Pontiac Memorabilia created on February 12, 2013 04:50PM total pins 146

1930 Pontiac- Virginia Registration

Early auto documents are extremely collectible today. Not just by people who like to display "American Pickers" stuff, but especially to car hobbyists who may or may not have a car just like the old document. But beyond the neatness of a piece like this, consider the story behind it, and how it actually survived for so long.

When someone bought a ten year old used car in 1940, they were getting a real guessing game as concerns condition and reliability. Back then, cars just didn't last so long, and were outdated technologically very quickly. Check a 1930 car against a 1940 car and you know without a doubt it was an old car.

Wonder how times have changed? Check the 27 horsepower rating!

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2016 06:50PM

1930s Pontiac Indian Headdress

The following is from Tim Dye of the Pontiac Museum. This is a colorful 1930s paper headdress advertising the Silver Streak. Notice the swastikas in the design, this helps us date this Indian themed collectible to the 30s. It measures 9" x 20" and it is in very good condition for a paper item that is 70 years old. I wanted to say my two cents worth on what is going on with American Indians. I have a great deal of respect for the American Indians heritage but I have to wonder about them trying to wipe out all traces of Indian related things. Everything from the Indian maiden on Land-O-Lakes butter to the YMCAs Indian Guide programs to school and sports mascots. It seems like all that would be left is Indian smoke shops and casinos. Is that what they want to be known for? Anyway, how this may relate to us who collect Pontiac Indian things is that one day everyone may look around and wonder where all the Indian stuff went, and we can say we have some. The value may go up because of that. Just something to think about.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:41PM

1947 Pontiac Calendar

Calendars were popular promotional items for all kinds of businesses, and Pontiac dealerships were no exception. This one from 1947 measures 9" x 9 1/2" closed and 9" x 17 1/4" when open. This example is from Warner Motor Sales in Chicago. The outside is not bad to look at, but the real beauty in this calendar is inside. It features colorful illustrations featuring scenic locations such as the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls with an Indian in every scene.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 05:15PM

1955 Pontiac Toy

The '50s was full of tin toys now flooding the market from Japan. To say thay were bad would be an understatement. As a mater of fact, those of us growing up during that time came to know any things Japanese as junk. Boy were we in for a rude awakening many years later!

This sample of a 1955 Pontiac shows just how far off they were in copying an actual car. I always thought the Orient was known for its art; obviously these were not done by the same level of artists. And, why would they pick a 4-door sedan instead of a hardtop or convertible?

On thing is for sure, these tin toys (especially battery operated like this one) now command pretty healthy prices for collectors of all types. I guess the Japanese are getting the last laugh on more than one front.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 04:58PM

1955 Pontiac- Florida Postcard

Back in the '50s Florida was beginning its growth that has yet to end. And in spite of its beauty, as shown here, it is noted that the advent of affordable air conditioning is what spurred on this growth. Hopefully this minor player in this Florida postcard, a nice new 1955 Pontiac, was so equipped. Beware these beautiful cards, however, as many Northerners wound up with swamp land when trying to buy into the Florida retirement dream.

Added by: Larry
April 29, 2016 09:16AM

1961 Pontiac Dinky Toys Ambulance

The following is from Tin Dye of the Pontiac Museum. This 1961 Pontiac Ambulance made by Dinky Toys measures 5" long. On the bottom it says it is a Superior. This was one of several companies that converted Pontiacs to a variety of professional uses. Superior had two plants and it just so happened that I grew up in Lima, Ohio the location of one of those plants. I remember as a kid going by there and seeing school buses and ambulances lined up outside. In Lima it was called Superior Coach and all the buses I rode on as a kid were Superior Coaches.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:40PM

1969 GTO Original MPC Model Kit

This is an original 1969 GTO model kit from MPC. It is kit number 1169-200 and in 1/25 scale. This particular example has never been opened. Model kits vary greatly in value but seem to follow the value of the real cars they emulate. Original issue complete kits with the box in mint condition of desirable cars bring the most.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 05:46PM

1969 Judge Record

Original Judge memorabilia from Pontiac is rare. This 45 record by Paul Revere & The Raiders is one such piece. The song was heard with the TV commercial for the 1969 Judge. It was shot outside of Reno and featured different views of the band singing the song and the 69 Judge driving across the desert. If you don't want to pay $300+ for the original record you can find the song on a Paul Revere & The Raiders greatest hits that was released several years ago.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:51PM

