1954 Pontiac Chieftain

A first-generation Chieftain fitted with the straight-eight engine, quite wonderfully this car still has the original bill of sale. Said to have been undersealed from new, the Pontiac still sports its original chassis and underbody.

Imported from the United States of America in 2004 by an American car enthusiast, it was the subject of a comprehensively documented bare metal respray at that time. He then kept it for around 13 years, a lengthy period of ownership that helps explains why it still looks so good.

It is also running beautifully, thanks to having been fettled by none other than Adrian Reynard – yes, THAT Adrian Reynard – so it’s no wonder that it runs and drives so well…

Only being sold because Adrian simply isn’t using it as much as he thought he would, plus it’s not even got a reserve, making this your opportunity to buy a slice of classic 1950’s Americana with an impeccable, impressive and frankly outstanding provenance.

The powder blue and green body was restored in around 2004. The bare-metal respray, which was photographed as you can see, has been carried out to a very high standard: Just take a look at the panel alignment, shutlines, and general fit ‘n’ finish; remarkable, aren’t they?

It’s the same with the paintwork, which is vibrant and beautifully applied. With a contrasting green roof, the illuminated amber hood ornament and swooping chrome side trim add to the car’s considerable road presence.

Speaking of which, there is, of course, an awful lot of chromework and it is (yup, you’ve guessed it) in good condition, too. Sure, there is some light pitting to some of the elements but it’s straight and in good shape so re-chroming the few bits that let it down would be straightforward.

Other delightful details abound: the shape of the rear lamps being echoed in the chrome trim detail to both the rear wings and the boot lid; spats on the rear wheelarches; chrome window trims; an original Massachusetts ‘MOTOR VEHICLE CERTIFICATE OF INSPECTION’ sticker dated 1997 in the windscreen and the numberplate on the rear parcel shelf; and, of course, yellow headlamp bulbs. Hell, even the base of the wing-mounted aerial is streamlined and way more ornate than it needs to be.

Fitted with four new whitewall tyres, the wheels are fitted with full-size chrome hubcaps; these have a cream band within them to show off the Pontiac name to best effect.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Blemishes that will need your attention are few and far between: There’s a crack in the paintwork on the roof (slide #47); a dent in the nearside front indicator chrome trim (#73); some corrosion to the seam between the rear panel and the bumper (#93 and #94), the offside lower corner of the rear screen (#160), the offside lower windscreen (#212), and the front nearside door shut (#116); and some small bubbles near the nearside rear light cluster (#244).

The seats are still plump and comfortable. Finished in an attractive green material with contrasting dots, the cloth is in a good condition being free of rips, tears and other damage although there are some areas of light wear to the face.

The rear of the front seats and the door cards are finished in a contrasting material. These too are in fine fettle (albeit with some water stains to the door cards) and are surrounded by a darker green vinyl.

The chrome ‘n’ paint dashboard is an absolutely superb example of 50’s futuristic design, it just makes you smile when you admire it, and whilst wonderfully ornate it is also very legible and easy to use. The main instrument cluster, for example, has a semi-circular speedometer above four auxiliary gauges for battery charge, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The latter is “unreliable”, something you might have gathered from the neatly dyno-taped label detailing the Chieftain’s last visit to the petrol station.

The rest of the interior is just as gloriously OTT. Take the steering wheel, for example, which is a symphony of vibrant green paint and chrome. Huge and delightfully patinated, it picks up the verdant roof, something the rest of the interior – and engine bay – also does.

There are braided handholds in there too, plus a taut, clean headlining. It also still has its original US radio, which works but doesn’t pick up many stations in UK. Still, it’s a nice talking point and folk cleverer than us could probably get it modified should they want to be able to listen to music as they cruise around.

The boot is solid and home to the spare wheel and tool kit.

Faults? Well, some of the stitching is starting to ease (#87 and #239), some of the binding on the edge of the carpets is frayed, and the sunvisors are a bit grubby (#278 and #279).

Adrian carried out a compression test recently and found 70psi on all eight cylinders of the 4.4-litre/268 cu in Hydra-Matic engine. This, allied to a recent clean of the carburettor as well as new sparkplugs, points, condenser and a coil means that it is running brilliantly (he drove it to us without any problems whatsoever) – but then did you really think that one of Adrian Reynard’s own cars would do anything else?

As we mentioned earlier, the Pontiac appears to have been undersealed from new, and the original chassis and underbody is still in a very good condition being very solid and in need of nothing.

There’s also a box full of various spares including a complete top end gasket set (minus the gasket needed to seal the newly machined and refitted exhaust manifold) that set him back a whopping US$252. Please see the photos to see what’s included.

This Pontiac doesn’t have a current MOT certificate because it is exempt by virtue of its age however, we would encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d. It gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

For the record, it has a number of expired MOT certificates plus the driver’s guide and a workshop manual. It also still has its original sales invoice dated the 25th of June 1954, which is a lovely period touch.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The chance to buy a car that’s been owned and worked on by Adrian Reynard shouldn’t be dismissed lightly; this is, after all, a man who’s forgotten more about engineering than most of us will ever know – and that engineering skill has been exploited by top-flight racing drivers including Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve, Rubens Barrichello, Johnny Herbert, and Jean Alesi…

And the proof of the pudding is here for all to see. This is a car from the 1950s that starts on the button and runs like a sewing machine. Dial-in considerable originality and a professional respray and this is possibly the nicest car of its type for sale in the UK today.

Yet, for all its many attributes, we don’t think it’s going to be expensive. With a guide price of between £10,000 and £15,000, we simply can think of a better way to spend such a modest sum of money.

And please remember that the market always values and recognizes the very best cars of their type, so you shouldn’t find moving it on in a few years unduly onerous. Besides, given the way the world has been recently, don’t you deserve something to cheer you up during the coming Winter of Discontent?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.