Car dreams are often strange, populated by whimsical stylistic elements and improbable behaviours. Imagine yourself wandering through a car show, drawn to a 1955 Pontiac Safari, but with a flathead engine whose valve cover looks like it came straight out of a bad movie. What is going on in the minds of the designers?
An unexpected night vision
Dreaming of cars is a bit like diving into a parallel universe where logic fades away. Last night, at 5:30 AM, I was awakened by a strange sound: that of a 1955 Pontiac Safari, a two-tone estate car that didn’t even have hubcaps. On my way to the engine, I discovered an incredible surprise: a flathead six, but with a valve cover so fake it could have participated in a contest for failed disguises.
An engine with outdated charm
Wait a minute: did Pontiac offer its old flathead six in 1955, alongside the brand new V8? And did they try to disguise it as an overhead valve engine? This deception was so poorly executed that one might think it was a joke. It looks like a scenario from a car horror movie where the engine tries to hide its true identity. But, let’s be honest, what buyer of Pontiac’s most expensive range, the Safari — sharing its body with the legendary Chevy Nomad — would be fooled by a flathead producing barely 115 horsepower?
A timeless valve cover
This valve cover was anything but ordinary. Rounded at the top, it resembled more a cover from an overhead cam engine, like that of the Kaiser-Jeep Tornado six, but without the bulge at the front. Made of painted stamped steel, it floated about an inch above the cylinder head, held in place by several mounting tabs on the sides. This left a glimpse of the flat head underneath. And to top it all off, a rust hole about three inches in diameter revealed the spark plug of cylinder number 1, like a curious eye observing the outside world.
Incomprehensible choices
The question nagged at me: why had Pontiac chosen to keep this flathead of 239 cubic inches in this brand new 1955 model, alongside the all-new 287 cubic inch V8? The mystery deepened. And why on earth would anyone want to buy such an expensive model with such an archaic engine? It is true that Canadian Pontiacs, nicknamed “Cheviacs,” offered six cylinders — but these engines were purely Chevrolet. For the record, the Safari estate was neither manufactured nor sold in Canada.
A dream to share
I woke up thinking that I had to remember this strange fragment of a dream, which made it difficult for me to return to sleep. So, I share this bizarre adventure with you: how many of you also dream of cars? Do you find yourself in such surreal situations? Car dreams are an invitation to explore our wildest passions and, sometimes, to laugh at the absurd.
For enthusiasts of classic cars and curious minds in the automotive world, it is always fascinating to encounter iconic models like the Pontiac Safari. To discover more stories and analyses about cars of yesterday and today, dive into our dedicated category on automotive passion and collection.
