Not a great way to live out your last days, with a huge gash in your side. Well, it’s better to be living than dead. This Pontiac is definitely alive, and tinworming its way into your heart, I bet.
Pontiac’s styling in these years was relatively devoid of bodyside chrome spears or other trim details. Almost like Bill Mitchell, or perhaps John DeLorean, chose Pontiac to say “See how pure and beautiful my forms are, they don’t need anything!” Instead of the Pure Food Movement, here we have the Pure Mitchell Movement. Here the effect is magnified because the single chrome trim line is absent.
Even from the rear, it’s a very simple and unified form, if maybe in this example, a little misaligned.
The same pure forms exist in the interior. No distractions, simplicity. Almost Nordic. How does this compare to the Pontiac Aztek?
Bill Mitchell really was on his game that year, don’t you think?
This is, as best as I can tell, a 1964 Pontiac Catalina Sport Coupe. The Catalina was perhaps not quite as chic as the Bonneville or the GP, but it was on the slightly shorter 120″ wheelbase, and could be ordered with anything you could get on the latter two cars, all the way up to the 421 cu. in. HO output Pontiac V-8, with 370 Hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, and 3-speed or 4-speed manuals or the Hydra-Matic. So conceivably the 2-door Catalina, properly optioned, was the fastest of the full-size Pontiacs.
It’s a shame Pontiac had to move away from the “European” influence they so deftly showed in the 1960’s to become Trans-Amified by the late 1970’s, until they completely lost their way in the 1980’s. Who within GM really loved Pontiac enough to keep it from being just a more garish Chevy? No one, apparently. What’s your favorite full-size Pontiac?
Related Curbside Classic Articles:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake-1964-pontiac-grand-prix-almost-a-gm-greatest-hit/
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/auction-classics-a-bounty-of-1960s-pontiacs/
My first car way back when was a 1965 Pontiac custom sport 327 2 speed slip and slid power glide
326 and a Hydramatic 300 two-speed? Or did someone ditch the Pontiac engine in favor of a Chevy driveline?
Possibly a Canadian Pontiac, the “Cheviac’
My first car was a 62 Pontiac Catalina 4 door
389 auto,had the green,blue color all original paint bought it from the original owner,no factory radio,no air,had the bias ply tires on it
Man could it do a burn out,for $100 cash
If that were a ‘63, and red, I’d have said it was the exact car my 3rd grade teacher drove. She was young, attractive, an excellent teacher and I really had a crush on her. I think she must have lived near us in Berkeley, because once or twice I got to ride with her to or from the small Oakland private school I attended. There was something so exotic about that bright red Pontiac, Long and low and wide, with it’s then novel stacked quad headlights, that was such a contrast from our dowdy olive green Volvo 544.
IMO the Pontiac was the most improved and handsomest facelift of any ot this generation GM B-bodies. The ’63-4 Chevys looked like the box the ’61 came in, the same could be said for the Olds, the ’64 Buick’s face in particular with its’ vee’d grille pointed the way to a look GM would use well into the ’70s on Cadillacs, Chevys and even the Opel Ascona A but the rest wasn’t as special as the Pontiac which looked great as a whole.
The only sour note that looks backwards to late-Earl-era cartoonishness is the slightly too faux-convertible roofline (shared with the other B-bodies), but that could’ve been avoided by choosing any other body style besides a two-door hardtop.
Well, Pontiac was originally a fancy Chevy, back when there was room in the GM lineup for such a thing.
Seen properly IMO, Edsel was the fancy Ford and DeSoto was the fancy Plymouth.
Bunkie Knudsen and John DeLorean’s reimaging Pontiac as a performance brand worked for awhile, although as discussed here many times previously, not completely for Canada as the Chevy mechanicals remained and Beaumont/Acadians sold in Pontiac stores were fascinating alternative Chevies with maple leaves and split grills.
And when the 1971 Ventura appeared Stateside, the reversal to fancy Chevy began.
I’ve long believed that there was no reason for Pontiac to exist after 1982. Once GM began to apply Chevy drivetrains across the line, was there anything Pontiac did that couldn’t be applied to a Bowtie? Those ’90s Bonnevilles would’ve made a nice Caprice…or maybe an Impala? And how many people thought the 2004-06 GTO would’ve been better as a rebooted Chevelle?
I think we’re seeing that now as Chevrolet has been given more space to build rides that emphasize the driving experience, but not to the point of sharing Mazda’s stiffer ride. The Blazer review posted yesterday pointed out that it’s nice to drive.
