By 1957, Bunkie Knudsen had spiffed up Pontiac, pitching the suspenders and rolling with the longer, lower, wider attitude that was taking root in Detroit – showboating was in! Technology, for the sake of product development and improvement, as opposed to satisfying Government edict, was starting to bloom too. Concepts, foreign to the domestic automotive scene, like fuel injection, made an initial appearance. The intersection of style and performance manifested itself in cars like this 1957 Pontiac Star Chief convertible. Things though aren’t always as they initially seem – stay tuned for more on that front. This stylish Pontiac is located in Newton, New Jersey and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of  $17,700, reserve not yet met.

The seller refers to this Pontiac as a Bonneville and that’s sort of true, it’s actually a Star Chief Custom Bonneville, as it was a trim option on the top drawer Star Chief. The Bonneville came into its own as a separate model in 1958. One of the ’57 Bonneville’s stand-out features was Rochester fuel injection, an application that Chevrolet more famously put to good use on its Corvette that same year. Conceptually the same, there were specific differences. According to Chicago Vintage Motor Carriage, Pontiac assembled 630 fuel-injected Bonneville convertibles, one for each Pontiac dealership, and all were finished in white with either red or blue highlights.

So this Star Chief Custom Bonneville is number 546 of 630, it’s a legitimate member of the club, but…as the seller states, “the car’s engine was changed when I purchased it, I knew how rare it is and the changed engine did not matter at the time. We have the fuel injection unit, distributor and all the fuel injection sheet metal which pertains to this car. Some items are missing but they can all be found for sale elsewhere“. Hmmm, so what’s under the hood now? It’s not stated.  The original fuelie was a 315 gross HP, 347 CI V8 and I wonder about the ability to find those “missing parts” that are for sale elsewhere. Futo and Sons seem to have a good handle on the differences between the Chevrolet and Pontiac units and might be that elsewhere sales place that can help. It is not said if this convertible is a runner, and if so, how well it motivates.

It is suggested that this Pontiac is in, “Great condition for a restoration“. As a restoration candidate, that’s probably true but it’s not, as it sits, so hot. For starters, it looks like someone didn’t see the fire hydrant and did a number on the passenger door. There’s something funky going on with the hood but there’s not a clear image of exactly what. The folding top is scruffy, the paint is weak, the trim is misaligned or missing, and the passenger side dagmar is drooping. As for the trim and badges that are not obvious, the seller claims to have it all. In the scheme of things, these issues are minor for a car of this stature, they’re just an indication of some of the treatment that will be necessary to turn this Bonneville back to its former greatness. It is stated that the floors, trunk, and rocker panels are solid so that’s helpful to know.

The interior is an interesting study, the floors look to have been repaired and recoated but the seller states, “However, the seats were replaced from a blue and white Bonneville“. So, this Poncho has the wrong seats which then sets up the dilemma, refinish this car in white and blue, or redo the upholstery in the proper white and red (option 2 gets my vote). The door panels appear to have been removed and the instrument panel looks tired – it’s missing its radio and perhaps its clock.

Well, yes, this Star Chief Custom Bonneville is a bit of a letdown – I was hoping to find an actual fuel-injected example that was still intact and in better overall shape. That said, this is a rare, substantial car and it deserves to be restored, with the proper fuel injection system. So, back to the seller’s suggestion, “Great condition for a restoration”, yes, I agree, how about you?