1948 Pontiac Streamliner

As Pontiac entered the final year of its pre-war design, two models remained in its lineup - the Torpedo and the Streamliner. Like nearly all other American motor manufacturers, Pontiac commenced civilian production in 1946 with what were essentially 1942 models. The Streamliner was larger and more expensive than the Torpedo, and Pontiacs of this period are often referred to by the 'Silver Streak' name, a reference to their multiple chromed hood strips - a styling device first introduced in the mid-1930s.

The Torpedo and Streamliner were offered with either six- or eight-cylinder power, and body styles included coupes and sedans. The Torpedo favored the 'coupe' motif with its selection including a business coupe, a sport coupe, and a sedan coupe (along with a convertible and a 2- and four-door sedan). The Torpedo had a shorter 119-inch wheelbase platform, whereas the Streamliner rested on a 122-inch wheelbase. Body styles in the Streamliner lineup included a 2-door sedan coupe, 4-door sedan, and a station wagon.

A new option for 1948 was the Hydra-Matic Drive which added $185 to the base price (a three-speed manual synchromesh unit was standard). Additional options included a 3.9:1 standard gear ratio which provided optimal economy, or an optional 4.55:1 'mountain' gear ratio. Both the six- and eight-cylinder engines could be optioned with a higher compression ratio of 7.5:1.

1948 was Pontiac's final year for the 'real' Woodie and the first year for the Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. This was the final year that the entire rear body structure of the woodie was made of timber. In 1949 steel was used for the roof and progressively fewer components were made of wood up to 1953 when the last of these Pontiac station wagons was made.

The 1948 Woodie had no fewer than 523 parts constructed from either mahogany or Canadian maple, and were manufactured by the craftsman at the Ypsylanti Furniture Co in Michigan.

Torpedo Series
The Torpedo was the shorter and less expensive model in Pontiac's 1948 catalog with prices that ranged from $1,500 to $2,075.

Nearing the end of its lifespan, the Torpedo was only mildly updated, gaining triple 'Silver Streaks,' round taillights, and a horizontal grille with vertical shafts. Eight-cylinder cars were distinguished from its six-cylinder siblings by having an '8' positioned between the 'Silver' and 'Streak' label, located on the sides of the hood.

All of the 1948 Pontiac Streamliners were offered in Standard or Deluxe trim, including all two-door and four-door fastbacks, and the station wagons. Similarly to the Torpedo model, the Deluxe trim added spear moldings on the front fenders, chrome-plated wheel discs (except wagons), and bright gravel guards. The interiors of the Deluxe Trim had two-tone trims with pillow-and-tuft seatbacks, electric glove box door clocks, Deluxe steering wheels, and quarter-sawed mahogany dash and window trim.

The standard wagon received tan imitation leather seats; Deluxe wagons had red upholstery of the same type.

Six-cylinder Streamliner Body Style & Pricing:
- 2-door Sedan Coupe $1,6775 (Deluxe: $1775)
- 4-door Sedan $1,725 (Deluxe: 1815)
- 4-door Station Wagon $2,365 (Deluxe: $2440)

Eight-cylinder Streamliner Body Style & Pricing:
- 2-door Sedan Coupe $1,725 (Deluxe: $1815)
- 4-door Sedan $1,755 (Deluxe: $1865)
- 4-door Station Wagon $2,415 (Deluxe: $2490)

Standard and Deluxe
The standard trim had plain fenders and rubber gravel guards; the interiors were done in gray cloth. The deluxe trim had fender moldings, bright metal gravel guards and chrome-plated wheel discs. The interior of the deluxe trim had tan and dark blue pattern cloth combinations on the closed bodies, while the open bodies had colonial grain leather or imitation leather upholstery. Additionally, the instrumental boards of the 'open' cars were lacquered to match the body color.

The following body styles were offered in Standard and Deluxe configurations.

Torpedo Six and Eight:
- 2-door sport coupe
- 2-door sedan coupe
- 2-door convertible

Streamliner Six and Eight:
- 2-door Sedan Coupe
- 4-door sedan
- 4-door station wagon

1948 Pontiac Engines
Six Cylinder
The 1948 Pontiac six-cylinder engine was an L-head unit with a cast-iron block, a 239.2 cubic-inch displacement, a 3.56-inch bore and a 4-inch stroke. The standard compression ratio was 6.5:1, and an optional compression ratio of 7.5:1 boosted output from the standard 90 hp at 3400 RPM to 93 hp. The engine had solid valve lifters, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, and four main bearings.

Eight Cylinder
The eight-cylinder Pontiac engine was an inline L-head unit with a cast iron block, five main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Carter two-barrel carburetor, and a displacement size of 248.9 cubic inches. It had a 3.25-inch bore, a 3.75-inch stroke, a standard 6.5:1 compression ratio, and produced 104 horsepower at 3,700 RPM. An optional 'high head' version of the engine (with 7.5:1 compression) brought output to 106 horsepower at 3,800 RPM.

Production
- Streamliner Sixes: 37,692 (23,858 with Hydra-Matic)
- Streamliner Eights: 123,115 (98,469 with Hydra-Matic)
- Torpedo Sixes: 39,262 (25,325 with Hydra-Matic)
- Torpedo Eights: 35,300 (24,294 with Hydra-Matic)

Pontiac's model year production was 245,419 cars, and its calendar year output was 253,469 units. This placed Pontiac fifth in America's automaker ranking.

1949 Pontiac
Pontiac introduced modern bodies in 1949 for its entry-level Streamliner and top-of-the-line Chieftain models. They were low and sleek and continued to be offered in standard or Deluxe trims.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2025