The Pontiac 6 was a more affordable version of its predecessor Oakland Six that was introduced in 1926, sold through Oakland Dealerships. Pontiac was the first of General Motors companion make program where brands were introduced to fill in pricing gaps that had developed between Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Oakland and Chevrolet. The original marketing approach begun when GM was incorporated in 1908 was to offer a range of vehicles in various body styles based on affordable to extravagant, and the customer base would gradually trade up every few years to the next hierarchy brand. Pontiac was introduced as an affordable Oakland, followed by LaSalle for Cadillac, Marquette for Buick and Viking for Oldsmobile. Pontiac's introduction was a sales success while customers shied away from the more expensive Oakland, and once the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression followed, both Pontiac and Oakland were being considered for cancellation but the decision was made to keep Pontiac as the economy began to recover. First Generation (1926-1932) The 1926 Pontiac 6 was first introduced as the Series 6-27 using Fisher Body coachwork, and only offered a 2-door 2-passenger Coupe or 5-passenger Coach with a list price of US$825 ($ in dollars ). It was first introduced January 3, 1926, while manufacture at the Oakland Factory in Pontiac Michigan began December 28, 1925 and introduced the Pontiac straight-6 engine split-flathead which was designed by Henry M. Crane. As this was an entry-level vehicle, options were limited to a front and rear bumper, rear mounted spare tire and a heater for the passenger compartment. The Coach came painted in Sage Green with Faerie Red striping while the Coupe had Landau bars on the roof and was painted in Arizona Grey while both came with black fenders. Mid-year changes were introduced in August adding three more coachwork choices, while the coupe was available in blue with a red stripe, the coach was available in blue or gray with an orange stripe. Deluxe models could be distinguished by having both the fender and body in one color. When the model year had finished 76,742 cars had been manufactured. When model year 1927 began, it was renamed the "New Finer Series 6-27" and a Sport Roadster or Sport Coupe was now offered as a 2-passenger with optional rumble seat. Prices reflected the popularity of the brand and ranged from US$775 ($ in dollars ) for