nice ’57. But they made up for that in 1959. Needless to say, I could not afford a new car in the 1940s and 1950s -, but, no harm in LOOKin’! This was a magical time in American history, where consumer products were concerned and when suburban living was culturally-idealised. It was a time when affluence went mainstream and regular people prospered. Those born and living in decades since cannot imagine what the 1950s were like. Little did we know how soon it all would crash, and families would need two incomes just to survive, and an unpopular war along with drug-abuse and harsh attitudes would have us at each other’s throats. There was an optimistic innocence to the era that produced this Pontiac: Americans are far too cynical for that now.
It’s better value than it’s Chevy Tri’Five cousins, and more attractive IMHO.
It’s gorgeous, and is well optioned. It’s new owner will be very fortunate.
Mr. Harrison Reed.
What a wonderfully picturesque beautifully written epilog of a very substantial period of time. Dreadfully fewer and fewer people today even have a clue in what you just expressed.
I would hope that ALL of the people who enjoy and participate on this forum will take a moment and enjoy your writings.
If I were to go out on a limb, I might have to say that you sir are an author.
To Billy: Thank you so very much! The first time I was told that I was an “author”, was in 1951, a year or two ago (smile). I have been working on an autobiography on growing up and entering adulthood as an Autistic person, before Autism was recognised, and what that entailed. Lack of funds has repeatedly intervened; because, despite my age, I must work to get by. I wrote much of the manuscript by hand, and my younger brother typeset it; but he no longer can do that, and I have no computer. Articles and other items I have written over the years have been published in various places. Autism creates a circumstance in which I am nearly “expert” in a particular few narrow skills — and about “clue-less” in virtually all other things. Working WITH PEOPLE has been a problem (again, common with Autism). But if you have a scratched (phonograph) record, I can repair the problem, using a system I invented when I was five-years-old. Sadly, I have been unable to teach this skill to others — and each one who has attempted to learn it has fatally-damaged records in attempts to apply it. Your comment causes me to think that I might try writing about times in my personal experience which younger people never got to witness (wonder if they would be interested?). Thank you again!
Harrison. {the short of it}, I would have to say YES. Yes to writing about all of the things that mean and meant something true to you. But please don’t paint yourself in a corner by thinking that your prospective audience would only be the young.
{the long of it} Please, to never allow your self described pebble in the path scuff the shine upon the shoes you wear.
With the way vinyl records have made a comeback, I am sure your services to fix some rarer ones would be in demand. Find some old record stores in your area to see if they could use your help in fixing damaged records. Good luck to you sir.
Thank you, Billy and Ed, for your responses!
You sir, are most welcome. I have truly enjoyed your writing and your knowledge of our mutually enjoyed subject matter. I’m privileged and greatly appreciative for men who find the easy transfer of substanive information within the honest words of their pen.
Thank you. God bless you and your family.
Billy