Well, probably just new.
Though not readily apparent from the darkness of the picture, the featured building is the Oakland Car Dealership on Broad St. Taken in 1926, this picture highlights an early example of the Art Deco style of architecture heavily favored by businessmen looking to sell cars. The smooth corner of the building, large windows punctuated by striking vertical columns, and an upper level of decorative windows convey a sense of luxury on the part of the automobile and its salesman. Shiny new vehicles, most likely 1926 Pontiacs, adorn each of the windows. The Pontiac sat on the second rung of GM’s price ladder, above the economic Chevrolet, but below the marquee Oldsmobile and Buick. Priced as a low-level luxury good, the Oakland Pontiac looked best in the decorative surroundings of an Art deco building like the one above.
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