Car of the Week: 1956 Pontiac Safari wagon

Getting behind the Safari wagon, NATMUS welcomes iconic race cars and the passing of Jim Wangers in this week's newsletter.

Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page here. Car of the Week: 1956 Pontiac Safari wagon For many years the Safari wagon hasn't gotten the respect that was due. From the looks of this '56 Pontiac Safari wagon, that is about to change. It's a bit ironic that Luke Miller's gorgeous 1956 Pontiac Safari wagon has always played second fiddle to a Chevrolet Nomad in the Miller garage. That is sort of the story of the Safari's life, at least when it first arrived in the 1950s. As nice as it was, the Pontiac wagon never seemed to get to adoration that the flashy hardtop Chevy hauler got. Collectors and enthusiasts today still fawn over the Nomad, while the Safari often travels down Rodney Dangerfield Lane. See More Make your car our "Car of the Week"  If you've got an old car you really love, we want to hear about it! Click here to submit your ride! NATMUS Welcomes NASCAR Legends NATMUS and NASCAR to feature Richard Petty #43 1964 Plymouth Belvedere, first 1969 Dodge Charger 500, the Cotton Owens 1964 Dodge Polara and the Benny Parsons 1969 Ford Torino Talladega #98 race car with more coming. Executive Director Dave Yarde and the team at the National Auto & Truck Museum (NATMUS) in Auburn, Ind., have just assembled a one-in-a-lifetime display titled "Legends of NASCAR." This collection of legendary NASCAR race cars will be displayed on NATMUS' main floor, in the racing gallery. NATMUS is the first automobile museum to assemble this collection of important NASCAR race cars. See More Jim Wangers has passed at the age of 96 Jim Wangers, the marketing genius forever connected to the Pontiac GTO, reportedly passed away in his sleep on April 27 at the age of 96. Wangers made a name for himself in the automotive field. It began with a stint in advertising at Kaiser-Frazer followed by Chevrolet and then Plymouth. In 1958, he went to work at McManus, John & Adams where he worked on the Pontiac account, and that is where he would truly make his mark on automotive history. Pontiac was just a couple years into revitalizing its brand from being an "old man's car" to a "young man's car," and Wangers recalled that he understood the relationship between performance and car sales. In 1960 he raced a new Pontiac at the NHRA Nationals where he was Top Stock Eliminator. While working on the Pontiac account, he also established a factory connection with Royal Pontiac in Michigan to build and test performance cars. He said the NHRA win further cemented his credentials with Pontiac and helped him influence such models as the GTO, the GTO Judge and Trans Ams. See More Get the complete pricing picture! The 2023 Old Cars Price Guide Big Book eBook covers them all. Pricing from 1901-2012 with our industry standard 1-6 price condition grade system giving you the whole pricing picture.   If you are the type who likes a book in your hand, the 2023 Old Cars Big Book is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTRPGM1Y as well. GET YOURS NOW! Subscribe Now to the Highest Frequency Publication for Die-Hard Car Lovers! Your subscription to Old Cars includes: All the recent news from around the old car hobby Coverage of all the important collector car auctions and shows Classifieds including expert advice SUBSCRIBE NOW! Active Interest Media 2143 Grand Ave Des Moines, Iowa, 50312 United States You received this email because you are subscribed to Old Cars Weekly eNewsletter. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive.