Skip to main content

1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six also know as the “Ghost Car” or “Plexiglas”



When the car was first featured at General Motors’ “Highways and Horizons” pavilion, it was a massive hit. Most people wouldn’t have seen Plexiglas before, so a transparent material with that many curves was almost unheard of.

 

Here you could look through the body of the car to see all its internal workings exposed. For aesthetic purposes all structural metal was given a copper wash, while the hardware and even the dashboard were covered in chrome. All the rubber elements in the car were made in white, including the tires.



The final price for the car? In the days when a new Pontiac was just about $700, this beauty cost $25000 to build. When this car was auctioned by RM Auctions in 2011, it went for just a little more than its original price. The one-of-a-kind car sold for $308,000.The Pontiac “Ghost” is equipped with a 2.2 liter six-cylinder engine, developing 85 horsepower and connected to a three-speed manual transmission. The transparent car is fitted with independent front suspension, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes and live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs.



The car has was the result of a collaboration between General Motors and Rohm & Haas, who developed the ground-breaking material Plexiglas in 1933.The model has an L-head six-cylinder engine, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes



The material went on to be used in military planes during World War II and then expanded in to signs, lighting, fixtures, trains and other cars.Rohm & Haas used drawings for the Pontiac four-door Touring Sedan to create an exact replica body out of the transparent acrylic.Seventy-two years of wear: The Plexiglas does have some chips and cracks but is mostly in good condition, according to auction notes.



It was completed with structural metal underneath, which was given a copper wash, and chrome-plated hardware.Rubber moldings were made in white, as were the car’s tires. The only recent mechanical work has been replacement of the fuel lines.Billed as a vision of the future, the car was made for the 1939-40 New York World's Fair in San Francisco, pictured here


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Royal Enfield WD/RE(Flying Flea)

Manufacturer                                  Royal Enfield Also called                                 Flying Flea Production                                 1939–1941 Predecessor                                 DKW RT100 Successor                                 RE125 Class                                         Military Engine                                        126 c...
Post a Comment
Read more

7 sarcastic rule for Indian Roads

On Indian roads, traffic laws are optional art forms. A red light signals a race, zebra crossings are floor décor, and honking is the official language. Driving here isn’t about discipline but about improvising like a street performer—survival demands sharp reflexes, blind faith, and a generous dose of sarcasm. 1 After all, why fix behaviour when you can sell accessories with a green signal? On Indian roads, rules are a comedy show. You cannot use earphones while riding a two-wheeler—it’s unsafe, they say. But a Bluetooth helmet? Oh, that’s perfectly fine! Because clearly, music and calls become safer when delivered through an overpriced helmet. As if the rider’s focus magically improves when the voice in their head comes from a “government-approved” gadget. Meanwhile, the same rider weaves through potholes, dodges cattle, and squeezes between buses like it’s an action stunt. Road safety here isn’t about logic, it’s about loopholes. After all, why fix behaviour when you can sell acces...
Post a Comment
Read more

KTM X-Bow R

I t’s three years since bike manufacturer KTM branched out into cars, launching the X-Bow at the 2008 Geneva motor show. More than 500 brave drivers have been found to buy the X-Bow, ensuring the project has survived the recession and brought further evolution. Which brings us to this: the 2011 X-Bow R, an even faster version of the sports car. It’s a similar, pared-back two-seater, only this time the X-Bow R brings an uprated version of the Audi 2.0-litre four-cylinder. It’s the turbocharged TFSI engine, boosted to 296bhp and 295lb ft of torque. That’s more than in the donor Audi S3 and TT-S, which produce no more than 268bhp. Thank a larger turbocharger, reprogrammed Bosch engine management and new fuel injectors. And the engine changes are just scratching the surface of a series of upgrades to build this fastest ever KTM with four wheels. So the KTM X-Bow R is quicker than most Ferraris? Yes. Prod the throttle and the R simply flies towards the horizon. Ther...
Post a Comment
Read more