Production Data

[ragtop40]

Does anyone have any production data for 1940 Pontiac...I'm trying to find out how many convertibles were built in 1940.

[Larry]

For some unknown reason, Pontiac production figures below 1955 only account for the total number produced for each model and not by individual body styles within that number. I cannot believe that figures were not kept, and I have never heard "the story" of how the numbers were lost. We may never know the truth here.

It must be assumed that Pontiac actually kept accurate numbers judging inthe details of Buick and Oldsmobile numbers. So using some other car makes that we have numbers for, we can workup some pretty good guesses here.

Out of 767,744 Chevrolets built for 1940- 11,820 were convertibles= 1.5%Out of 207,393 Oldsmobiles built for 1940- 2,707 were convertibles= 1.3%
Out of 278,784 Buicks built for 1940- 9,576 were convertibles= 3%

I am going to take a shot in the dark and say that Pontiac would be pretty much the average of all the other GM makes or about 1.9% convertibles. That would equate to the total 1940 Pontiac production of 217,001 coming out to aproximately 4,123 being convertibles.

Using the "10% Rule" for old car survival, one could believe that there may be as little as approximately 400 1940 Pontiac convertibles left. But I would tend to think it may be more like half of that as you sure don't see many today... anywhere.

Just for grinns, out of 438,498 Fords built for 1940- 20,854 were convertibles= 4.7%. But we know that Ford outsold everyone in all body styles. But even using their 4.7% that would only put Pontiac at 10,199 drop tops.