page_title: Pontiac Pathfinder
hierarchical_section_title: Pontiac Pathfinder
caption_attribution_description: 1955 Pontiac photographed in Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada at the Auto classique VAQ Mont St-Hilaire.
context_page_description: Unique to Canada, the Pontiac Pathfinder was an entry-level full sized car or station wagon that was based on the Chevrolet marque, another General Motors brand. The Chevy chassis, engine, and body panels were used, but most of the distinctive Pontiac styling parts for each model year were incorporated. This resulted in shorter front and rear fenders than on U.S. built Pontiacs and Canadian specific wheels and hubcaps. Interior trim was often unique to the Pathfinder. The last Pathfinders were built in 1958 as Pontiac's base model. Body styles included a sedan delivery which was Pontiac's last full-size sedan delivery, two-door coupes, four-door sedans, and a station wagon model. The Canadian built Pontiac sedan delivery was available only during the 1954 through 1958 model years since the sedan delivery was not sold in the U.S. after 1953.
  The entry-level Canadian Pontiac models, from 1946 through 1953, used only the front section of Pontiac sheet metal, with the shorter Chevrolet wheelbase. This resulted in these cars appearing to be a Chevrolet with Pontiac Silver Streaks added on the trunk lid. From 1946 through 1952 these "Cheviacs" were sold as the Pontiac Fleetleader.
context_section_description: Unique to Canada, the Pontiac Pathfinder was an entry-level full sized car or station wagon that was based on the Chevrolet marque, another General Motors brand. The Chevy chassis, engine, and body panels were used, but most of the distinctive Pontiac styling parts for each model year were incorporated. This resulted in shorter front and rear fenders than on U.S. built Pontiacs and Canadian specific wheels and hubcaps. Interior trim was often unique to the Pathfinder. The last Pathfinders were built in 1958 as Pontiac's (Canada) base model. Body styles included a sedan delivery which was Pontiac's last full-size sedan delivery, two-door coupes, four-door sedans, and a station wagon model. The Canadian built Pontiac sedan delivery was available only during the 1954 through 1958 model years since the sedan delivery was not sold in the U.S. after 1953.
  The entry-level Canadian Pontiac models, from 1946 through 1953, used only the front section of Pontiac sheet metal, with the shorter Chevrolet wheelbase. This resulted in these cars appearing to be a Chevrolet with Pontiac Silver Streaks added on the trunk lid. From 1946 through 1952 these "Cheviacs" were sold as the Pontiac Fleetleader. Starting in 1954 these low-end Canadian Pontiac models (called Pontiac Pathfinders since 1953) used Chevrolet body shells, but with Pontiac features at both ends. These variants of U.S. Chevys are only recognized when compared to their U.S. Chevrolet or Pontiac equivalents, since body details often differ slightly between the U.S. versions of the two makes. Model year 1958 was the last for the Canada only Pathfinder models. The Pontiac Pathfinders (as well as some other Canadian models) usually had Chevrolet engines and drive trains, so that one can find Canadian Pontiacs with OHV sixes or 283 V8 engines built by Chevy.
  Although Canada-specific models of U.S. makes were gradually phased out after Canada's "Auto Pact" treaty with the U.S. made them no longer necessary, Pontiacs manufactured and sold in Canada maintained their unique model names for many years even after the "Auto Pact" treaty took effect.
caption: 1955 Pontiac Pathfinder Sedan
exif: {"Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon PowerShot A60", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "180", "Image YResolution": "180", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2011:07:08 20:10:27", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "184", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "180", "Thumbnail YResolution": "180", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1688", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5848", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/1000", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2011:07:08 20:10:27", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2011:07:08 20:10:27", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "5", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "319/32", "EXIF ApertureValue": "95/32", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "95/32", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "173/32", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1600", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1200", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "Interoperability RelatedImageWidth": "1600", "Interoperability RelatedImageLength": "1200", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "1516", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "800000/103", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "240000/31", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Night", "EXIF OffsetSchema": "-264"}