This 1947 Pontiac Streamliner Encapsulates the Style and Technology of World War II-era America

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Leaving the most tried-and-true family vehicles for sale.

The 1966 Mercury Six turned Streamliner Eight was owned by Jerry Plante of Candia, New Hampshire.

The distance between new cars and models designed entirely from scratch. Studebaker revolutionized this gap by introducing the first new body in 1947, followed by Hudson, Cadillac, and senior Oldsmobile models in 1948. Essentially, all other car manufacturers had a new-looking vehicle for the 1949 model year, featuring fender designs that were more integrated and standard or a complete body envelope style where the separate fenders were essentially nonexistent. Chrysler's brands were the last to undergo a complete revamp, still using their 1942-style bodies part of the way through 1949. Pontiac fell into the 1949 group that arrived late in 1948, making this car characteristic of the 1942-’48 period and a representative example of Pontiac's pre-1955 "flathead" era.

It took a while to retool for a new post-war car due to the bumpy transition back to peacetime in the United States, which was one of the few countries to emerge from World War II in a better position. The U.S. economy didn't immediately shift to full wartime footing after the attack on Pearl Harbor, nor did it slow down instantly. A major overhaul of the U.S. military began in 1938, just as it had in 1917. At that time, the Federal government started shifting the country's automotive industry to produce supplies for a modern fighting force.

By the time 1941 cars hit the market in the fall of 1940, the Detroit-based Arsenal of Democracy was already rolling out vehicles to British forces fighting Germany and Italy overseas as part of the Lend-Lease program. This production boost helped boost the economy, and the growing sense that war with the Axis powers was likely waslikely making Americans worried about potential shortages. As a result, 1941 turned out to be a huge sales year for the industry as a whole, especially for Pontiac, which sold 330,061 units. It was the best year Pontiac would see between 1926 and 1950, topping the company's previous 1928 record of 244,584 cars.

In 1942, Pontiac's exterior design remained largely unchanged from 1941, with the addition of a new grille and fenders that had a more massive appearance, featuring horizontal lines. They also added extensions to the front fenders that connected to the doors, similar to the "Airfoil" fenders introduced with the new 1942 Buick models. All four fenders had speedlines, which mirrored the Streamline Moderne style that was popular at that time.

By this time Pontiac was deeply involved in defense work, receiving the first Army-Navy E award for military production. Between the late summer of '41 when production of the 1942 models started and the halt on February 10, a total of 83,555 Pontiac cars were produced. Beginning January 1, 1942, the vehicles built got so-called "blackout" trim, where the bumpers were still chrome but other shiny parts were painted. According to its name, this had no relation to air raids or submarines, but was a way to conserve strategically important chromium and nickel.

Interestingly, by mid-1945, it had been determined that wartime production could begin transitioning back to manufacturing consumer goods. The first postwar Pontiac (a streamliner sedan coupe fastback similar to this one) was ready just 29 days after the Japanese surrender, on September 13. However, it took roughly 9 months to achieve full production due to shortages and labor issues. Strong demand meant that the 137,640 Pontiac vehicles built for 1946 sold rapidly and often for more than their listed price. The attitude among many car dealers was that ordering lists were so extensive, it didn't matter if the original buyer canceled the sale. Similarly, deluxe models were in high demand in this era due to their higher profit margins and the consumer's willingness to purchase whatever was available.

The . It produced 90 horsepower with the standard 6.5:1 compression cylinder head. An optional head increased this to 7.5:1. The straight-eight engine produced 103 horsepower, fueled by 249 cubic inches with a 6.5:1 compression, and another optional head option was available to increase the compression to 7.5:1.

Throughout this period, Pontiacs, regardless of engine, came equipped with a three-speed manual transmission shifted with a column, an exposed driveshaft, and a rear end design similar to Hotchkiss', as well as GM's second-generation front suspension design, which was developed in the late 1930s. It wasn't until 1948 that automatic transmission, known as Hydra-Matic, became an available option in Pontiacs. To counterbalance some of the loss in performance inherent in early automatic transmissions, GM adjusted the straight-eight engine to produce 104 horsepower with standard compression and 106 horsepower in high-compression versions.

There was a railroad crossing accident involving a Pontiac '53 chassis with a V-8 engine that was ultimately released in '55, marking the end for Pontiac's flathead version entirely. The six-cylinder version, which first hit the market in '35, was also discontinued from the lineup until the mid-1960s without a replacement.

From a stylistic standpoint, the period between 1947 and 1948 represents a significant, yet often overlooked change in the history of Pontiac. From 1942 to 1946, the grille and bumpers had already undergone changes, but the overall design from 1946 and 1947 was largely consistent with the 1942 style, with the exception of those details. By 1948, the cars used the same body style but bid farewell to the Streamline Moderne elements, embracing features that looked ahead to the designs of the 1950s. The distinctive 'Silver Streak' trim over the front and rear of the car was revised, and the classic speedlines on the fenders were completely removed, replaced by a sleek chrome accent.

