Conceived by designer Harley J. Earl and hand-built by Homer C. LaGassey Jr. and Paul Gilland, the Special is a grand touring sport coupé that incorporated innovative styling like a Plexiglas canopy with gull-wing windows on a sleek fiberglass body.

Two "Special" prototypes, one painted metallic bronze and one emerald green, were built in order to unveil them simultaneously at the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf in New York and the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1954.

Born in the Art Deco style of the mid thirties, it was meant as a visual cue to help distinguish Pontiacs from their competitors, and create the illusion of speed.

This flowing motif was carried to an elegant center console with a diminutive automatic transmission gearshift handle, twin vent-control levers, and ignition key slot.

Twin scoops designed to channel cool air into the driver's compartment also appeared on the Club de Mer, and resurfaced over a decade later on the 1967 Firebird and 1968 GTO.

The 1958 Bonneville's instrument panel borrowed the Special's sleek stainless steel style, and the finned wheel covers became a design cue for Pontiac's famous 8-lug, aluminum rims introduced in 1960.

Pontiac's was far enough in its development to be considered for the "Special", but was held back by GM marketing, which wished to keep it a secret until its consumer debut the following model year.