1932 Pontiac Series 302

General Motors introduced the Pontiac brand in 1926 to fill the price gap between the Chevrolet and Oakland brands. Initially priced at $825 for the Coach and Coupe body styles, the six-cylinder Pontiac was very popular with over 204,500 examples built between December 28th, 1925, and October 31, 1927. Its L-head, six-cylinder 186.5 cubic-inch engine offered 40 horsepower and was installed in a 110-inch wheelbase chassis that had an overall length of 151.25 inches. Styling elements included plate glass windows, automatic windshield wipers, drum-style headlamps, and triple-steep front fenders.

Six-cylinder engines would be the sole powerplant offered for Pontiac vehicles through 1932 when V-8s became available from the discontinued Oakland brand (1931 was the final year for the Oakland Model 301 V8; it was renamed the Pontiac Series 302 for 1932). This V-8 engine displaced 251 cubic inches and had an oversquare bore of 3.44 inches and a stroke of 3.375 inches. With three main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Marvel one-barrel carburetor and 5.2:1 compression, the engine offered 85 horsepower at 3,200 RPM.

The 1932 Pontiac models included the six-cylinder Series 402 and the eight-cylinder Series 302. The Series 402 had a 114-inch wheelbase and prices ranging from $645 to $800. The Series 302 rested on a 117-inch wheelbase platform and was priced from $845 to just over $1000. Both the six- and eight-cylinder engines had a three-speed synchromesh transmission, a semi-floating rear axle, and four-wheel mechanical brakes. The body styles were the same, consisting of a coupe, sport coupe, 2- and 4-door sedan, custom sedan, and a convertible coupe.

New features found on the 1932 Series 302 was a slightly raked windshield, door type hood ventilators, new radiator emblems, and a vee-type radiator shell that had a built-in grille. They now had fender lights and dual horns.

6,281 examples of the Series 302 were built in 1932 which accounted for just over 15% of Dodge's total 41,340 vehicles produced. The majority of the cars were the six-cylinder, lower-priced Series 402 which found 35,059 willing buyers.

For 1933, Pontiac switched to a straight-eight engine and it would remain a part of the lineup through 1954. In 1955, Pontiac would introduce all-new chassis, bodies, and a 287.2 cubic-inches V8 engine rated at 173 HP (180 horsepower with the Hydra-Matric transmission).

Fixing the GM Price Gaps

During the 1920s, General Motors identified several gaps in its produce ladder. At the 'bottom rung' was the price-leading Chevrolet marque, followed by Oakland, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. Each of these was priced higher than its predecessor and offered a higher degree of luxury and its engine delivered more horsepower. By the mid-1920s, a sizable price gap existed between Chevrolet and Oakland, along with Oldsmobile and Buick, and Buick and Cadillac.

These significant price gaps often meant that its loyal customers began exploring other marques for vehicles - abandoning the General Motors family. General Motors created the Companion Make Program to allow its customers to continue the climb its product ladder, offering customers a variety of vehicles from its different marques to satisfy every budget and need.

The 1926 Pontiac was designed as a 'light six' resting on a shorter wheelbase and priced in the four-cylinder territory, albeit above Chevrolet. Pontiac, the first of the companion marques, sold 49,875 units in its first year; by 1929, Pontiacs eclipsed its Oakland sibling in sales by over 163,000 units. Pontiac would outlast its Oakland sibling and would be the only companion make to survive beyond 1940.

LaSalle was introduced for the 1927 model year to supplement Cadillac (positioned slightly below the top-of-the-line Cadillac marque). Marquette was introduced in 1929 for 1930 to supplement Buick. Viking was also introduced in 1929 to supplement Oldsmobile.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020