That makes our subject car a fitting symbol of this era, representing the threshold of a new style and design that would mark the end of the pre-war era for Pontiac. It also demonstrates the technological advancements of the era, as its 1948 straight-eight engine upgraded from the 90-hp six-cylinder engine that was due for replacement and even exceeded the 104 hp rating of the 1947 eight. Jerry, however, wasn't looking to own a piece of history as much as he wanted a Pontiac cruiser that offered more space, and he had a different '47 in mind initially.

I stopped by a large flea market at an auto racing track near Auburn, Maine in the early part of 2019. While there, I came across a 1947 car on a trailer for sale. I had been on the hunt for a vehicle like that one. I already own a Solstice and two GTOs, but I was in the market for something larger. I was specifically looking for a Catalina or Bonneville, which I refer to as a 'big car.' My mother had a 1949 fastback, which was different from the 1947 model, but shared many similarities. Her car was all black with a three-speed manual transmission on the steering column. The 1947 model caught my eye for its nice styling, which reminded me of an early GTO model, and I thought it was cool. I hadn't really given much thought to finding a car like that until I saw it at the swap meet.

Unfortunately, Jerry's wife took so long to agree to the purchase that he missed out on getting the '47 himself, but he did end up befriending the buyer. Thankfully, a different series of events led him to find another one.

I attended a meeting with the directors of the car club I'm a part of, and we were on the hunt for a new GTO for one of our members. We came across a 1947 model at a car dealership in Auburn, Maine. I put a deposit on it over the phone. My birthday was just around the corner, on July 2, so I asked my wife if she'd like to take a look at the car with me. She hadn't been aware that I'd already put a deposit down, but since she had previously agreed to a different car, I figured I had an advantage.

What they discovered was far from perfect, but it held a lot of promise for a mechanically inclined person like Jerry. “There were no brakes, but it started up just fine, so I went back a few days later, pulled it with a trailer, and towed it away.” One of the best aspects was that the faulty brakes weren't a major issue – someone had replaced all the parts on the back brake pads, but they just weren't adjusted properly. “I took the '47 to a friend in town who's a mechanic to take a look at the brakes. I figured it was a blown brake line, but all he had to do was go around and tighten everything up and they worked just fine. I was really happy with that arrangement!”

Once the car was secure, Jerry promptly took it for a spin, making sure to replace the tires after a persistent vibration started around 35 mph. Nonetheless, the engine continually ran inadequately.

"I spent most of the year trying to get it working right. The timing on these cars is based on the flywheel and I couldn't ever figure out or set it accurately." A trip to an expert showed that two of the cylinders weren't running and the only solution was to replace the engine – an approximately $5,000 job that Jerry thought was too expensive, so he started looking for other options. His preference for later model Pontiacs got him thinking about possibly adapting a newer engine into the 1947, maybe a 1966-1969 Pontiac six-cylinder with a single overhead camshaft.

="I found an OHC 6 in Massachusetts that had just been pulled from a '68 Pontiac. It spun over nicely, and it was complete with starter, distributor, and carburetor. All it needed was a flywheel. I figured it was still a Pontiac six cylinder, but the more I looked into it, by the time I bought a hydraulic clutch, did the fabrication for the transmission and motor mounts, and built a driveshaft—it was going to be close to $5,000. The other part of switching to the OHC six would have required that I would have to convert to a 12-volt electrical system."

Pausing in frustration, Jerry waited awhile, and during that time, a solution suddenly became apparent.

I found a 1948 two-door sedan for sale in Egg Harbor, New Jersey. The seller, now in his 80s, had spent the last 30 years buying parts for his 1948 at flea markets. The car was stripped down and in primer, but he had a lot of brand new old stock parts for it, and he was asking $3,000. It seemed like a smart move to me. I told my wife I had to go to New Jersey to buy the engine and when I got back, I said 'I'm sorry, the car came with the engine.'

Domestic tranquility assured; Jerry got started on moving the new V8 engine into the old Streamliner Six. This was a simple task since all the necessary parts were readily available and in great condition already.

“"The thing about the '47s and '48s is that they all fit," Jerry explains. "The frame is already set up, except for the exhaust pipe, which is shorter than needed, and the fan shroud is larger for an eight-cylinder engine than a six." The modifications are so subtle, the work is almost impossible to notice. "When you look at the data tag on the firewall, it says it's a P6, a six-cylinder engine. I don't claim it's the original engine, but it's from a slightly newer year. Unless you're an expert or I tell you, you won't even realize it's different. At Pontiac-Oakland Club International conventions, of course, they figure it out right away."

Jerry is happy with his decision. He thinks the $3000 he spent on the engine was money well spent, and he has no plans to revert to the old engine now it's working well. "It runs great now. I was really impressed by how well it ran. When you buy an engine that's been rebuilt, you're not always sure how good it is, and in this case, there was no receipt to prove it had been done properly. The original engine's owner had passed away, so I had to give everything away. I decided to keep the backup generator and the air cleaner."

With it running smoothly, Jerry says he drives the car all the time, and he's started to tackle overhauling the parts of the interior that have deteriorated beyond saving. For him, it's all about the thrill of driving and maintaining one of those incredible 1940s cars.

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