1948 Pontiac DeLuxe Torpedo 4-door Sedan

"The day you come into possession of your new Pontiac will mark the beginning of a wonderful friendship — for there is no more faithful or satisfying car to be had anywhere in the world. First of all, it is such a big and beautiful and distinctive car that you will be proud to have it as a companion wherever you go. It performs so well, and is so easy and safe to handle, that it will make a big contribution to the pleasure of every journey. And, finally, it is so completely dependable and trouble-free that you will learn very soon to trust it implicitly — as you would any other good and capable friend.

The statements we are making here apply, with special emphasis, to the wonderful Pontiacs we are building today. But they also apply, with equal force, to the Pontiacs that will be built in the future — for Pontiac is always a good car. For goodness — in all that the term implies — is a constant Pontiac virtue. Regardless of when you get it, your Pontiac will be beautiful, safe, dependable — and a great comparative value. You can never do better than a Pontiac!"

The advertisement hyperbole makes one almost forget the fact that the 1948 Pontiac Torpedo was merely a better appointed Chevrolet. Admittedly, the liberally applied chrome trim and the signature "Silver Streaks", running from bonnet to boot, make the Pontiac look way more dashing than its economic sibling. These "Silver Streaks" echoed the trendy Streamline Art-Deco lines of the 1930s, and were first devised by GM designer Frank Hershey for the 1935 Pontiac. Sticking to that design element should make the Pontiacs easily recognizable. There was one problem, though: because these chrome stripes would appear old-fashioned in the postwar years, Pontiac began turning into a stuffy old man's brand — sound but uninspired. Fortunately not for long. Under new management, the focus shifted to power, the "Silver Streaks" got axed in 1957, and the brand rose like a phoenix from the ashes. 

In Cuba, torpedo has become a general moniker for vintage fastback body styles. Yet, the Pontiac Torpedo was not limited to the fastback look. It simply was the designation of Pontiac's entry level model which shared GM's corporate A-body with Chevrolet. Only one out of four Pontiac buyers opted for the Torpedo in 1948. The vast majority choose the pricier Streamliner series, which ran on a 3-inch (7,62 cm) longer wheelbase and used GM's bigger B-body, just like the junior Buick, Cadillac and Oldsmobile lines.