SEE YOURSELF IN A PONTIAC

America is seeing for itself the brilliant new straddle street party act from 1956 the finest car that Pontiac has ever built people are admiring its supreme new styling and distinctive beauty talking about its blazing new power and flashing performance discussing its unparalleled handling ease and luxurious new ride yes Americans everywhere are thinking how it will be to own and drive one of these wonderful new Pontiacs this year and when it comes to owning automobiles here's something that maybe you haven't thought about we Americans are the most experienced automobile owners in the world we ought to be we have bought and owned more automobiles than all the rest of the world together almost three times as many this should make us the world's most highly informed experts on automobile values especially when it comes to choosing an automobile for ourselves and our families most American men have a pretty thorough understanding of what it takes in an automobile to give them power performance and efficient long life and these days most American women are well qualified on the subjects of motoring safety comfort and ease of handling so when we point out some of Strato streak Pontiacs major engineering advances for 1956 we can be pretty sure we're not talking over anyone's head in fact as an expert motor car owner and buyer you can see for yourself just why Pontiac this year is a step ahead in every value suppose we start with performance this year the Magnificent Strato Street v8 engine with a tremendous increase in horsepower brings even more flexibility in response to every driving need to help you see for yourself what massive power performance means in terms of getaway and acceleration this test camera mounted on the front of a new Pontiac shows that the road ahead is marked by wide stripes spaced exactly one car length apart the test is also arranged so that a musical note sounds each time a stripe is crossed ready look and listen as we pick up speed in a full-power take and there you have I and here proof of Pontiacs singing powerful lightning get away now to get an impression of Pontiacs extra power for whirlwind acceleration in passing let's use the two-way test again each musical tone shows that we have travelled one car's length a deeper tone sounds each time this truck passes one of the stripes on the pavement and I'll see in here how the blazing power of Pontiacs new Stratus streak engines carries a wide margin for acceleration and passing and on the open road too you can see what more power means to your car's performance added power for the straightaway extra power for the hills a wide margin of power for every demand in strata Street Pontiac this year power is the key note a bigger engine with more horsepower more performance economy and durability features than any other engine of its type and class the Magnificent dual power plant continues the straddle streak v8 features and advantages that last year made engineering history it embodies engineering advances that have been owner tested for billions of miles Pontiac first features such as pressure suction crankcase ventilation reverse flow gusher valve cooling and quad gallery full pressure lubrication the famous ball pivot valve train pioneered by Pontiac has been redesigned for the needs of this bigger more powerful engine the block has been made stronger more rigid in keeping with a higher power output improved mana folding and improved carburation on all models with a four-barrel carburetor standard in the star chief series but available for all models mean quicker response and more efficient use of fuel and on top of all these outstanding advantages this new strata streak has been given super performance through increased displacement for greater capacity and a smaller combustion chamber for a higher compression ratio with Pontiac you can see for yourself what it means to all the power you can ever use in normal driving Pontiacs famed dual-range hydra-matic drive is familiar to almost every American driver now Pontiac introduces something even finer completely new stratified hydra-matic with controlled coupling this biggest advance in automatic driving uses an additional fluid clutch which makes automatic gear shifting almost imperceptible again to get the full picture this car has a synchromesh transmission with a clutch pedal and manual gearshift lever notice there are surges of power even when a professional driver changes gears this trace line shows the abrupt surges of driving force being delivered to the rear wheels surges that can be felt notice what happens as the driver down shifts from third to second again peaks and valleys of power now D how the present hydra-matic system known to millions of motorists levels out most of the peaks and valleys again the driver will downshift for a burst of passing power a comparison of the trace lines shows what millions of pontiac owners have found out for themselves that hydra-matic driving is smoother more effortless driving but now for the ultimate Pontiacs new straddle flight high dramatic you can see for yourself how with this completely automatic transmission gear changes are almost imperceptible and in down shifting to sharks and power surges have been practically eliminated yes you can see for yourself that by taking the stair steps out of gear shifting Pontiac has taken another great step ahead on this new automatic transmission Pontiac adds to the neutral position the big added safety advantage of park position in park the car is safely locked against rolling and on hills the engine can be started without losing this advantage for quick response in traffic or cruising on the open highway Pontiacs famed dual range driving control is again a feature of this finest in automatic transmissions what about Pontiacs new ride as an expert owner and Driver you have found that the ideal ride needs to consider different road conditions on rough streets and in spite of bumps and broken pavement you want soft luxurious riding comfort this means having the softest possible spring suspension yet at higher speeds on all kinds of roads you want your car under perfect control this means that spring action must be carefully controlled to hold bounce some side sway to a minimum on this rough stretch of ground see for yourself how Pontiac has now attained the ideal combination of soft ride with complete control watch the wheel do all the bouncing with soft easy springing the wheels are free to move up and down without passing the jars and sharks on to the driver or passengers the body seems to float in cushioned luxury regardless of bumps or road conditions put them together bouncing wheels and cushion passengers and you have a true picture of Pontiacs road leveling ride even with side winds or rough roads Pontiac straddle streak ride is straight and true as a bullet down a rifle barrel because every movement of the springs is precisely controlled by Pontiacs perfected shock absorber system yes you can see for yourself that Pontiac with its low center of gravity its wide stance on the road its perfect weight distribution offers motor minded America the best combination of easy handling and luxurious ride power pack performance effortless handling luxurious driving these are the qualities and values that everyone can see for himself in Pontiac but Pontiac in 1956 offers far more to the American car buyer who looks for every feature that can contribute to his driving and riding pleasure to these expert owners Pontiac introduces power steering of entirely new design with improved performance and reliability now steering is more responsive for better control on straightaways and curves a new feature gives the driver the feel of the road at all times without sharks or jars under the most difficult turning conditions when the car is standing still steering effort has been reduced 1/3 from previous power steering systems and power braking again proves its value to Pontiac owners giving the driver mastery over the full power of Pontiacs bigger more dependable hydraulic brakes for the owner who wants the best of everything that the finest cars can offer Pontiacs famous comfort control seat is now also power operated or fingertip adjustment forward or back up or down or to the most comfortable degree of tilt for those who want control of every feature at their fingertips who want the advantage of every improvement the magic of signal seeking radio is now available at the touch of a fingertip Pontiacs deluxe Electra Matic Radio seeks out the program you want to add to your driving pleasure and to add to your safety too because you can tune without taking your eyes off the road yes the expert American owner driver finds in Pontiac all the features all the advantages all the quality and value that can be built into a car at a price that fits his way of living because motor conscious America is so style conscious Pontiac presents this year more choices than ever before of glamorous interior trim combinations to match the panorama of exterior color stylings interiors fashion to please the most discriminating eye here you see for yourself what the richness of genuine leather available in distinctive color combinations contributes to interior luxury colorful coated fabrics and side wall upholstery treated with gleaming metallic cloth set off mule lustrous decorator trim in beauty that will endure in many interiors rich cloth sets the keynote with a wide choice of color combinations in others glamorous yet durable maroc ID combines high styling with topmost practicality new styling new color treatment of the instrument panel set the pattern for a brighter interior a pattern tastefully reflected in the silversmiths handling of hardware and appointments as you've already noticed Pontiacs exterior styling stands without comparison every line and every detail has been studied to please you the real judge of beauty here are the bold dramatic lines that you have asked for the low wide look the graceful flowing lines the sleek elegance in every model of every line you find the hallmark of the artists and the designers skill in the inspired styling so traditionally a symbol of Pontiac leadership because of this leadership more and more the best-informed most experienced most expert motorcar owners and buyers in the world are finding the values they want in Pontiac and more than ever before straddle streak Pontiac this year justifies its reputation for giving you value in fullest measure yes you can see for yourself and find for yourself all the things you want in this finest car that Pontiac has ever built