The 1961 Pontiac full size cars, particularly the Catalina and Ventura 2-door hard top "bubble top" cars, are just gorgeous. Thank you for posting this review.
You tube 1961 Pontiac catalina frankenmuth autofest 2012, you will see my brothers body off frame restored cat that him and I did. It’s not a home built( Pontiac Mich) car it’s a Cali Southgate built car with PHS docs
I was in the nineth grade when they unloaded these new 1961 Pontiacs at the neighborhood dealer, fall 1960. My feelings have not changed - these are still as handsome today as they were then.
Just great cars. Pontiac from 61 through 69 may have been the greatest combination of looks, performance, comfort and value ever to be produced in the USA. And, I'm an Oldsmobile guy!
In January 1968, Jim Moran sold his Courtesy Ford dealership to his son-in-law and my father. Moran then opened JM Pontiac in Hollywood, FL. Early in 1968, Mr. Moran sent his brother-in-law to Chicago to assist with the transition. They shipped a green 1968 Pontiac Catalina demo for him to use while he was here. I can still remember seeing it parked with the Florida license plate. I've always been partial to the '68 Pontiacs, since then. In my opinion, Pontiac always seemed more stylish then Olds or Chevy.
Moran also founded SE Toyota, acquiring the rights to distribute Toyotas and sell dealerships in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc. He hired a guy who worked for my dad lived across the street from us in Hollywood. What an empire Moran created and his legacy lives on with JM Family Enterprises in S Florida and a tremendous philanthropy legacy as well.
Jim Moran was one of the finest men ever to be involved in auto retailing. His life story is a legend. I suspect you have a similar opinion, and I suspect your dad was of similar cloth.
@@wjtinatl That's where I work now (JMFE). You can take a tour of his office and achievements in his original office, which is now the Moran foundation building.
Thanks for this episode, Adam! My dad's first car and our first family car was a 1961 Pontiac 2-door sedan which I loved as a kid. It was the Canadian-made Strato-Chief with an inline 6-cylinder engine supplied by Chevrolet. Canadian Pontiacs were top sellers for many years back in the day, even outselling Ford and Chevy for some years because of their value.
My father owned a 61 Catalina 421 SD / Dual Quad 4-Speed 8 lug car - black w three gold stripes - inside and out - like Fireball Roberts' NASCAR vehicle. Scary fast! He was an NHRA racer. He gave me a wise saying: "Never sell your hotrods son, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!" (Miss you dad...)
My cousin got the parents to buy a red 2 door Bonneville with the 421 SD. Slapped a 456 rear end in it for street racing and was so fast out of the hole they just gave up haha. Car got rear ended in traffic bent the frame and totalled it.
In 1967 I took drivers education in a new 1967 Catalina Ventura. I loved it and set out to buy one, only to discover my finances could only purchase a 1961 Pontiac Ventura bubble top 389 4bbl with 4 speed automatic. My 1961 was not like the sports roof model I trained in but it did have tri color interior, and power windows. Two very rare options were factory front bucket seats and mechanical cruise control. Black over red faux leather interior made this Ventura a prelude to the 1962 Grand Prix.
When I was a child a lady down the street from me had a 61 bubbletop Ventura with the 8 lug wheels too boot. Color something that looked like faded pepto bismol. At that time it was just an old car, 9-10 years old at a time when NO one kept anything that long. Husband either ran off (or was kicked out - there were rumors he had been abusive) She struggled - I suspect she got the house but nothing else. A teacher who gave art lessons on the side for cash. The Ventura was a probably unloved reminder of better times that was going to be in service until it died, but even then I recognized it as something unique. She was very nice, and good adult friend to small and somewhat bookish and shy child....
When I was a kid my mom drove a '62 Parisienne convertible, white on white with red interior. My first car was a '62 Nova convertible, same colour scheme. Those were the days 😊
Love the 61 Pontiacs. The issue with the 119" wheelbase was corrected in 1962 when Pontiac went to 120" on the smaller full-size cars. I have been close to buying a 61 Ventura/Catalina/Bonneville bubble top a few times but most had rust issues. The closest I got was a 61 Olds Super 88 bubbletop. Keep the Pontiac stories coming!
Thanks again Adam.. The 1958 Pontiac Bonneville was one Beautiful Automobile. Hell, they were all beautiful through the mid 50's and late 60's. My Grandfather had a '68 Catalina in Vedoro Green. Smooth riding and plenty of power and torque. My Grandma was always yelling at my Grandpa to Slow It Down! Lol. Fantastic memories.
