Need help identifying a 1950s automobile

[82Rigger]

Trying to scan and date some family 35mm slides that don't have film processing dates on them.

If I can learn the year model of this Pontiac then it will be a great help.

Thanks!

Steve

[39mto39g]

1955 Pontiac Star Chief

Ron

[Bill Farnie]

It looks like a 55' but I don't think its a Star Chief. It doesn't have the stars on the doors. They also would be on the front fender but there's no front picture to confirm. It's a Catalina.

[phuloi]

Yup..`55. See the "railroad tracks" on the top of the rear 1/4 panels? A Starchief would also have them on the hood.

[82Rigger]

Haven't run across any slides of the front of the car yet...but that's okay...don't really need the model, just the year.

Okay, I have another question for ya...

Is my memory correct that in the 50s the new cars hit the dealer showrooms in the FALL of the preceding year?

Can I safely say that these slides could NOT have been taken before, say, September of 1954?

[Packo]

Correct. I remember the dealers whitewashing the showroom windows so your couldn't see them until a particular date....which was either in Sept or early Oct.

When my dad was with the oil company, he'd get a new car every two years and we couldn't wait to see what he was going to buy. His car expense account basically paid for it. I can remember going past the dealerships and trying to see what was in there.

Nice Pony-ac!

Pack

[82Rigger]

Hey there, Packy!

LOL!

The "little guy" in the top image is me!

We traded this Pontiac for a Buick in early 1958, so, thanks to Ron, Bill, Griz, and you, I think I can date these slides as "between Sept 1954 and Spring 1958".

Snowfall here happens about once every 10-15 years, so if I can find out when it snowed here in the winters of '54 to '57 I can date these even better!

[39mto39g]

82
I would guess the picture is in 56
The lic plates.
55 were orange
56 were black
Ron

[82Rigger]

Ron,

I believe you have nailed it!

I had forgotten that Florida plates alternated colors back then.

Thanks, man!

The only times it has ever snowed here has been Jan - March, so the bottom two pics have to be Jan - March of 1956.

You may find it interesting to know that the plate prefix (the number before the dash) indicates the county ranked by population.

1 = Dade county (Miami)
2 = Duval county (Jacksonville)

and so forth for 67 counties.

My county (Okaloosa) ranked 43rd in population, so our prefix was "43 -".

Thanks again!

Steve

[QM3steve]

Snow in Florida? Nah.. thats got to be the stuff you get in the spraycan.

The plate looks green though. The plates were green in 1958.

I'm pretty sure it's a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain.