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1940 Pontiac Special

The 1940 Pontiac lineup consisted of the Special (Series 25 Six), the Deluxe Six (Series 26), Deluxe Eight (Series 28), and the Torpedo Eight (Series 29). The L-head inline six-cylinder engine had a 222.7 cubic-inch displacement, four main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, and delivered 100 horsepower at 3,700 RPM. The company's inline eight-cylinder engine was a 248.9 CID unit with five main bearings, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, and delivered 100 horsepower in the Deluxe and 103 in the Torpedo. Both the Deluxe Six and Eight's wore the same bodies, but an '8' emblem signifying the eight-cylinder engine. The Torpedo was a new model this year and built atop GM's large C-body platform.

The entry-level model was the Special, with bodies that were more streamlined and modern, with built-in headlight fairings, lower floors, and large front fenders. On either side of the grilles were the 'Silver Streak' center rail with the Pontiac nameplate and chevron emblem below. Body styles included a coupe, sport coupe, 2- and 4-door touring sedan, and a station wagon. Prices began at $780 for the coupe and rose to just over $1,000 for the station wagon. The station wagons came with a side-mounted spare tire.

The lower front door hinges, gas filler caps on the right rear fenders, and key hole-type door handle.

Total 1940 Pontiac Special production was 106,892 units, nearly half of all 1940 Pontiacs produced.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Coupe

This car was actually owned by 'a little old lady' - in this case a school teacher from Michigan, who put only 36,000 miles on the car during her 38-year ownership.

It had a larger, more streamlined body, massive front fenders with built-in headlights and an 'alligator' type hood trimmed with three sets of slanting louvers. The Pontiac nameplate and Chevron emblem were carried on the Frank Hershey-designed 'Silver Streak' center rail that split the grille.

The exposed lower front door hinges, keyhole-type door handles, right-rear fender gas filler cap and more rounded rear deck. It came standard with safety roll front seat backs, new anti-skid tires, tilting and adjustable front seats and an improved safety shift gear control.

For its time, the 1940 Pontiac was an ideal car for a teacher. It was stylish, had improved safety features and was affordable - costing just over $820 new.