My first car was given to me by a family friend in 1968. It was a 61 Bonneville Safari wagon. White top over gray, with THE most gorgeous red and chromed interior I’ve seen before or since! It needed a little body work (most cars back then had rust from the road salt up here in New Hampshire) which was really minor. The 389 4v felt like the 421 Super Duty to 16 year old me! Motor and tranny were perfect. When you folded down the back seat it was just a beautiful ocean of red with 4 chrome stripes than ran from the back of the front seats all the way to the tailgate. A very beautiful and inviting place to be at the drive in movies. Probably the reason my girlfriend got pregnant before I turned 18!
I own a '61 Catalina 2 door hardtop. I pulled it off a mountain in West Virginia in 2005. I fell in love with the body style after seeing an article in Muscle Car magazine and had to have one. For a car that sold so well they are extremely hard to find parts for today. Mine is still a work in progress but it does run and drive after setting out for 30+ years.
This was so captivating and entertaining and brings back tender memories. That last car, the blue-green Catalina, was so sharp! Looks like it just rolled off the lot.
👍 In 1965 my Dad bought a 4 door, saddle tan colored, 1963 Chevrolet Belaire. Our neighbour bought a pale yellow 1962 Pontiac Laurentian, 4 door. Always thought they were beautiful cars. The 63 Chevy would eventually become my first car.
Thanks for this focus on the 1961 Pontiac, Adam.. This is the car that set the tone for Pontiac for the entire decade of the 1960s going forward. Clearly a home run, and quite desirable today. Anyone that hears of a 421 Super Duty on the market, do yourself a favor and jump on it. Those are the definition of rarities.
B@@69ApplekrateYou sound like the man to ask... - What years DID the 421 run? - Was the 428 a whole new engine? - Was the 455 a "rounded up" 428, like the Buick 430 became the 455? Thanks for any info.
Thank you Adam. The Pontiac legends. They began "Pontiac Excitement". Thank you for sharing the design proposal. The first one had Oldsmobile and Buick elements. It may have started with this Pontiac. I see where the Pontiac styling themes started. I see the front styling that appeared later on future Pontiacs.
In the early 1970’s one of my best friends had a 1961 Pontiac Ventura …. extremely fast car !!!!!! Lot of fun memories in high school 1971 - 1974 in my buddy’s 61 Ventura !!!!
My dad bought a 1964 Pontiac Bonneville, nine passenger wagon when I was growing up. It was by far the nicest car we ever had, no comparison to the Fords and Chrysler’s that we had.
@@scooterp7009 I also had a 1971 cat wagon that thing drove fantastic and I could get 18 MPG and I had 1972 Grand VILL CONV got for free need motor went to the junk yard got a 1973 SD 455 for $100.00 nice car drove it for a few years, but rot set in then 1976 Cady Elde Conv best car I could get an amazing 4,5 MPG can you beat that I don't think so HA HA HA.
Love 1961 Pontiacs and have close to 2 dozen of them here in Arizona. many are parts cars or projects but, am building a few for keepers and planning a Pontiac Heaven museum too. Not just great styling but, outstanding engineering too! Way better built and designed that the chevs of the same year. great cars 4 1/2 mins into, he does not describe Bonneville body styles quite clearly, Bonneville was avail as- 1 conv, 2. 6 pass Safari, 3. 2 dr ht (bubbletop) and 4dr ht (vista). I own, or have owned every 1961 Pontiac model/body style except for 2- Bonne conv and Ventura 4dr.
It's amazing what GM did with the windshield and back glass. I saw a documentary about a Chinese company that took over an auto plant in Ohio to manufacture auto glass. They had quite a struggle to produce some pretty mundane straight glass without it shattering. Kudos to GM.
Adam, If that gorgeous Safari wagon 4:43 is available with the base, 2 barrel 389 bolted to a manual transmission and Positraction rear end, I will take two of them. 🤩🤩
When I was born in the mid 60’s I was brought home in a ‘57 Star Chief. When in kindergarten I remember asking my teacher what type of Pontiac she drove; when she told me that she drove a Ford I had to tell my family she was not as wonderful as I first thought.
My family had a 61 Ventura which we loved but Chicago winters were very rough on cars. Most traded at least every 2 years. We traded up for a 63 Bonneville but still missed that gorgeous Ventura!
Interesting, thought provoking video. I grew up in a town with a large General Motors assembly plant which employed many of our neighbors. Mostly everyone on our street owned a GM car built locally; some digit in the VIN would prove that. My father owned a ‘64 Catalina with a stick shift, which I knew even as a kid was unusual. Of course now there is no one left to ask, but after seeing this video I wonder if word got out by 1964 how bad that Slim Jim was. Had I known that GM would do something like putting this F-85 intended transmission in full size cars, I never would have bought my ‘85 Olds 88 with 307 4-barrel and the Chevette intended Turbo 200 trans. That Olds engine was smooth, quiet, adequately powerful but that transmission was horrendous.
Great video, Adam! For me personally, this was when Pontiac really hit its stride as far as styling that continued through the 1967 model year. 1961 was my birth year, but as a little boy who had gasoline coursing through his little veins, I well remember these beautiful Pontiacs on the road. There were many in my childhood neighborhood as well. I collect Art Fitzpatrick/Van Kaufman automotive artwork by the dozens. I have all of their Pontiac artwork from the 1960s and early 1970s. I am captivated mostly by the long-wheelbased Star Chief the most. Just love these 60s Pontiacs.
Great video ad usual Adam!I love your channel.Your automotive knowledge knows no bounds.I love when your videos come out.I am a FAN!Keep them coming and as always cheers from Eulethra.
Nice video. The beginning of a beautiful era for Pontiac and GM. I did not know the 389 came from factory with 3 carbs. Always thought it was modified. It explains why a Grand Prix I saw recently on FB for sale has it. Cool.
@@ThomasHill-q3c yes, I actually have a 57 Chieftain with 3-2s. When I wrote 59-66, I was referring to 389s. thanks Tripower was optional 1957-1966 until GM stopped allowing Pontiac from offering multi carbs
My best friend had a 61 Catalina for a while in the late 80s. I remember driving it from my house to his, about 5 miles away. Yes, that transmission was certainly weird. The 1-2 shift not only was a wide gap, but the trans (torque converter) went into lock-up mode as it hit 2nd. The saving grace was the ample low-end torque of the 389. Luckily, he sold it before anything could go wrong with it! (Yes, I know that the torque converter didn't lock up, but it's the easiest way to describe it)
Good job, Adam, as usual. I love the sketches of what might have been, it’s so intriguing to see the genesis of an automobile, from the imaginations of the designers, to the final end product that we all came to know and love.
Funny how the grill at 7:02 ended up on the 1961 Mercury, minus the nose. Love the downsized 1961 Pontiac- it was also the beginning of a coke bottle form.
I love the curved A pillar and windshields that are unique to the '61 and '62 GM full sized cars. They are my favorites along with the '57 through '64 full sized Mopars.
Thanks good review. Dad bought one brand new a Canadian product. It had a 283 Chevy engine and 2 speed power glide and dual exhausts. I was just 10 years old and that’s when my enthusiasm in cars began
I was born and raised a MOPAR fan and owned several from the 60s into the 80s, but i think that the 60s-70s Pontiacs were some of the coolwst American cars. IMO, the 1967 GTO is one of rhe most beautiful " modern" American cars ever msde.
true, the 61 Pontiacs were smaller than the 1960s but, they were more comfortable and easier to get into and out of. This is becuase the doors opened further, there was not the 'a' pillar in the way and , with the new perimeter frame, allowed foot wells for both front and rear seat passengers. Tons of improvements for 1961 Pontiacs.
I'm a big fan of the design of the 1961-1964 full-size Pontiacs. Very sporty, muscular designs that make the cars look like mean hot rods ready for a burnout and drag race. A 1962 Catalina 2-door with thick Eagles or Radials and muscular 5-spoke chrome wheels is a beauty.
Hey Adam, love the channel nd all your assortment of cars. At around 7:17, the clay models remind me very much of the 60and 61 Mercury. The concave grille especially. Anyway, keep up the good work. Thanks again. --Dick.
So often the case that the built car looks better than the other proposals, but I wonder if that is partly because of the refinements that any selected proposal would go through between selection and production. On the roto question, there are some great discussions on various boards around the internet, with at least some folks recommending a quality rebuild of the original instead of a swap. That is one thing I love about the RCC videos - they are always a jumping off point for more research.
My dad had a 61 Catalina 4 door, with the curved overhanging roof. I’m pretty sure that was a rare car. Unfortunately, my grandma was T-boned in a parking lot in Anacortes Washington in 1969, and the car was scrapped. I wish I had that car now.
