The Pontiac Deluxe was the better-equipped version of the early Pontiac 6, the six-cylinder car that launched Pontiac in 1926. It was a trim level rather than a separate model: Deluxe cars could be told apart by having body and fenders painted the same colour, and the name was dropped in favour of “Sport” for 1928.
Pontiac Deluxe at a glance
| Maker | Pontiac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Model | Pontiac 6, first generation |
| Years | 1926–1928 as the Deluxe name |
| Engine | straight-six, split-flathead, designed by Henry M. Crane |
| Body styles | coupe, coach, sedan, landau sedan, roadster |
| Price, 1926 | from $825 |
| Price, 1927 | up to $975 for the Deluxe Landau Sedan |
| Recognition | body and fenders in one colour |
| Renamed | “Sport” for 1928 |
| First-year output | 76,742 cars |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Pontiac 6, which covers the Deluxe as a trim level of the first generation.
History of the Pontiac Deluxe
Launch of the Pontiac 6
The 1926 Pontiac 6 was introduced as the Series 6-27 on 3 January 1926, with production at the Oakland factory in Pontiac, Michigan. It was offered as a two-door, two-passenger coupe or a five-passenger coach at $825, using Fisher coachwork and a straight-six split-flathead engine designed by Henry M. Crane. As an entry-level car its options were limited to front and rear bumpers, a rear-mounted spare wheel and a cabin heater. The coach came in Sage Green with Faerie Red striping and the coupe in Arizona Grey with landau bars on the roof, both on black fenders. Deluxe models could be distinguished by having both the fenders and the body in one colour.
1927 and the Deluxe Landau Sedan
For 1927 the car was renamed the “New Finer Series 6-27” and a Sport Roadster and Sport Coupe with an optional rumble seat joined the range. Prices ran from $775 for the roadster, two-passenger coupe or two-door coach to $975 for the Deluxe Landau Sedan. For 1928, the “New Series 6-28”, all previous Deluxe models were renamed “Sport”, the front fenders gained a higher crown, and the Indian head bonnet ornament lost its headdress to show the likeness of an Indian brave. Every body style stayed under $1,000.
What came next
For 1929 the updated Series 6-29 “New Big 6” brought a 200 cu in engine and styling influenced by the Vauxhall 20-60. The Wall Street crash that September hit Pontiac and Oakland hard, and GM kept the cheaper Pontiac. The series continued through the Big 6 of 1930, the Fine 6 of 1931 and the 1932 range, in which Pontiac also offered a V8 for the first time. The Deluxe name itself did not return in this period; it reappeared much later on the full-size Pontiacs of the 1930s and 1940s.
Design and features
- One-colour finish: Deluxe cars had body and fenders painted alike, unlike the standard two-tone cars.
- Top of the range: the Deluxe Landau Sedan was the most expensive body in 1927.
- Straight-six: the split-flathead engine by Henry M. Crane that made Pontiac a success.
- Frugal equipment: bumpers, a rear spare and a heater were the few extras on offer.
Pontiac Deluxe versions
- Deluxe Coupe: two-door, two-passenger body with landau bars.
- Deluxe Coach: five-passenger two-door body.
- Deluxe Landau Sedan: the most expensive 1927 body at $975.
- Sport (from 1928): the new name for the Deluxe models.
This trim sat on the Pontiac Six; the next full-size step was the Chieftain. More Pontiacs are in the Pontiac collection.
Sources
- Pontiac 6, English Wikipedia: Deluxe trim, prices, body styles
