Old Cars are Everywhere

Like most old-car hobbyists I sell an item now and then through ads in OLD CARS WEEKLY or a club newsletter or even via the Internet. Last weekend I made such a sale to a man from Germany and he sent me an email to wrap up the purchase. In it, he mentioned that he was working on a 1942 Pontiac.

This made me think, “What an unusual car to turn up in Germany!” The ’42 Pontiac is a rarity even here in the United States. These cars were only built for a few weeks before Pearl Harbor was bombed. Shortly after that, a small number of ‘42s were turned out with “black out” trim. That means they had no bright metal parts showing. The trim pieces were either left off the cars or painted over. This was done so they wouldn’t be spotted by enemy pilots making an air raid.

Of course, the Mainland was never bombed, but the war started and car production was halted. As a result, very few 1942 models of any kind were built. I’ve been collecting Pontiacs for 35 years and I have only seen three or four 1942 in that time. To have one turn up in Germany was tremendously surprising.

This illustrates the amazing nature of the old-car hobby. It seems like cars you never expect to find turn up in the oddest places. It also shows that the appeal of collecting old cars is worldwide.

John Gunnell