My parents had a 61 Catalina convertible in red. Still think the 61 and 65 Pontiacs had the best styling. How true about the automatic transmission. I remember my Mom starting from a standstill, and the engine would rev, and the transmission would then engage with a slam.
The 1961-1962 (especially the '62) were beautifully-styled cars, both inside and out. Throughout the 1960s, and into the 1970s, Pontiac had a major influence on many of Detroit's automobile stylists. Compare the 1967 Ford full-size car front styling with the 1963 Pontiac full-size; 1966 Mercury full-size rear styling with the 1963 Pontiac full-size; 1971-'72 Mercury full-size rear styling with the 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix; 1971-'72 Plymouth Satellite rear styling with that of the 1968 Pontiac Lemans and GTO. There are probably some others, but the above-listed are just a few that come to mind.
I'm a Ford guy, but my pick of the early 60s GM stable would be the B-O-P B-bodies, with the 61 Olds coupe my favourite of that bunch. Just gorgeous. To my eye, the Pontiac design proposal's headlights resemble the underslung engines of a jet airliner, and the inward-sloping hood line the leading edge of a swept wing.
The first car I ever bought was a 61 Star Chief four door. I test drove it but the owner resisted letting me see under the hood. After I got it I found out why - it had the three two barrel engine. One of those famous engines that could pass anything other than a gas station. My brother had a '63 Catalina and 'offered' to swap me engines. I took him up on it. It was a simpler time. Swapped both those engines in a weekend with only a little help from our dad and I. In 1960 my dad was working as a automatic transmission specialist for a GM dealership. His opinion of the trans in the Catalina level cars was the same as reported here. As far as my dad was concerned you never rebuilt one of those transmissions, you just threw away the old one and installed a new one instead. Thanks for confirming for me the 3 x 2 engine set up was a stock item. Most people I tell about think its a lie or after market.
Some of those proposals look Buick like. My dad had a lot of transmission trouble in his 64 Bonneville. He had an experimental 4 speed automatic transmission.
I guess there were a variety of bottom end variations on the 389 engine including some with 4 bolt main caps and forged crankshaft 1961 wasn't one of the years where some 389s came with the substandard and horrible cast connecting rods was it ? Also sometime in that era some GM cars had the perimeter sides of the frame deleted as a cost cutting measure that probably almost no one knew about ? (The X brace in the middle of the frame remained- I think the 1959 Chevrolet was an example)
ALL Pontiac engines made betwwen 1958 and 1962 had forged connecting rods. 1961 was the year Pontiac introduced a full perimeter frame, there was no 'x' brace that year or afterward in any Pontiac
What great cars and great colors! Compared to the 50 shades of grey we have as options now. I don't usually like green or yellow but the shades of each late in this presentation were outstanding compared to our drab pallet now. Grey should be outlawed. On cars and in life.
My folks 1st - second car was a 1961 Pontiac Catalina two door hardtop the car had the most greenhouse of almost any car ever sold. It was gifted to them from my uncle on ironically April 4, 1968 the same day Martin Luther King was assassinated.
The nose of these first two 1961 models reminds me of the 1961-62 Plymouths with the way the headlights are net in four enclosures and the fine grained, concave grill.
At 10:39 you can see the unique aluminum wheels that Pontiac pioneered in the early 1960's. Look where the lug nuts are at! This actually has the brake drum cast into the aluminum wheel! When you removed the wheel, you were looking at your drum brake pads, there was no separate drum. This was offered between 1960 and I think (?) 1968. They worked great, but what caused this to go away was the introduction of front disc brakes. These used 8 lugs. You can see them in the picture.
Pontiac's complaint about its Catalina having the same 119" wheelbase as full size Chevrolets was apparently heard and addressed, as that was only true in 1961. The Catalina's wheelbase grew to 120" for 1962, 121" for 1965, and 122" for 1969; while Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and later Caprice remained at 119" all the way through 1970.
One thing that stood out to me while Adam was recounting Pontiac’s leadership - all engineers. No marketing guys, no finance guys, no “sneaker salesmen” - I’m looking at you Harley-Davidson. For all the criticism that late 50s - early 60s American cars get for being more focused on style than substance, at least the folks in charge understood hard science and were to a point “gearheads”. What an odd idea - people making cars actually liking cars 😉
Although I think the '65 through '68 full-size Pontiacs were the best, these slightly older Catalinas and Bonnevilles are quite handsome. ✨Whatever one thinks of DeLorean, without his influence, Pontiac would not have the legacy it does today.