With all this said, Pontiac had its time and back in the 60s was GM’s purest expression of swagger. They truly built excitement.
Thanks for reminding us of the simplicity that was evoked in this style. The first of the Grand Prix line was a Catalina body with Bonneville trim and Grand Prix markings. Once again, the simplicity of the Bonneville made the appearance outstanding.
Pontiac could do no wrong in the sixties. Even what could arguably be considered their biggest failure, the rope-drive Tempest ‘senior’ compact (before they called them intermediates) with the half-a-V8 Trophy 4 ‘hay baler’ engine, was an interesting alternative to the revolutionary Corvair (of which it shared a platform).
This and the 62 are peak Pontiac style to me….either in Catalina or GP form. The Bonneville is a touch long, and everything after 64 (maybe with the exception of 69) looks heavy handed IMO. If only they had realized at the time the strength of the distinct Amereuro flavor…oh well.
My Dad had a number of Pontiacs, but not until the new big 71 Catalina 2 door. Nine year old me loved that we had a Pontiac with a big split grille. Looking back on it now, they had already completely lost their way…just 7 years after this wonderful and distinctive 64.
Looks like this Catalina has the Ventura trim option, which included nicer seating with some additional bright work. Always thought the Catalina was a bargain compared to the Impala. For about a hundred bucks more than a 283 Powerglide Impala you got 100 more cubic inches, 3 speed Hydra-Matic and more prestige.
‘64 was a fine year in a fine decade for Pontiac.
you are correct – it says “Ventura” on the interior door
as you pointed out, Pontiac was the best value at GM during the 1960’s and the reason it became the 3rd best-selling US brand
At least that ‘64 still gets driven, and it’s certainly restorable. The ‘60’s Pontiacs were the greatest of the lot. My favourites are the full size ‘61-‘68 models, and my choice would be a ‘63 Grand Prix coupe – preferably in black. Alternately, a ‘64 GTO (389 4-speed, of course) or a later Judge would work for me as well.
My all time favorite full sized Pontiac would be a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville 2 door hardtop with a Catalina or Star Chief 2 door hardtop close behind, I thought 1965 was the best of the 1960’s Pontiac’s, I would prefer a high compression 389 ci V8 engine with the 3 speed Hydramatic transmission.
My grandma had a 64 Catalina sedan that I liked a lot.
Its funny how the brochure refers to a Hydra Matic, but doesn’t mention that it was two completely different units (one good, one bad) depending on whether you got a Bonneville/Star Chief or a Catalina/Grand Prix.
My favorite is the 1969 Pontiac Executive. I think it was the longest car I’d ever seen in person.
I’d have loved to been there when they were sketching those Pontiac ads by Fitzpatrick and Kaufman.
“No, the hood’s not big enough. Think pool table!”
Quite the little fib, but such wonderful pics nonetheless.
Great car. I have 62 Bonneville 2 door hard top “sport coupe” and a 63 Grand Prix. Clear titles on both cars. Good cars. Need some TLC but solid inside and out. I am located in Kansas. Jerad6397@gmail.com
Those are nice i wanted to find a 2 door Catalina,grand prix to put my 62 389 in it from my 62 4door Catalina back then
Well at the moment my collection consists of a 50 2 dr silver streak fast back flat head straight 8 auto trans a 62 4 dr hardtop automatic catalina a 62 2 dr hardtop tripower 4 speed catalina a 64 2 hardtop bonneville a 66 2 dr hard top automatic catalina a 66 tripower 8 lug 3 speed manual trans grand prix and a 79 2 dr bonneville with the bucket seat option with snow flake wheels….so i kinda have a soft spot for the ole full size ponchos……if i had more room id lime to have this catalina to go with my 64 bonneville which is also blue with a white top….still need a wagon and a convertible tho….
This and the 62 are peak Pontiac style to me….in either SWB Catalina or GP form. Everything after 64 (maybe with the exception of 69) looks heavy handed IMO. If only they had realized at the time the strength of the distinct Amereuro flavor…oh well.
My Dad had a number of Pontiacs, but not until the new big 71 Catalina 2 door. Nine year old me loved that we had a Pontiac with a big split grille. Looking back on it now, they had already completely lost their way…just 7 years after this wonderful and distinctive 64.
My Dad’s favorite car was his 1964 Pontiac Catalina Convertible in Nocturne Blue. He swears it had a light blue top, although I can find no evidence that they ever sold that color top, but did have a light blue that matched the seats…
And the interior…from a similar car on the web in Oklahoma…