The “Ghost Car” is a one-off show car which body and panels are made entirely of plexiglass.
In the early 20th century, glass for use in cars could only be manufactured in flat panels. This required separate panels to accommodate for curved parts of car bodies (“split windows”). GM wanted to end this nuisance and envisioned to bend car windows into any shape imaginable.
German chemical company Röhm & Haas accidentally discovered plexiglass in 1928 and successfully brought it to market in 1933. Impressed by the new material’s lightness and durability, GM commissioned Röhm & Haas to make its vision a reality.
Röhm & Haas was supplied with an ordinary Pontiac Deluxe Six Touring Sedan. The steel body and panels were replaced with exact duplicates made entirely of plexiglass. As a result, the car was rendered mostly transparent. It was completed in time to be showcased at the 1939 World’s Fair (30 April 1939 – 27 October 1940) in New York City. GM paid US$25,000 (US$557,000 adjusted for inflation) and yet the Ghost Car’s windows remained flat.
The Ghost Car continues to survive to this day. Unlike steel, plexiglass doesn’t rust, meaning the Ghost Car is largely intact and unrestored. It was sold at an auction in 2011 for a bargain price of US$308,000.
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The “Ghost Car” is a one-off show car which body and panels are made entirely of plexiglass.
In the early 20th century, glass for use in cars could only be manufactured in flat panels. This required separate panels to accommodate for curved parts of car bodies (“split windows”). GM wanted to end this nuisance and envisioned to bend car windows into any shape imaginable.
German chemical company Röhm & Haas accidentally discovered plexiglass in 1928 and successfully brought it to market in 1933. Impressed by the new material’s lightness and durability, GM commissioned Röhm & Haas to make its vision a reality.
Röhm & Haas was supplied with an ordinary Pontiac Deluxe Six Touring Sedan. The steel body and panels were replaced with exact duplicates made entirely of plexiglass. As a result, the car was rendered mostly transparent. It was completed in time to be showcased at the 1939 World’s Fair (30 April 1939 – 27 October 1940) in New York City. GM paid US$25,000 (US$557,000 adjusted for inflation) and yet the Ghost Car’s windows remained flat.
The Ghost Car continues to survive to this day. Unlike steel, plexiglass doesn’t rust, meaning the Ghost Car is largely intact and unrestored. It was sold at an auction in 2011 for a bargain price of US$308,000.
[More photos can be found here](https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/sj11/lots/r102-1939-pontiac-plexiglas-deluxe-six-ghost-car/photos/).