1953 Pontiac Chieftain Deluxe Convertible

Pontiac were all-new once again for 1953. The only series offered was the Chieftain line, but it appeared in two trim levels, Special and Deluxe. The revised body design consisted of a one-piece, curved windshield, reshaped rear fenders and a bolder front grille. Inside, the dashboards were given 'Panorama View' instrument clusters.

One of the new models was the Custom Catalina, available with both six and eight-cylinder power. It a well-appointed and stylish two-door 'hardtop' design that had pillarless doors. A distinguishable feature were the horizontally grooved chrome plates at the leading edge of the rear roof pillar, and it could be had only in Laurel Green, Milano Ivory, or a two-tone combination.

Deluxe models had new, slimmer side trim. The wheelbase grew to 122 inches and the powertrains were carried over from 1952. The L-head straight eight engine accounted for 90 percent of production. 82 percent of the cars had the automatic transmission.

This particular example is a Chieftain Deluxe Eight Convertible Coupe powered by a 268.4 cubic-inch L-head engine fitted with a single Dual Downdraft Carter carburetor offering 118 horsepower. There is a 4-speed Hydramatic transmission and four-wheel drum brakes.

This car has been in the same family for the car's 55 year existence. It has been garaged kept and is in fine condition. It is finished in Continental Maroon Paint and has a convertible top with power folding mechanical system.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2018