USA 2024 - Pontiac Transportation Museum: Classic Restos - Series 56

Fletch returns to the USA on a 13-state tour of America’s best automotive museums and private collections, beginning in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit is the birthplace of automotive manufacturing, where Henry Ford created the Model T and the first automotive assembly line.

The first stop is the Pontiac Transportation Museum, which opened in May 2024. The museum serves as a wonderful tribute to the Pontiac brand, made possible by generous financial donations and Pontiac artifacts. Phase 1 covers 12,000 sq ft, with plans to expand to 55,000 sq ft in two additional phases.

The Oakland brand is where it all began in 1908, long before General Motors took over producing the Pontiac in 1931. Fletch takes a personally guided tour of the facility, walking through a timeline of early Oakland cars and trucks leading to the full Pontiac range.

The tour starts with the humble carriage works and the 1908 Pontiac High Wheeler, built by the Spring and Wagon Works Carriage company, and continues through to the final Pontiac models manufactured. The US Depression in 1929 was part of the transition from Oakland to Pontiac, which occurred in 1932 due to the Pontiac nameplate outselling the Oakland nameplate by ten to one.

The museum also features the Pontiac GTO era under the GM banner, showcasing some spectacular examples, including prototype cars. Over 50% of the vehicles on display are on consignment to the museum, making it a living history of the Pontiac.