The Pontiac companion marque originated within another member of the General Motors family: Oakland.

Located in Pontiac, Michigan, Oakland had grown out of the Pontiac Buggy Company and thus the name of the eponymous Indian Chief seemed a natural choice for its new model.

The latter had been conceived as a quality six-cylinder car for the price of a four and was a runaway success, setting what was then a record for debut-year sales of almost 77,000 units, which was more than its Oakland parent achieved that year.

Contributing to the Pontiac Six's success was the fact that it boasted up-to-the-minute styling yet was mechanically entirely conventional.

Developed at Chevrolet, it was, in essence, a Chevrolet chassis re-engineered to accommodate a six-cylinder engine, the latter being a 186.5ci (3,057cc) sidevalve that produced 40bhp at a leisurely 2,400rpm.

There was a three-speed gearbox and brakes on the rear wheels only.

The first open Pontiacs were offered in 1927 and four-wheel...