About Pontiac-Oakland Club International

POCI was formed in 1972 by Don Bougher, and a small group of enthusiasts who wanted to pool as much Pontiac and Oakland information as possible. The first convention was held the following year in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Since then, POCI chapters have formed all over the country and POCI Conventions have been held every year at a variety of locations.

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History of the Pontiac Oakland Club

Below is the series of events that lead to the creation of the Pontiac-Oakland Club International as we know it today............

• 1926: In January 1926, the Oakland division of General Motors introduced the Pontiac, its less expensive companion car. A new factory was built on a 246-acre site on the north side of Pontiac, Michigan. The Pontiac quickly became an instant success, outselling its parent car, the Oakland. In its first abbreviated year, Pontiac sold 76,783 vehicles. It was first advertised in the Saturday Evening Post on January 9, 1926. The car was available in only three colors: Cobalt Blue, Sedge Green, and Peter Pan Blue, all produced by Duco Company.

• December 28, 1926: Fred Laughter of Rancho Santa Fe, California, purchased a brand new 1926 Pontiac 2-door Landau Coupe at a gas station in Encinitas, California, for $865, trading in his 1925 Chevrolet roadster. At that time, gas stations frequently sold new cars as a side business.

• 1927: Fred Laughter enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1927 and left the car for his mother and brother to use. During his five years of enlistment, he lost interest in the car and signed the "pink slip" over to his brother, Frank Laughter.

• 1930-31: During the Depression years, Pontiac significantly outsold the more expensive Oakland, which was discontinued in 1931. This marked the only instance where a parent car was discontinued while its companion car survived. For the first time, V-8 engines were factory-installed in some 1932 Pontiacs, believed to be based on the Oakland V-8 engine design. By 1933, traditional flathead motors were used in all models.

• 1941: Frank Laughter went into the Army in 1941 and was killed during World War II. His mother kept the car for sentimental reasons. Frank had put the car up on blocks in his parents' detached garage, where it remained until 1965. When he stored the car, he failed to drain the radiator, resulting in a leak that caused severe rust in the lower part of the radiator shell. The rust was too extensive to repair and would require finding a replacement radiator shell in the future.

• 1965: A roofer named Richard Weinberg was working on the Laughter home. Curious about any treasures in the old garage, he peeked through a dirty window and discovered the old Pontiac, which had been resting there since 1941. He inquired about the car and subsequently purchased it.

• October 1966: Norman Snyder purchased the car from Richard Weinberg.

• September 21, 1967: Don Bougher purchased the car from Norman Snyder.

• 1971: Don Bougher spent six years searching for a radiator shell for the 1926 Pontiac Landau Coupe. His search included placing ads in Hemmings Motor News, Cars & Parts, and Old Cars Weekly, as well as attending various flea markets, including multiple trips to the Fall Hershey, Pennsylvania meet. At that time, there was no Pontiac club or specific vendors at the flea markets. As a result, he decided to start a roster of old Pontiac owners for networking purposes. In August 1971, the Pontiac Owners Roster was printed, containing 83 listings of Pontiac owners, their contact details, and a list of the old Pontiacs they owned, ranging from 1926 through 1950. Several people on the roster encouraged Don Bougher to start a club for Pontiacs, as none existed.

• January 1, 1972: Don Bougher officially established the Pontiac Owners Club International. All members joining before April 30, 1972, are considered charter members. A quarterly publication called Silver Streak News was first published in January 1972, with Don Bougher serving as the editor.

• October 5-7, 1972: Don Bougher set up spaces L62-L63 at the Fall Hershey Flea Market, where he signed up many new members to POCL. Photos from the event are displayed on a board. Starting in 1972, an annual membership roster was distributed to all members, continuing through the 2005 edition.

• November 1, 1972: POCI membership reached a total of 299 members. On January 1, 1973, the club name was changed from the Pontiac Owners Club International to the Pontiac Oakland Club International. In early 1973, efforts began to draft a club constitution and by-laws, as well as to set up elections for a national board of directors. A network of technical advisors was also established.

• Sunday, October 7, 1973: Don Baugher and charter member Don Barlup organized the first POCI meet on the Sunday following the AACA Hershey Car Show. Don Barlup offered to host it at his Pizza Drive-In Restaurant in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. An avid car enthusiast, Barlup had previously hosted numerous old car shows at his restaurant. According to the Silver Streak News, the official quarterly newsletter, the car count was 31, with 26 cars pre-registered. Don Barlup preserved the pre-registration forms from this first show. Canadian members also attended, making it a truly international meet. Alan Mayes served as the official photographer and covered the event for "Cars & Parts" magazine, published from November 1-15, 1973. A highlight of the show was the 1940 Plexiglas car, owned by Walter Arnold, a Pontiac dealer from nearby Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Don Barlup purchased this car at the event. The club now has over 675 members in 10 different countries.

