1955 was the year Pontiac finally let go of the six-cylinder Chieftain for good — the brand-new Strato Streak V8 took over the entire lineup, no exceptions.
Lead trim: Chieftain 287.2 cu in Strato Streak V8 (1955) · up to 290 hp
Pontiac Chieftain1955–1957
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Pontiac Chieftain yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
Fact1955 was the year Pontiac finally let go of the six-cylinder Chieftain for good — the brand-new Strato Streak V8 took over the entire lineup, no exceptions.
The 1955 model Chieftains featured a completely new chassis, body and engine: the 287.2 cu in (4.7 L) Strato Streak V8 (the page calls it Pontiac's first V8, and adds that the last time Pontiac had offered a V8 was in 1932 when the Oakland Model 301 flathead V8 was renamed Pontiac), rated at 173 or 180 hp at 4400 rpm depending on compression ratio, with a 200 hp four-barrel version added later in the year; six-cylinder models did not return. For 1956 the V8 was enlarged to 316.6 cu in (5.2 L) (192 and 205 hp), and the 1957 "Star Flight" styling brought a new Super Chief sub-series, the first "Tri-Power" engines and a further enlarged V8, with horsepower increasing to 290 for the Chieftain models. The page gives the 1957 displacement as 346 cu in in its infobox and 347 cu in in its text, so none is entered. Wheelbase 122 in; length 203.2 in (1955), 205.6 in (1956) and 206.8 in (1957); the 1957 Pontiac badged Super Chief was assembled in Australia by Holden.
Collectors Spotted in the Pontiac Chieftain Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Pontiac Chieftain yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chieftain 287.2 cu in Strato Streak V8 (1955) | 1955–1955 | 4.7 L V8 | 180 hp | 264 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Chieftain 287.2 cu in Strato Streak V8 4-barrel (200 hp, 1955) | 1955–1955 | 4.7 L V8 | 200 hp | 278 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Chieftain 316.6 cu in V8 (1956) | 1956–1956 | 5.2 L V8 | 192 hp | 297 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Chieftain V8 (290 hp, 1957) | 1957–1957 | V8 | 290 hp | 375 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
In 1958, Pontiac offered something genuinely futuristic on the Chieftain: a portable transistor radio you could pull out of the dash and carry with you, sold as the 'Sportable.'
1955 was the year Pontiac finally let go of the six-cylinder Chieftain for good — the brand-new Strato Streak V8 took over the entire lineup, no exceptions.
The 1954 Chieftain beat every other American car to a feature we now take for granted: in-dash, modern-style air conditioning controls.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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