1956 Pontiac Star Chief

Pontiac was introduced in 1926 as a companion make for GM's Oakland automobiles. Its popularity was immediate and it quickly surpassed Oakland and supplanted the make by 1933. Its reputation would continue to percolate, gaining notoriety for its reliable (albeit mundane) automobiles. The mid-1950s was a euphoric time for Pontiac as performance became paramount, with the new 'Strato-Streak' overhead valve V-8 engine infusing the Pontiac lines with newfound vigor. Stylish and modern new bodies complemented the sophisticated componentry, enhanced by dashing multi-color livery. Displacement grew even larger in 1956, and so did the engine's output.

Semon 'Bunkie' Knudsen was appointed general manager of Pontiac in 1956, along with new heads of engineering, E. M. Estes and John DeLorean. Under their guidance, Pontiac soon firmly established itself as GM's performance division. The public enjoyed the new look and potent underpinnings, and Pontiac resided at the third position in the American sales race through most of the 1960s.

Pontiac automobiles were endowed with the forward-looking design language previewed by GM across America at its popular Motorama roadshows.

All-new styling arrived in 1955 along with the new Strato Streak V8. A pair of 'Silver Streaks' ran the length of the hood, and the hood ornament 'Indian' was amber plastic that lit up when the headlights were turned on. The 1956 models received a bold vertical trim line starting on the doors and slashing back to the rear quarters, ending at the rear continental spare tire.

Six major redesigns were bestowed upon the Star Chief during the twelve years of its existence. Although its styling changed often, the Star Chief consistently wore its distinguishable chrome star trim along its sides.

The 1956 Pontiac Model Lineup

The Chieftain was Pontiac's entry-level model for 1956 with body styles that include a 2- and 4-door sedan, 2- and 4-door Catalina hardtop, and 2- and 4-door station wagon. Prices ranged from $2,240 to $2,650. The 316.6 cubic-inch overhead V8 engine produced 192 horsepower when paired with the synchromesh transmission, slightly higher at 205 hp with the HydraMatic. A Deluxe trim level of the Chieftain had full wheel discs, upper beltline trim, and visored taillight rings. Pricing of the Chieftain Deluxe ranged from $2,400 to $3,125.

The top-of-the-line Pontiac was the Star Chief which had a 2-inch longer wheelbase and was powered by a more powerful version of the 316.6 cubic-inch engine.

- Chieftain Special: $2,295 to $2,650. Production: 184,232
- Chieftain Deluxe: $2400 to $2745. Production: 93,872
- Star Chief: $2520 to $2850. Production: 31,856
- Star Chief Custom: $2660 to $2730. Production: 91,427
- Star Chief Custom Safari Wagon: $3,125. Production: 4,042

1956 Pontiac Star Chief
The 1956 Pontiac Star Chief had a 125-inch wheelbase and measured 212.6 inches in length. Unique styling elements included tapered diagonal accent slash moldings on the front doors. Body styles included a sedan priced at $2,520 and a convertible at $2,850. The sedan was the more popular with 18,346 examples produced compared to 13,510 of the convertible. The Custom Catalina Sedan was $2,730 and the Custom Catalina hardtop was $2,660. A total of 48,035 of the Custom Catalina Hardtop were built and 43,392 of the Custom Catalina Hardtop.

The overhead valve V8 engine powering the Star Chief displaced 316.6 cubic-inches and had a Rochester four-barrel carburetor (some had a Carter four-barrel carb), a cast iron block, five main bearings, 7.9:1 compression (8.9:1 compression with the HydraMatic), and produced 216 horsepower at 4,800 RPM. With the HydraMatic, output increased to 227 bhp at 4,800 RPM.

1956 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari
The Safari was introduced in 1955 and shared its body components with the Chevrolet Nomad station wagon, allowing both divisions to share the tooling costs of the special-bodied wagon. The Safari was given Pontiac's unique front-end bumper/brille assembly and sheet metal and rear tail light design, both penned by Pontiac stylist Paul Gillan. It had sport-coupe front doors, chrome adorning the tailgate and interior, and sliding rear-seat windows. The interior trim, upholstery and brightwork were equivalent to Pontiac's top-line Star Chief range of models.

Sales of the 1956 Safari were slightly higher than the previous year, reaching 4,042 units It was the lowest production Pontiac for 1956 and the most expensive at $3,125.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2024