The Pontiac Banshee prototype was stunning from some views and ridiculous from others. Of course it was little more than a styling exercise, but it heavily influenced the fourth generation Camaro and Firebird. Those were nice looking cars. Tons of cheap materials, but nice looking.
Is the Roto-Hydramatic Transmission the same ones that were also called Slim-Jims? I had a 63 Cat years ago, and the auto trans was called a Slim-Jim by a garage worker, and I wondered if they were the same.
Adam, I'm not sure how I feel about it either, but if you look at the car at 11:00 you'll see that they actually did carry that 'indented' lower feature-line into production and just like the clay model, it intersects with a corner in the rear bumper.
The entire GM full si9ze line up were the besat styling of any era . I was waiting for comments on the "Slim Jim" hydramatic. I wonder who designed it and what they were thinking. I think it was direct gear driven in 2nd gear.
The 1961 Pontiac full size cars, particularly the Catalina and Ventura 2-door hard top "bubble top" cars, are just gorgeous. Thank you for posting this review.
Ditto that...
Oddly enough, I was never a fan of the bubble top, especially on the 61. The 62 roof looks much better to me.
The way cars look today, they look even better. They made the 1950s styles look dated.
You tube 1961 Pontiac catalina frankenmuth autofest 2012, you will see my brothers body off frame restored cat that him and I did. It’s not a home built( Pontiac Mich) car it’s a Cali Southgate built car with PHS docs
Keep the Pontiac history lessons coming !!!
I was in the nineth grade when they unloaded these new 1961 Pontiacs at the neighborhood dealer, fall 1960. My feelings have not changed - these are still as handsome today as they were then.
what does ninth grade mean, for those of us not educated in USA ?
@@HemiChryslerNinth grade is the school year during which most students turn 15 years old.
@HemiChrysler Secondary school, aka High School.
9th grade means 9th yr in school last yr of jr high 10th yr starts high schoolr@@HemiChrysler
Just great cars. Pontiac from 61 through 69 may have been the greatest combination of looks, performance, comfort and value ever to be produced in the USA. And, I'm an Oldsmobile guy!
Agreed.
61 -67 were nicely styled. 63 Grand Prix is my absolute favorite. Car was just the right size.
Base line 63 Catalina is my second all time favorite body style, Ford's Pantera being the first.
Early/mid 60s the absolute pinnacle of automotive design. These Pontiacs are super sweet!
In January 1968, Jim Moran sold his Courtesy Ford dealership to his son-in-law and my father. Moran then opened JM Pontiac in Hollywood, FL. Early in 1968, Mr. Moran sent his brother-in-law to Chicago to assist with the transition. They shipped a green 1968 Pontiac Catalina demo for him to use while he was here. I can still remember seeing it parked with the Florida license plate. I've always been partial to the '68 Pontiacs, since then. In my opinion, Pontiac always seemed more stylish then Olds or Chevy.
Do you work for JMFE?
Moran also founded SE Toyota, acquiring the rights to distribute Toyotas and sell dealerships in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc. He hired a guy who worked for my dad lived across the street from us in Hollywood. What an empire Moran created and his legacy lives on with JM Family Enterprises in S Florida and a tremendous philanthropy legacy as well.
Jim Moran was one of the finest men ever to be involved in auto retailing. His life story is a legend. I suspect you have a similar opinion, and I suspect your dad was of similar cloth.
@@wjtinatl That's where I work now (JMFE). You can take a tour of his office and achievements in his original office, which is now the Moran foundation building.
Thanks for this episode, Adam! My dad's first car and our first family car was a 1961 Pontiac 2-door sedan which I loved as a kid. It was the Canadian-made Strato-Chief with an inline 6-cylinder engine supplied by Chevrolet. Canadian Pontiacs were top sellers for many years back in the day, even outselling Ford and Chevy for some years because of their value.
My grandfather had a 61 Laurentian 4 door. It also had the 6 cylinder. It was not, however, a Chevy engine. It was the GMC truck engine.
My father owned a 61 Catalina 421 SD / Dual Quad 4-Speed 8 lug car - black w three gold stripes - inside and out - like Fireball Roberts' NASCAR vehicle. Scary fast! He was an NHRA racer. He gave me a wise saying:
"Never sell your hotrods son, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!" (Miss you dad...)
