General Motors began production of the Pontiac car in 1926. Due to the Great Depression, the Pontiac did not do so well. Its sales actually increased in the mid-thirties. The Pontiac was given its own trademark, a silver streak running from the cowl to the radiator. The company ensured production of the Pontiac by selling it as a medium-priced car till the early forties. The Second World War brought production of these cars to a standstill. The Pontiac again made a comeback in 1946. This time, it had a different look in comparison to the first model. It sported liberal use of the chrome trim. The company kept experimenting with the looks of the car so as to make it more appealing to buyers.

The Pontiac Silver Streak first rolled out of the assembly line in 1948. It was a front-engine car that used an 8-cylinder L-head 4.1 liter engine with solid valve filters. The engine was a naturally-aspirated model capable of churning out 108 Horsepower at 3700 RPM. It had the newly-invented automatic transmission based on hydraulics called 'Hydra-Matic' and a two-barrel Carter fuel injection system. The four-door car was large enough to accommodate six people.

The silver streak was the signature look of this Pontiac car. This brand became really popular in 1948 as the car sported a completely different look that year. Sales for the car were also high that year. The 1948 Pontiac Silver Streak came in four different types of models: the Torpedo Six, the Streamliner Six, the Torpedo Eight, and the Streamliner Eight.