With over 1,000 cars at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Fall Auction, there’s plenty of neat stuff to choose from, from dazzling restorations and over-the-top restomods to more basic fare. I always appreciate the latter because it’s neat to see cars that once were common but no longer are. Station wagons rank high on that list, with this 1956 Pontiac worthy of examination.
Looking real purty in its Camelia and Phantom Gray metallic, this Chieftain wagon is one of several available at Pontiac dealerships in 1956. The Chieftain series encompassed both the 860 and 870 wagons, both remnants of an older time when manufacturers used numbers that appeared strange without context. Wagons started with the 860 two-door, then 860 four-door wagon, which offered three-row seating. The more upscale 870 four-door wagon only offered two-row seating.
There was one other wagon in Pontiac’s lineup, this one in Pontiac’s premium Star Chief series: the Safari. This two-door wagon was Pontiac’s version of the Chevrolet Nomad, basically a wagon with a hardtop roofline and style in spades.
The car presented here is the Chieftain 860 four-door wagon with three rows. It, along with the other 860 and 870 wagons, share something unique that won’t be found on the Safari—glance at the taillights. Clearly these wagons shared the rear fenders with Chevrolets, while the Safari used the rear fenders from conventional Pontiacs. Note the taillight cavity matches what you’d find on a Chevy, but with a lens that leans towards what Pontiac used for its sedans.
