01 Aug A Strato Star

What’s in a name? Pontiac manufactured a model called Star Chief from 1954 to 1966. During that time it passed through six generations, beginning as the top trim package of Pontiac’s Chieftain model becoming the base for the later Bonneville. It was assembled in numerous plants in America and proved to be a big seller. At the time, Pontiac was a major player within the massive General Motors organisation, and its products were produced in other countries. The Pontiac Strato Chief, a Canadian-market model, was primarily manufactured at the GM of Canada assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario.

Specifically, the Strato Chief was assembled alongside other full-size Pontiacs, sharing a similar trim level and upholstery with the Chevrolet Biscayne. While sharing a chassis with the Chevrolet Catalina, the Strato Chief utilized Chevrolet-sourced components and running gear. Strato Chiefs – including right-hand drive examples – were exported to other markets, being assembled as CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits for final assembly at overseas plants, including the GM Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa. It was a full-sized car that catered to a wide market, offering an appealing blend of affordability and performance.

Being a ‘full size’ (by American standards) model, the 1964 SA-spec Strato-Chief that is part of the FMM collection is a big car. Overall dimensions are 5 410 mm long, 2 012 mm wide and 1 417 mm high. However, the Strato Chief is based on the Catalina body, which is 178 mm shorter than the Star Chief. It certainly has an imposing presence, the long body lines headed by a distinctive split grille flanked by twin vertical headlight clusters. But the lack of any excess body ornamentation perhaps gives the car a big, bold and basic persona, befitting its base model standing in the model’s line-up. The body, incidentally, is by Fisher.

Inside, it’s all sweet and simple. The spacious cabin and bench front seat makes the car a comfortable six-seater. Offering just the basic equipment and instruments, the Strato Chief has something of an indestructible air that likely explains the car’s popularity. Power steering and power brakes were options in order to keep the basic price low.

Under the bonnet, the 1964 Strato Chief came equipped with a robust Turbo-Thrift 230 ci (3 771 cc) inline-6 overhead-valve engine developing 104 kW at 4 400 r/min and a healthy peak torque of 298 N.m at a low 1 600 r/min. The base transmission was a 3-speed manual. Performance is actually fairly leisurely but far from being sluggish. It rides smoothly and handles quite well but its size needs consideration when manoeuvring.

It is easy to understand why GM SA brought the Strato Chief onto the local market. At the time, big, fuss-free, reliable and affordable cars were very much in demand.

FMM’s 1964 Pontiac Strato Chief is currently on display in Hall C.