1970s Trans Am Showroom Hanging Decoration

This Trans Am decoration probably hung from a Pontiac showroom ceiling. It is very colorful and is similar on the reverse side but says Firebird. I also have another that has Formula 400 on one side and Firebird on the reverse of that one also. It measures 16" wide by 15" tall.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:15PM

1973 Pontiac Dealership Award

There are many kinds of Pontiac awards to collect. There were seperate programs for salesmen, mechanics, parts sales and the dealership. The name of the dealership award was always whoever was the general manager of Pontiac at the time. For example the DeLorean award or Estes award, in this case it is the Caserio award. Often the award would be for a particular time period and have a name like the "Go-Tiger-Go" campaign in 1965. But by 1973 the fun names were gone and it was just the "Spring Sales Campaign". Earlier dealeship awards would only have a dealership name on them for the most part, but zone employees could earn the same award and those would have a persons name on them. This 1973 award has the name Paul J. Dembny on it. It seems in later years they started awarding these to salesmen as well because I see more of them with peoples names on them, than dealership names. No hard and fast rules here. Part of the fun of collecting all of this stuff is figuring everything out.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:31PM

1989 20th Anniversary Pace Car Trans Am Belt Buckle

This belt buckle is just one of several promotional items Pontiac offered with the 20th anniversary Trans Am in 1989 (see the jacket I have posted). On the back of the buckle it says "The 20th Anniversary Pontiac Trans Am has been selected by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Officials to pace the 73rd Indianapolis 500 scheduled for May 28, 1989. The all white Trans Am GTA is powered by a 3.8 liter V-6 Turbocharged powerplant. This marks the third appearance by Pontiac as Official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500 since 1980, and the fourth time in its history." Yes the text is quite small, there is also a Indy 500 logo on the back.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 05:59PM

Knight Rider Bubble Gum Cards

When you think of Pontiac memorabilia chances are an item like these Knight Rider bubble gum cards are not what you think of. However they demonstrate the wide variety of items that can be found in a collection of Pontiac memorabilia. These are unopened and the outside says there is one stick of gum and 8 full color cards inside. On the back there is an offer for a Knight 2000 Turbo Booster launcher. It has a 1982 (have I really had these almost 25 years?) date and was distributed by the Donruss Co.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:51PM

Pontiac Goodwill Display Guidebook

This is an "insider book," not available to the public. If you were going to build or remodel a Pontiac dealership you would have gotten a book like this. It is not dated but by the pictures and signage shown it would date it around 1965. It has everything you ever wanted to know about building a used car lot with chapters about selecting a sight, developing the site, Goodwill Used Car signs, Offices, reconditioning facilities, lighting, surfacing and displays. What is nice is the pictures of dealerships that it shows. It even shows how to park the cars depending on the shape of the lot. The book is a three ring binder type and it measures 13" x 11 1/2". The title on the front is Pontiac Goodwill Used Car Merchandising & Display Guidebook. Not your average Pontiac memorabilia.

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:21PM

Pontiac Mileage Wheel

In the '50s travel in America reached a whole new pitch. Cars and roads, plus the work benefits of having good vacation time, made long trips much more possible than only a few years before.

It seems appropriate then that the Pontiac dealers were giving away "Mileage Wheels" where you could dial your way across the country. As we see here, it was only 2,746 short miles from this dealership in Syracuse, New York to sunny Los Angeles, California. And as if being a 1950s GPS, it gave you such accurate directions as via St. Louis- US 66. And to be honest, on this, the Mother Road, that was really about all you had to do was follow Route 66 west.

What a great trip that would be in a new Pontiac!

Our thanks to member Rick DiGiacomo of Rhode Island for sharing this neat piece of Pontiac memorabilia with us.

Added by: Larry
April 25, 2013 11:07AM

Price Tag/Holder

There are all kinds of Pontiac memorabilia besides promotional and sales related items. Memorabilia includes all those items in and around the Pontiac dealerships, service centers, etc. One such interesting item is this "card holder" which was to snap around the seat adjustment lever of the 1940 Pontiac. Although, it might have been used for numerous other years, but that is the general time frame.

Can you imagine a time so much simpler that there was a grand total of 8 (eight!) lines to list "Optional Equipment and Accessories at Extra Cost". I guess this same tag card was used for GM trucks because it has a line for "No. of Wheels".

One wonders when exactly the window sheets that we find so familiar today came into use. Easier for sure, but not the same as a leather-like, gold printed tag with hand written data of your car. Even the pricing was put in by hand. I wonder if this was done before or after the price haggling!

Added by: Larry
February 12, 2013 06:50PM