A one-off Plexiglas Pontiac has been sold at auction in the USA for $308,000 (€217,000). Better known as the Ghost Car for its see-through bodywork, the Pontiac was built for display at the New York World Fair in 1939-1940.
Designed by Norman Bel Geddes as part of General Motors' Futurama display, the Ghost Car showed off the versatility of Plexiglas. This material went on to be used extensively in the Second World War for fighter plane canopies and gun turrets. After the war, it was also used in cars and trains.
The Ghost car is based on a Series 26 Pontiac with a 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine offering 85hp and driving through a three-speed automatic gearbox. For the Ghost car, the steel bodywork was removed and replaced with Plexiglas by Rohm and Haas coachbuilders. All of the visible metal seen through the bodywork has been finished in a copper wash, while the dashboard and other trim is chrome plated.