a nude car!
this amazing vehicle is one of 2 see through cars made by Pontiac, this one made in 1939, the
Pontiac Ghost Car was the first completely transparent car made in America, and
eight decades later, photos of it are still a wonder to behold,
the
Pontiac Ghost Car was built by General Motors in partnership with Rohm and
Hass, the company that invented Plexiglas,
the
revolutionary material essentially replaced the sheet of metal out of which the
car’s body was usually made of, thus offering a clear view of the inner
workings of the vehicle. To add to its striking appearance, the metallic
structure featured a copper wash, the hardware was chrome-plated and the tires
were white, instead of the usual black. The Ghost Car’s total cost was
estimated at $25,000 at the time,
"A
transparent motorcar, the first ever constructed in the united states, is the
most striking of the Fisher Body Division exhibits at the GM highways and
horizons building at the New York world’s fair,” a 1939 General Motors press
release read,
“Created to show the rigid interior bracing
and other features complete with windows that can be raised and lowered, doors
that can be opened and closed. The only material lacking being the insulation
normally applied to the inner surface working with a new material, a synthetic
crystal-clear plastic.” all photographs General
Motors via Vintage
Every Day,
in 1940, a
second Pontiac Ghost Car was built for the Golden Gate Exposition Display, and
together with the original one toured different Pontiac dealerships in the
United States. The eye-catching vehicles were also featured in Pontiac
promotional material as well as in automotive magazines, the 1939 Ghost Car was
loaned to the Smithsonian during World War 2, and was auctioned for $308,000 in
2011, I wonder where they both are today?
No comments:
Post a Comment