Pontiac concept tribute hitting the auction block

[BLeyland]

Pontiac Club de Mer replica hits the block this weekend
By Myles Kornblatt

........Pontiac was going through a revolution in 1956. The Club de Mer was part of the company's plan to shed its ho-hum image for trendier styling and more performance. Pontiac was basically pulling off the same feat Buick is doing today.

The Club de Mer would likely be a treasured part of GM's modern collection had it not been crushed per the policy with most concept cars. Marty Martino has built a few recreations of notable show cars, and he decided this Pontiac concept needed a proper tribute. He sifted through photos of the original show car and used GM's 1/4 scale model of the Club de Mer (still in existence) to create a one-off that is the closest we can get to appreciating the original Club de Mer. He seemed to get all the details right like the then-famous silver streaks on the hood, flip up headlights, single rear shark fin, and silver mylar-infused interior carpeting.......

..........This weekend in West Palm Beach, the Hollywood Wheels Car Auction will send this Pontiac Club de Mer to a new owner. It is a somewhat fitting tribute as West Palm Beach is the city Earl retired to when he left GM in 1958.

FULL STORY:http://www.motobullet.com/news.php?id=10448



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[JeffInDFW]

Absolutely fantastic. I could spend days looking at every inch of that car....So cool that somebody took the time to recreate a part of history like that....

[Still Runnin]

Hey Jeff, I'm with you ... I could look at the Club De Mer for days too for more the one reason. One of the reasons is a dear friend of mine built it, Marty Martino, he is a MASTER at what he does. Did anyone see who bought it from Mr. Arnold (the first buyer from BJ) and what it sold for this go around? If you anyone knows would you please email me the info to my email at [email protected]

[fast86-gn]

I see GM is selling off more cars out of there private collection. Cool looking car.

[Uzzy]

I see GM is selling off more cars out of there private collection. Cool looking car.

This is not from GM's private collection. They crushed the original as was policy back then. This was a hand-built recreation.

[johnstarnes]

What a stunner!

[balthazar]

>>"They crushed the original as was policy back then."<<

Supposedly...

[johnstarnes]

I see it has the "nose within a nose" of the Corvette Centennial Concept.

[paul8488]

Wow. I have never even heard of that before, but it's automotive art at its best.

I know a one-off makes this car super desirable, but it would be nice, since he went to the trouble to make one, to have made a few more.

[2doorpost]

When I was a kid, I had a red jacket with GM dream cars on it.

Wish I would have saved that coat.

[Jossshy]

The car makes me think of the Fallout games
It just needs a Nuclear Fusion powered engine

[flatblackstrat]

The car makes me think of the Fallout games
It just needs a Nuclear Fusion powered engine

I was waiting for someone to say that. I didn't want to piss off any old schoolers who may have grown up with seeing this thing though and not having any idea what fallout was.

[throwback]

Those GM Motorama days saw some incredible designs. I love seeing these old dream cars restored and available for folks to see.