Vintage 1960s Pontiac Cars | Automotive

Remember the 60s? They were a time of beach tunes, tie-dye, bell-bottoms, and muscle cars. Vintage 1960s Pontiac cars were some of the biggest, baddest muscle cars on the block, with the GTO and Firebird at the head of the list.

The Models

The Pontiac Bonneville. This classic of the vintage 1960s Pontiac cars was one of the biggest, and it was perfect for big families who wanted to impress the neighbors. Available in a convertible or hardtop, the engine packed 389 cubic inches offering 348 horsepower paired with Tri-Power carburetion.

The Catalina. It might not be the most memorable of the vintage 1960s vintage Pontiac cars, but the Catalina could pack a wallop. It was a big boat of a car with a 421-inch V-8 engine that could speedily accelerate to 95 miles per hour in the 2 + 2 model of 1964-1967.

The Firebird. This was the Pontiac version of the sporty Chevy Camaro, and its low price made it popular with young drivers. Produced from 1967 through 1969, it offered both six and V-8 versions with up to 250 horsepower.

The Grand Prix. This was one of Pontiac?s biggest models, and it lost sales in the 1960s to many of Pontiac?s smaller, high-performance cars, like the GTO.

The GTO. One of the most famous of the vintage 1960s Pontiac cars, the GTO is still seen as one of the best muscle cars of the 1960s. It was actually smaller than many of the other muscle cars, and with a 421-cubic inch engine, its top speed was 130 miles per hour. It still retains an aura of power and magic today.

The Tempest. The Tempest was one of Pontiac?s first attempts at a compact car, which were just becoming popular in the early 1960s. It was actually based on the ill-fated Chevy Corvair, the rear engine air-cooled engine car that became one of Chevy?s worst cars in history. However, the Tempest had different styling and a front-mounted engine, so its fate wasn?t as harsh as the Corvair. The four-cylinder engine was revolutionary for its day, and was developed in part by automaker John Z. DeLorean.

The Ventura. The Ventura was only produced in 1960 and 1961, and after that, it merged into the Grand Prix line. It was based on the Catalina body and frame, and after 1961, the Ventura disappeared into the sunset.

So, what did a Pontiac set you back way back in the day?

o A Pontiac Bonneville would run you around $3,255 in 1961, but by 1969 the price had risen to $4,733.
o A Pontiac Catalina would run you about $3,149 in 1964, but that?s a bargain considering the power and performance of the Catalina.
o In 1967, the popular Pontiac Firebird was a steal at $2,667, which may be one reason this fleet little model was so trendy.
o The big, bad Pontiac GTO was only $3,227 in 1968, and considering the power under the hood, that was quite a bargain.
o Finally, the family model, compact Pontiac Tempest ran $2,418 in 1963, making it a great car for small families on the go.

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