• August 9-11, 1974: The second POCI convention was hosted in Wichita, Kansas, by Pontiac fan and dealer Byron "Joe" Stout. The three-day event was attended by 69 people.

• May 25, 1975: Over the winter of 1974-1975, the Keystone State chapter was formed, and the request for a charter was signed at Don's Pizza Drive-In, the site of the very first POCI gathering just two years earlier. A total of 14 members and 13 cars attended. Several cars that were displayed at the first meet in 1973 also appeared at this 1975 gathering.

• June 1975: Alan Mayes was replaced by Rick Kornmeier as the editor of the quarterly Silver Streak News. Mayes also became the editor of an additional publication called Smoke Signals, which was first issued in July 1975 and produced monthly. This was preceded by an untitled monthly newsletter, first issued in October 1974, which was printed only four times.

• August 15-17, 1975: The Pontiac Motor Division took an interest and hosted the 1975 convention at the main Pontiac plant in Pontiac, Michigan, with over 100 cars in attendance. Visitors toured the assembly line and saw the new 1976 Pontiacs being produced. The new 1976 Grand Prix received excellent reviews from club members. Don Bougher ordered a 1976 Golden Anniversary Grand Prix at this meet, as did several other members. PMD hosted the Saturday awards banquet in the executive dining room of the PMD office building located near the factory complex. During this banquet, the Keystone State Chapter received its charter, becoming the second official chapter, just behind Florida, which was the first chapter. The Florida Chapter later faced challenges and disbanded, leaving the Keystone State Chapter as the longest continuously operating chapter, now 44 years strong.

• 1976-1979: The club grew in numbers and chapters. By December 1977, there were 12 active chapters. Yearly conventions were held in various locations, including Medina, Ohio; San Diego, California; Orlando, Florida; and at the GM Design Center in Troy, Michigan. The Keystone State Chapter held a Mini Meet in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in August 1977 to serve members who could not attend the California convention.

• December 1978: Don Bougher and his wife, Pat, moved from Escondido, California, after purchasing a farm in Dayton, Oregon, in January 1979. Before moving, Don sold his 1926 Pontiac to POCI member Fred Vlaskamp in Spring Valley, Ohio, in December 1978.

• August 1979: Silver Streak News and Smoke Signals were combined into one monthly publication, retaining the name Smoke Signals. That name continues to be used today as a monthly publication, with Tim Dye as the current editor.

• June 26-29, 1980: The Keystone State Chapter hosted its first convention, held in Gettysburg. This was the first large POCI convention, officially drawing 357 cars. As of June 1979, membership totaled 2,683 members.

• 1981-1987: The club continues to grow and prosper, adding new members and chapters. Yearly conventions included Springfield, Illinois; Bloomington, Minnesota (10th anniversary convention); Niagara Falls, New York; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; and Sturbridge, Massachusetts.

• 1987: Jerry Ray Booher of Dayton, Ohio, purchased the 1926 Pontiac on May 21, 1987, from Fred Vlaskamp. The car was found being stored In a foundry in Dayton and was covered with foundry dust and sand. The gas tank was full of sand, and the car would not run, so the carburetor was taken off and rebuilt. The gas tank and lines were cleaned, following which the car started, and cleanup was on Its way!

• June 23-25/1988: The Keystone State Chapter hosts its second Pennsylvania convention, this time at Downingtown.

• August 1989: Club membership now stands at 8,799 members.

• 2011: The Delmarva Chapter is founded as chapter number 99, to serve members In the State of Delaware and eastern portions of Maryland and Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula, between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

• August 2015: Larry Huneycutt Auto Sales of Stanfield, North Carolina, purchased the 1926 Pontiac from Jerry Booher on August 26, 2015. Huneycutt Auto Sales worked with StreetSide Classics of Charlotte, North Carolina, to sell car.

• 2016: Craig Marchbank, a member of the Pontiac-Oakland Club International (POCI) and the Early Times Chapter, purchased the 1926 Pontiac that belonged to Don Bougher.

• June 17, 2016: Craig and Helen Marchbank from New Lenox, Illinois, bought the car from Huneycutt/Streetside. The car required a considerable amount of TLC to restore it to running and driving condition. It is now part of their excellent collection and is being well cared for. They look forward to serving as the caretakers of this beauty for the next few decades and graciously agreed to showcase the car at the 2019 annual convention in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

• 2019 POCI Convention: The 1926 Pontiac that started it all was given a special place of honor in the lobby of the Wyndham Hotel. On display alongside it was the rusted original radiator shell that Don Bougher spent many years searching for its replacement. This shell was the catalyst for his formation of POCI and is considered our "Holy Grail," as it sparked events that ultimately led us to where we are today.