A 1926 Pontiac Hill Climb Speedster, considered to be the marque’s first sports car and its first vehicle to have won a race, is looking for a new owner in the United States willing to part with 290,000 USD.
The car has around 36,300 km (22,550 miles) under its belt. At its heart, it is a regular Pontiac Six model, one of the carmaker’s first production cars made in the same year the company was established. An accident saw its entire cabin destroyed in a fire a while later, but the dealership decided to buy it out and send it to Willoughby Coachworks for a complete overhaul. Thus was a track-only speedster born.
Having received a 3.1-liter six-cylinder engine and a three-speed manual gearbox, the car hit the New York hill climb track and won the first place in its category. It also scored third in the overall standing. Inspired, Pontiac used it to shoot an ad promoting the Six. Instead of storing it away in a museum somewhere, though, the company continued sending it to races until 1932.
The Hill Climb Speedster then proceeded to be bought out by the very dealership that originally had it rebuilt. It stayed there until 1983 and went into private hands. The current owner and seller acquired the exotic a quarter of a century ago and used papers and photos of the era to restore it to its authentic condition – that of a famous hill climb racecar. Even the drivetrain was allowed to remain original.
The seller points out that the car spent most of its life as a museum exhibit, explaining the low mileage and great condition.