My cousin got the parents to buy a red 2 door Bonneville with the 421 SD. Slapped a 456 rear end in it for street racing and was so fast out of the hole they just gave up haha. Car got rear ended in traffic bent the frame and totalled it.
@@1JohnnyCruiser My dad's had a 456 too! (and a second 4:88 gearset in the trunk he told me he'd install someday!)
In 1967 I took drivers education in a new 1967 Catalina Ventura. I loved it and set out to buy one, only to discover my finances could only purchase a 1961 Pontiac Ventura bubble top 389 4bbl with 4 speed automatic. My 1961 was not like the sports roof model I trained in but it did have tri color interior, and power windows. Two very rare options were factory front bucket seats and mechanical cruise control. Black over red faux leather interior made this Ventura a prelude to the 1962 Grand Prix.
1961, what a fine Pontiac.
My grandparents had a 1963 Catalina. Great childhood memories.
When I was a child a lady down the street from me had a 61 bubbletop Ventura with the 8 lug wheels too boot. Color something that looked like faded pepto bismol. At that time it was just an old car, 9-10 years old at a time when NO one kept anything that long. Husband either ran off (or was kicked out - there were rumors he had been abusive) She struggled - I suspect she got the house but nothing else. A teacher who gave art lessons on the side for cash. The Ventura was a probably unloved reminder of better times that was going to be in service until it died, but even then I recognized it as something unique. She was very nice, and good adult friend to small and somewhat bookish and shy child....
I love that the grills sweep up and in. It’s a great look!
When I was a kid my mom drove a '62 Parisienne convertible, white on white with red interior. My first car was a '62 Nova convertible, same colour scheme. Those were the days 😊
Such a dramatic change of design from the huge 50’s vehicles. These are beautiful designs.
Let's not forget those sweet interiors! The best in the world in those days in terms of colour, taste and application. Those 62's were gorgeous.
Love the 61 Pontiacs. The issue with the 119" wheelbase was corrected in 1962 when Pontiac went to 120" on the smaller full-size cars. I have been close to buying a 61 Ventura/Catalina/Bonneville bubble top a few times but most had rust issues. The closest I got was a 61 Olds Super 88 bubbletop. Keep the Pontiac stories coming!
Thanks again Adam.. The 1958 Pontiac Bonneville was one Beautiful Automobile. Hell, they were all beautiful through the mid 50's and late 60's. My Grandfather had a '68 Catalina in Vedoro Green. Smooth riding and plenty of power and torque. My Grandma was always yelling at my Grandpa to Slow It Down! Lol. Fantastic memories.
My first car was given to me by a family friend in 1968. It was a 61 Bonneville Safari wagon. White top over gray, with THE most gorgeous red and chromed interior I’ve seen before or since! It needed a little body work (most cars back then had rust from the road salt up here in New Hampshire) which was really minor. The 389 4v felt like the 421 Super Duty to 16 year old me! Motor and tranny were perfect. When you folded down the back seat it was just a beautiful ocean of red with 4 chrome stripes than ran from the back of the front seats all the way to the tailgate. A very beautiful and inviting place to be at the drive in movies. Probably the reason my girlfriend got pregnant before I turned 18!
I own a '61 Catalina 2 door hardtop. I pulled it off a mountain in West Virginia in 2005. I fell in love with the body style after seeing an article in Muscle Car magazine and had to have one. For a car that sold so well they are extremely hard to find parts for today. Mine is still a work in progress but it does run and drive after setting out for 30+ years.
This was so captivating and entertaining and brings back tender memories. That last car, the blue-green Catalina, was so sharp! Looks like it just rolled off the lot.
Blue-green rims on 8-lug wheels too!
Always up for a Pontiac video.:)
👍 In 1965 my Dad bought a 4 door, saddle tan colored, 1963 Chevrolet Belaire. Our neighbour bought a pale yellow 1962 Pontiac Laurentian, 4 door. Always thought they were beautiful cars. The 63 Chevy would eventually become my first car.
Thanks for this focus on the 1961 Pontiac, Adam.. This is the car that set the tone for Pontiac for the entire decade of the 1960s going forward. Clearly a home run, and quite desirable today. Anyone that hears of a 421 Super Duty on the market, do yourself a favor and jump on it. Those are the definition of rarities.
No 421 engines were installed in 1961 Pontiacs on the assembly line.
B@@69ApplekrateYou sound like the man to ask...
- What years DID the 421 run?
- Was the 428 a whole new engine?
