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1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS

1950s cars have largely fallen out of fashion with the younger American muscle crowd. The 1955-1957 Chevy Bel Air has been done to death, but we have something that looks similar at first glance yet is different in every way.
1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS 7 photos
Photo: AutotopiaLA/YouTube screenshot
1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS1956 Pontiac "The Chief" Costs $1,000,000, Is Powered by Supercharged LS
It's a fully custom 1956 Pontiac Star Chief, a classy and pretty unusual convertible from that era. In those years, Pontiac was trying to shake off the dull but dependable image by creating "dream cars" with more lavish trim than the equivalent Chevy models.

In case you're curious about the name, the Pontiac range was split into low-end Chieftain, mid-price Super Chief on the shorter chassis, and Star Chief on the longer 124-inch wheelbase. Back then, brands didn't have a wide variety of models like they do today, and it was basically up to the different brands within a company to offer diversity.

From a distance, this looks like any other 1956 Pontiac, so there's no way of justifying a $1,000,000 price tag. Actually, it all starts as a full restoration, but every nut, every piece of metal is massage into a better version of itself.

Other than the stance, one of the most obvious changes is a substantial chop for the windshield. Those beautiful 1950s-designed chromed bumpers have been tucked further into the body for a streamlined look. And at the front, you can't miss the powerful new LED light signatures.

And then we get to the juicy performance changes, which we know AutotopiaLA loves to talk about. Contrasting with the film noir exterior, the 1956 Pontiac rides on contemporary foundations thanks to a Roadster Shop chassis. Air suspension with custom arms is used all-round, while a 9-inch rear end is needed to cope with the massive power. As nice as this deep blue paint is, it wouldn't work without the custom EVOD 20×9- and 22×12-inch wheels. While they evoke the hubcap design their size is gigantic compared to the originals, partly justified by the Wilwood big brake system.

Look under the hood and you'll find a potent new V8 dressed in the same colors as the body. That's a 418ci matched to a Whipple supercharger system, fed by giant dual intakes. They've even copper-painted the alternator, and just look at those Magnaflow blue-tinted headers!

The interior is a perfect example of why 1950s cars will forever be charming. Looking like it's dressed for special occasions, the dashboard is wrapped in the same dark caramel color as the seats, while the carpeting matches the blue paint. You don't see that in a muscle car!

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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