'58 Pontiac question: "Strato-Streak Six" ?

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Last night, I was reading an article from a recent Hemmings Classic Car magazine, regarding auto-advertising in the 1950's, and the flagrant use of "poetic license" on the part of those who wrote the ad copy...

There were accompanying magazine ads from the '50s, from various marques, including one for Pontiac for 1958, focusing on their engines, which included a 283 V-8 & Powerglide, and a "Strato-Streak Six", which looked an awful lot like a Chevy 235 six-cylinder.

I was pretty sure that Pontiac had gone all-V8 in 1955, and that there were no more Pontiac sixes until the OHC six of the mid-'60s...

Was this ad with the seemingly "borrowed" engines from Chevrolet Division from the Canadian division of Pontiac ?

[OldsDoug]

I'm with you, must have been from a Canadian publication.

[Guest JDHolmes]

I've seen several things lately that have advertised six cylinder in Pontiac's 55-58. However, I just checked a manual and it shows only v-8's from 55-60. Perhaps an ordering option?

[Guest aussie610]

could hav also been from Australia. I think we still got sixes here

[Pontiac59]

Export Pontiacs - those to Canada, Australia, etc. - often got built with a Chevrolet chassis and drivetrain. They came with the same engine options as a Chevy, except the six was a 261 truck motor. Your flyer is undoubtedly Canadian, since 1958 US models had a 370-CI Pontiac motor and dual-coupling Hydramatic transmission (I forget the Pontiac name, but Pontiac did not use a Powerglide behind a 347, 370, or 389).