Possibly the best news for the convertible-loving, but budget-minded, car buyers of 1958 was that a convertible was to be offered in Pontiac’s lowest priced line. It exhibited a new engineering age under a silhouette less than four-feet, eight-inches high – and scarcely a yardstick at the fashionable beltline. The Chieftain proved to be popular with 7,359 convertibles built in 1958.

You don’t have to know anything about the Chieftain’s upscale stablemate, the 1958 Bonneville Convertible to appreciate it. It is a car that could only have come from America; it had all of the hot engine options you could ever want. In its first year of having its own line of cars, Bonneville was among the hottest cars in the red-hot GM lineup, and a Tri-power Bonneville Convertible paced the 1958 Indianapolis 500. It was an expensive and exclusive car, though—both price and production were comparable to Corvette—and only 3,096 convertibles sold that first year. With that in mind, it is easy to understand the upgrade that this Chieftain has received so it can be reminiscent of the exclusive Bonneville.

Finished in a Rangoon Red and Graystone White exterior complemented by a red and ivory upholstery with bucket seats and white convertible top, this beauty is powered by a Tri-power 300-hp, 370-cid V-8 with a Strato-Flight four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. This convertible has dual exhaust, power brakes, factory radio, dual mirrors and BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whitewall tires with stainless wheel covers.

This rare car is presented with excellent chrome and stainless. Tri-power Bonneville convertibles seldom trade hands, so this presents a great opportunity to acquire a similar platform presented in the desirable Bonneville motif. The Pontiac has been transformed in a very proper fashion.