Unveiled at the General Motors Highways and Horizons pavilion at the 1939-40 World's Fair in New York, the Pontiac "Ghost Car" was built on the chassis of a '39 Pontiac Deluxe Six. In collaboration with Rohm & Haas, a chemical company that had recently developed Plexiglass, the concept for a transparent car was conceived and subsequently became the first one ever built in America.
The Ghost Car was the highlight of the 1939-40 World's Fair in New York. It featured a Series 26. 85hp 222.7ci L-head six-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The structural metal underneath was given a copper wash, and all hardware, including the dashboard, was chrome plated. Rubber moldings were made in white, as were the car's tires. The initial cost was a reported $25,000 to build (using Consumer Price Index to estimate inflation, it is approx. $388,000 in 2011 US dollars). The '39 still rides on its original white tires with odometer reading of 86 miles. Being that it was a concept vehicle, it does not have a conventional vehicle identification number therefore, not street legal-but still the ultimate addition to anyone's car collection.
This reportedly one-of-a-kind vehicle (rumors suggest there might be another one that may or may not still exist) was put up for auction this past Saturday, July 30, by RM Auctions in Plymouth, Michigan, where it sold for $308,000.