It wasn’t that Pontiac didn’t offer a station wagon during the immediate postwar years—the division saw to that as soon as production resumed for the 1946 season—but rather its mid-decade Custom Safari broke design tradition in visually stunning fashion.
Introduced for 1955, the all-new Custom Safari was a sporty two-door station wagon designed as an up-market complement to Chevrolet’s Nomad utilizing the same 122-inch wheelbase A-body chassis and Fisher Body shell. Although on a short chassis, Pontiac considered the Safari part of its larger B-body Star Chief series, officially designating it as the Star Chief Custom (Series 27).
The Custom Safari was differentiated from the similarly styled Chieftain 860 Colony two-door wagon (also introduced in ’55) by a forward rake “B” pillar—versus a vertical pillar—and an angled tailgate, as well as a ribbed roof panel, and the inclusion of upscale Star Chief trim. Furthermore, the Safari had a hardtop vibe
