The Pontiac Torpedo was a full-size car produced from the 1940 model year until February 1942, when civilian production stopped for the war, and again from 1946 to 1948. The Chieftain replaced it for 1949.
Pontiac Torpedo at a glance
| Maker | Pontiac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Years | 1940–1942, 1946–1948 |
| First model | Custom Torpedo, 1940 |
| Platform, 1940 | GM C-body, shared with Cadillac Series 62 |
| Body, 1940 | two-door and four-door sedans only |
| Engine, 1940 | straight-eight only |
| 1941 lines | Deluxe Torpedo, Streamliner Torpedo, Custom Torpedo |
| Wheelbases, 1941 | 119 in, 122 in and 122 in |
| Engines, 1941 | six or eight |
| Station wagon | 1941 Custom, wood body by Hercules and Ionia |
| Replaced by | Chieftain for 1949 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Torpedo. The Commons candidates were photographs of other cars, so the record’s original picture is kept.
History of the Pontiac Torpedo
1940: the largest Pontiac
When it was released the Torpedo was the largest Pontiac, with an eight-cylinder engine and more standard equipment than other Pontiacs, and the name was exclusive to Pontiac’s highest line in 1940. It used the new GM C-body shared with the Cadillac Series 62, Buick Roadmaster and Super, and the Oldsmobile Series 90, with torpedo styling: shoulder and hip room more than five inches wider, no running boards, a body two to three inches lower and a column-mounted gear lever for six-passenger comfort. The 1940 car had larger windows and wider seats than other Pontiacs, front and rear ventiplanes on four-door sedans and long streamlined rear decks, with concealed door hinges, a plastic Indian head in the bonnet ornament, eight-cylinder badges front and rear, weather-sealed keyholes and fuel fillers under flap lids on the left rear fenders. It came only with the straight-eight and only as a four-passenger two-door sedan or a five-passenger four-door sedan. Heater, cigarette lighter, six-tube radio, electric clock and boot light were optional.
1941: the name on every Pontiac
For 1941 the A- and B-bodies were redesigned lower and wider without running boards, and Pontiac renamed its whole range Torpedo. The Deluxe Torpedo was the A-bodied entry model on a 119-inch wheelbase, the Streamliner Torpedo the B-bodied middle car on 122 inches with a fastback roofline sweeping from windscreen to rear bumper, and the Custom Torpedo the C-bodied top model on 122 inches. All came with a six or an eight. The Deluxe had a wide horizontal grille with parking lights built in, recessed headlights and speed-line ribbing on the fenders, and its five body styles included a business coupe, sedans and a convertible with a power top; a Metropolitan sedan with four-window styling was added mid-year. The Streamliner had beige corded wool upholstery, and a Super Streamliner sub-series added two-tone worsted wool, sponge rubber cushions, an electric clock and divan seats with a folding armrest. The Custom came as a sedan, coupe and an eight-passenger wood-bodied station wagon with bodies by Hercules and Ionia. It was the last Pontiac on the GM C-body until the Grand Safari wagons of 1971–76.
1942–1948 and the end
For 1942 the Torpedo name was given to the A-bodied Pontiac as the KA line, Series 25 and 27, while the Streamliner took over the larger bodies. From 1942 through 1948 the Torpedo designated only the base Pontiac models. Civilian production ended on 2 February 1942 and assembly of nearly identical pre-war cars restarted in 1945, but Torpedo models were not available again until June 1946. Production continued through 1948, and the Chieftain replaced the Torpedo for 1949.
Design and features
- C-body flagship: the 1940 Torpedo shared its body with Cadillac and Buick.
- Torpedo styling: wider, lower, no running boards and concealed hinges.
- Name for the whole range: in 1941 every Pontiac was a Torpedo.
- Streamliner fastback: the middle line with a sweeping roofline.
- Wood station wagon: an eight-passenger Custom with Hercules or Ionia body.
Pontiac Torpedo versions
- Custom Torpedo (1940–41): the C-body top model.
- Deluxe Torpedo (1941): the A-body entry line.
- Streamliner Torpedo (1941): the B-body fastback.
- Super Streamliner: the better-trimmed fastback.
- Base Torpedo (1942–48): the entry Pontiac after the war.
The Torpedo was the forerunner of the Streamliner and was replaced by the Chieftain. More Pontiacs are in the Pontiac collection.
Sources
- Pontiac Torpedo, English Wikipedia: 1940–41 models, war years, end
