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Classic Cruising
A wagon of distinction
1957 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Transcontinental Safari Station Wagon is a mouthful, but just call her Talulah
Among the vehicles at car shows and cruise nights, there’s usually one that stands out. This is about one I like to call a Country Club Cruiser.
Station wagons were coming into vogue in the 1950s, and manufacturers responded with some unique models aimed at the upscale buyer. In the mid-50s, General Motors offered the posh Chevrolet Nomad and Pontiac Safari two-door station wagons.
Dripping with chrome trim and high-end interior appointments, they were easily distinguished from the mainstream models. Just about any four-door wagon could be loaded up with options, but it wasn’t until 1957 that Pontiac would have a mid-year upscale offering.
Billed as the “Star Chief Custom Transcontinental Safari”, the four-door rode on a 122-inch wheelbase and sold for a base price of $3,636. While additional options could easily drive the cost over $4,500, the “Custom Transcontinental Safari” offered some pretty impressive equipment for the money.
Special aluminium rear quarter-panel trim with four stars and two-tone paint offered a unique appearance. Under the hood was a Pontiac 347-cubic-inch “Strato-Streak” V8 with four-barrel carburetor. With its 10:0:1 compression and dual-exhaust system, the engine produced 270 horsepower at 4,800 rpm with a “Strato-Flight Hydra-Matic” automatic transmission. It also featured a generous chrome roof rack and a reclining passenger seat with headrest for added comfort on long trips.
Dayna Hammond of Lockport had always liked station wagons and she and her partner Chris Jelfs had their eyes peeled for a collectable summer cruiser.
“I always admired the Nomad, but I was open to either a two- or four-door model wagon,” she says.
Then they heard of a rare U.S-model 1957 Pontiac wagon just south of Winnipeg. Originally purchased for export to Canada, the Safari wagon had received a full body-off restoration in the 1990s. Repainted in the original Limefire green and white, it was in great condition.
The wagon was not only equipped with all of the standard equipment, but included options like power steering, power brakes, power windows, power antenna, electric wipers, padded dash, tinted glass, windshield washer, deluxe Wonderbar radio, wide whitewall tires and deluxe wheelcovers.
Inside, the passenger compartment was refinished in two-tone green and white vinyl matching the original factory pattern, ensuring a comfortable ride across town or across country.
Since the wagon had been sitting for few years before they bought it a year ago, Jelfs rebuilt the braking system and rewired some of the lights. Most of the stainless trim was polished and the paint received a good cut and polish to return it to as-new condition.
A member of the Manitoba Street Rod Association since 2006, Hammond has taken the Transcontinental wagon to several local and surrounding area shows where it always draws a thumbs up.
“It makes you happy when driving it and it makes people smile when they see it,” she says.
The Custom Transcontinental Safari wagon was a one-year-only 1957 offering, and Hammond’s car is number 1,320 of just 1,894 produced. Today, few of these niche-market vehicles remain, as time has taken its toll. A real stand-out vehicle and a solid collectable, you know you’re not going to be parked beside another one at a local show.
While the name sounded more like a train than a car, the Transcontinental was marketed as a capable and comfortable travelling vehicle and offered its occupants a ride in style. Travelling down highway I-29 or navigating classic Route 66, this is the car you wanted to be in.
Affectionately nicknamed “Talulah” by Hammond, this rare Pontiac station wagon stands as a solid testament to the auto industry’s commitment to market demands.