- Was the 455 a "rounded up" 428, like the Buick 430 became the 455?
Thanks for any info.
@@69Applekrate Those were aftermarket options done by dealer service & parts departments. They do exist.
Wow. Now that’s a memory. My Grandfather had a 61 Bonneville in the patina ivory color.
Thank you Adam. The Pontiac legends. They began "Pontiac Excitement". Thank you for sharing the design proposal. The first one had Oldsmobile and Buick elements. It may have started with this Pontiac. I see where the Pontiac styling themes started. I see the front styling that appeared later on future Pontiacs.
In the early 1970’s one of my best friends had a 1961 Pontiac Ventura …. extremely fast car !!!!!! Lot of fun memories in high school 1971 - 1974 in my buddy’s 61 Ventura !!!!
Just bought a 1972 Pontiac Luxury LeMans. Took off the skirts and it already had silver tips so it is pure muscle. 🔥🥰🔥🥰🔥
My brother used to have a 71 Lemans Sport. I loved that car
Leave the Skirts on!!!!! That’s what makes the Luxury LeMans so SPECIAL and BEAUTIFUL 😍
Yep, the first thing I did when my dad gave me his Pontiac I went and took the skirts off.
My farther had a 1961 Bonneville Wagon and my grandfather had a 1965 Catalina wagon I had 1963 Bonneville 2 door nice cars.
My dad bought a 1964 Pontiac Bonneville, nine passenger wagon when I was growing up. It was by far the nicest car we ever had, no comparison to the Fords and Chrysler’s that we had.
@@scooterp7009 I also had a 1971 cat wagon that thing drove fantastic and I could get 18 MPG and I had 1972 Grand VILL CONV got for free need motor went to the junk yard got a 1973 SD 455 for $100.00 nice car drove it for a few years, but rot set in then 1976 Cady Elde Conv best car I could get an amazing 4,5 MPG can you beat that I don't think so HA HA HA.
Love 1961 Pontiacs and have close to 2 dozen of them here in Arizona. many are parts cars or projects but, am building a few for keepers and planning a Pontiac Heaven museum too. Not just great styling but, outstanding engineering too! Way better built and designed that the chevs of the same year. great cars 4 1/2 mins into, he does not describe Bonneville body styles quite clearly, Bonneville was avail as- 1 conv, 2. 6 pass Safari, 3. 2 dr ht (bubbletop) and 4dr ht (vista). I own, or have owned every 1961 Pontiac model/body style except for 2- Bonne conv and Ventura 4dr.
Early 60s American cars are the best. All the manufacturers had beautiful designs
It's amazing what GM did with the windshield and back glass. I saw a documentary about a Chinese company that took over an auto plant in Ohio to manufacture auto glass. They had quite a struggle to produce some pretty mundane straight glass without it shattering. Kudos to GM.
Adam, If that gorgeous Safari wagon 4:43 is available with the base, 2 barrel 389 bolted to a manual transmission and Positraction rear end, I will take two of them. 🤩🤩
When I was born in the mid 60’s I was brought home in a ‘57 Star Chief. When in kindergarten I remember asking my teacher what type of Pontiac she drove; when she told me that she drove a Ford I had to tell my family she was not as wonderful as I first thought.
My family had a 61 Ventura which we loved but Chicago winters were very rough on cars. Most traded at least every 2 years. We traded up for a 63 Bonneville but still missed that gorgeous Ventura!
Interesting, thought provoking video. I grew up in a town with a large General Motors assembly plant which employed many of our neighbors. Mostly everyone on our street owned a GM car built locally; some digit in the VIN would prove that. My father owned a ‘64 Catalina with a stick shift, which I knew even as a kid was unusual. Of course now there is no one left to ask, but after seeing this video I wonder if word got out by 1964 how bad that Slim Jim was. Had I known that GM would do something like putting this F-85 intended transmission in full size cars, I never would have bought my ‘85 Olds 88 with 307 4-barrel and the Chevette intended Turbo 200 trans. That Olds engine was smooth, quiet, adequately powerful but that transmission was horrendous.
Great video, Adam! For me personally, this was when Pontiac really hit its stride as far as styling that continued through the 1967 model year. 1961 was my birth year, but as a little boy who had gasoline coursing through his little veins, I well remember these beautiful Pontiacs on the road. There were many in my childhood neighborhood as well. I collect Art Fitzpatrick/Van Kaufman automotive artwork by the dozens. I have all of their Pontiac artwork from the 1960s and early 1970s. I am captivated mostly by the long-wheelbased Star Chief the most. Just love these 60s Pontiacs.
