SEE-THROUGH PONTIAC SELLS FOR US$308K IN US AUCTION

The Pontiac wasa joint venturebetween General Motors and US chemical company, Rohm & Hass, who created the distinctive plastic bodywork. Billed as the "Glass' Car - The first full-sized transparent car ever made in America," the Pontiac featured inthe General Motors' "Highways and Horizons" pavilion at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair, where the more famous "Futurama" exhibit also starred.

Plexiglas, the world's first transparent acrylic sheet material,was a discovery arising from Rohm & Haas' work with laminated safety glass. Using drawings for the Pontiac four-door Touring Sedan, Rohm & Haas constructed an exact replica body using Plexiglas in place of the outer sheet-metal. Exactly how they did it has been lost to time, but the finished result was an unmistakable replica of a Pontiac body of that era. Rather than a showcase of the new Pontiac, the see-through panels were actually intended to show off the Pontiac's all-steel turret-top body, a recent innvation of GM's Fisher Body Division.

Underneath the see-through panels, all the structural metal was given a copper wash or plated in nickel. The dashboard was chrome plated and thewindow surrounds and nuts& bolts were also finished in chrome. To furtherenhance the difference of the display car over a regular Pontiac, white rubber was used for the tyres, running boards and other rubber areas, while the engine, radiatorand selected other parts were painted white. This led to the "Ghost Car" nickname this car acquired, although a small plat on the front bumper labels it as a "1940 Pontiac Transparent Display Car". All up,the Pontiac reportedly cost $25,000 to build - an astronomical figure in those days, and almost 25 times the cost of the most expensive new Pontiac of that time.

According to the GM Heritage Center, a second car, on a Torpedo Eight chassis, was hurriedly constructed for the 1940 Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco, with unconfirmed rumours that a third car was also built. The front end of the 1939 car was reportedly refreshed for the West Coast exhiibition with new panels to better reflect 1940 Pontiac styling. Once their respective showcases had closed, both "Ghost Cars" toured American Pontiac dealerships. At this time, the seats, which were originally 'sectioned' to show their innards the same way as the car, were replaced with complete 1940-specification seats. Of the two (or three) built, the 1939-40 Deluxe Six shown is the only one known to survive.

Today, more than 70 years later, the transparent Pontiac is in remarkably good condition, a testament to the longevity of Plexiglas in an era when automotive plastics tended to self-destruct within a few years. Although it has acquired a few chips and the offside rear guard is fractured, the body is still structurally sound and cosmetically clear. The panels were cleaned and waxed (to preserve their transparency) in the mid 1970s, but the car has been largely untouched since it finished its display days and went into private hands in 1973.

What's interesting to note is that the Pontiac was created as a fully operational car and can be driven, but concerns over damage to the plexiglas panels from road grit has meant it's only ever covered short distances. At the time of sale, the odometer showed a mere 86 miles. Also, running the engine for any length of time reportedly led to the plastic bonnet warping from the heat.

Expected to make at least US$275,000 prior to the auction, the see-through Pontiac sold for US$308,000, but is destined to only ever be a display vehicle, as it has no VIN number. As a piece of automotive history, this car is without equal - you won't find another one!