Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939

In collaboration with chemical company Rohm & Haas, who had just developed a new product called “Plexiglas”, Pontiac created an entire body shell for a 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six for the 1939-1949 World’s Fair in New York. At this time, most people wouldn’t have seen Plexiglas before, so a transparent material with that many curves was almost unheard of and this car was a big hit.
Below, you could look through the body of the car to see all its internal workings exposed. For aesthetic purposes all structural metal was given a copper wash, hardware and the dashboard were covered in chrome and all the rubber elements (including tires) were made in white.

What about the final price? In 1939, when a new Pontiac was around $700, this Plexiglas car cost $25000 to build. When this car was auctioned by RM Auctions in 2011, it went for just a little more than its original price as it sold for $308,000!

Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design

Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
Transparent Car from Plexiglas Built by Pontiac in 1939 Design
More info: rmsothebys.com Tags:, , , ,

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