1958 Pontiac With Rare Hitchhiker Camper Looks Like a Porta-Potty on Wheels

The classic camper market is even more interesting. And I'm not saying that simply because I love them old and stylish aluminum campers. The fact that many companies developed all sorts of weird contraptions to become relevant also plays a key role. Just take a look at the early 1970s Hitchhiker compact camper, and you'll understand.

Yup, it's very similar to a truck camper but designed to be mounted on a regular automobile. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you're fine with adding an extra 50 inches or so to your rear overhang, but the Hitchhiker looks unusual, to say the least. Ignore the upper section, which houses the two-person bed, and it's pretty much a porta-potty on wheels.

Jokes aside, the tall and narrow section has nothing to do with bodily functions. It provides entry into the camper, allows an adult to stand and climb into the sleeper area, and acts like a really small kitchen. It's safe to say that it's a good place to spend time for short trips, but the Hitchhiker was far from popular back in the day.

Designed and produced by Mid Canada Plastics, the camper found only about 250 buyers during a brief production run in the early 1970s. And, as it turns out, only a few of them are still around.

This one's mounted on a 1958 Pontiac. The upper section is attached to the roof, while the porta-potty-like part is mounted on a frame attached to the rear bumper. The system allows the trunk lid to open, but access seems somewhat difficult if you're hauling sizable trolleys.

We also need to discuss the car because this two-tone four-door is not your regular Poncho. While it may look like an American-made 1958 Star Chief, this sedan is actually a Canada-spec Strato Chief.

Produced from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s, the Strato Chief was the company's entry-level full-size car in Canada. It slotted under the mid-range Laurentian and the range-topping Parisienne and Grand Parisienne. Unlike its American siblings, the Canadian Pontiacs featured Chevrolet underpinnings.

Design-wise, the Strato Chief looks nearly identical to the US-made Star Chief. This 1958 version is also a one-year gem. Pontiac rolled out a notable design upgrade that year, changing the rear fender insets, the front grille, and the rear taillight assembly. More importantly, it switched to quad headlamps. All Pontiacs got major makeovers for the 1959 model year.

Although Strato Chiefs aren't necessarily rare in Canada, the Hitchhiker camper most likely turns this Poncho into a one-of-a-kind classic. Check it out in the video above. Author of this awesome video, Philip Schram, car historian, publishing daily at www.lezebre.eu