We’ve been showcasing an endless stream of 1955 to 1957 Chevrolets in the much beloved Tri-Five series for as long as this website’s been around, and we probably will keep doing so for the foreseeable future. But after so many custom Bel Airs, Nomads, and 210s, we need something similar yet just a little bit different to cleanse the palate. Happily, Chevy’s deceased sister brand, Pontiac, delivered just that.
What we see before us is a 1957 Pontiac Star Chief. Though its mother model is actually the Pontiac Chieftain, of which the Star Chief was the top-of-the-line example, the silhouette of the classic Chevy Tri-Five is still strong. It’s as if the Chevy Bel Air had a Pontiac baby out of wedlock and got shipped to dealerships. This particular ’57 Star Chief spends its days parked in a field in the Pacific Northwest nook of Sunnyside, Washington and doesn’t look all that bad, given the age and exposure to the elements.
In the state it sits, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate that at one point nearly 75 years ago, this was one of the hottest, most desirable, and best-equipped full-sized GM coupes that didn’t come with a Cadillac badge. With nicer-quality paint and better-equipped interiors with higher-quality trim pieces, the Star Chief was cooler even than the cool man’s Bel Air. Early 1955 Star Chiefs left the factory sporting a 287-cubic inch (4.3-L) Pontiac V8 going under the name Strato Streak at the time. But by 1957, the engine was upgraded to a 347-cubic inch (5.7-L) V8.
With three two-barrel carburetors and up to 290 gross horsepower on offer, this Pontiac was one of the quickest, nicest-riding American coupes of the day. Though not a sports car by any means, such creations did at least lay a solid foundation for the first great muscle car renaissance the following decade in the 1960s. In an era when two-door coupes could be just as long and wide as a full-size sedan, these 50s GM icons were about as comfortable as a young person’s affordable daily cruiser could be in their day.
For how long this one’s been out in the elements, its Raven Black paint with white and chrome exterior trim pieces have held up quite nicely. Inside, the plush red-on-white interior looks more like orange-on-cream after some time exposed to the Sun’s harmful UV onslaught. All in all, this is a pretty nice fix-er-upper. Not so pristine that you’ll break down weeping if you mess something up, but not so far-gone it’ll take three generations to finish, by which point you’re too old and crusty to drive it anyhow.
For the person who’s ready for the challenge, the opportunity awaits on barnfinds.com. Assuming you can win the auction, of course. Best of luck, lads.