Some of your best work…
Great video ad usual Adam!I love your channel.Your automotive knowledge knows no bounds.I love when your videos come out.I am a FAN!Keep them coming and as always cheers from Eulethra.
61 was a clean departure from the late 1950s Baroque mobiles.
Nice video. The beginning of a beautiful era for Pontiac and GM. I did not know the 389 came from factory with 3 carbs. Always thought it was modified. It explains why a Grand Prix I saw recently on FB for sale has it. Cool.
Pontiac offered 3-2bbl induction from 1959 through 1966 FYI they made thousands of them
@@69Applekrate That is so cool. Did not know. Thanks for sharing. Cheers..
@@69ApplekratePontiac also offered 3x2-bbl carburetion for 1957 and 1958, 347 cid and 370 cid engines, respectively.
@@ThomasHill-q3c Nice. Thanks for sharing. The sheer amount of choices in those days is mesmerizing ..
@@ThomasHill-q3c yes, I actually have a 57 Chieftain with 3-2s. When I wrote 59-66, I was referring to 389s. thanks Tripower was optional 1957-1966 until GM stopped allowing Pontiac from offering multi carbs
My best friend had a 61 Catalina for a while in the late 80s. I remember driving it from my house to his, about 5 miles away. Yes, that transmission was certainly weird. The 1-2 shift not only was a wide gap, but the trans (torque converter) went into lock-up mode as it hit 2nd. The saving grace was the ample low-end torque of the 389. Luckily, he sold it before anything could go wrong with it!
(Yes, I know that the torque converter didn't lock up, but it's the easiest way to describe it)
LOVED THE 1959 ! 60, 61, WERE ATTRACTIVE CARS. BY NOW FINS WERE GONE AND THE STYLE WAS COMPLTELY CHANGED. LOVED THE LeMans and the GTO !
55 - 57 and 61-62 were, IMO, great years from a styling perspective. The roof on the 61 hardtop is gorgeous.
Back in the good old days.
Good job, Adam, as usual. I love the sketches of what might have been, it’s so intriguing to see the genesis of an automobile, from the imaginations of the designers, to the final end product that we all came to know and love.
Funny how the grill at 7:02 ended up on the 1961 Mercury, minus the nose. Love the downsized 1961 Pontiac- it was also the beginning of a coke bottle form.
Didn't work out so well for Mercury, they sold almost 35,000 fewer big cars over 1960..!
I love the curved A pillar and windshields that are unique to the '61 and '62 GM full sized cars. They are my favorites along with the '57 through '64 full sized Mopars.
Great job, awesome pics of some of my favorite cars, KEEP IT UP.
Thanks good review. Dad bought one brand new a Canadian product. It had a 283 Chevy engine and 2 speed power glide and dual exhausts. I was just 10 years old and that’s when my enthusiasm in cars began
I love all those 1961 GM cars. They had fresh new crisp designs.
I was born and raised a MOPAR fan and owned several from the 60s into the 80s, but i think that the 60s-70s Pontiacs were some of the coolwst American cars. IMO, the 1967 GTO is one of rhe most beautiful " modern" American cars ever msde.
Fascinating.......😮
true, the 61 Pontiacs were smaller than the 1960s but, they were more comfortable and easier to get into and out of. This is becuase the doors opened further, there was not the 'a' pillar in the way and , with the new perimeter frame, allowed foot wells for both front and rear seat passengers. Tons of improvements for 1961 Pontiacs.
That 56 Blue & white Star Chief might have been my grandmothers car!
I'm a big fan of the design of the 1961-1964 full-size Pontiacs. Very sporty, muscular designs that make the cars look like mean hot rods ready for a burnout and drag race. A 1962 Catalina 2-door with thick Eagles or Radials and muscular 5-spoke chrome wheels is a beauty.
Hey Adam, love the channel nd all your assortment of cars. At around 7:17, the clay models remind me very much of the 60and 61 Mercury. The concave grille especially. Anyway, keep up the good work. Thanks again. --Dick.
Class, repeat after me: Slim Jim…
Great job as always Adam.
These things did well on the NASCAR circuit in 1961😊
So often the case that the built car looks better than the other proposals, but I wonder if that is partly because of the refinements that any selected proposal would go through between selection and production.
On the roto question, there are some great discussions on various boards around the internet, with at least some folks recommending a quality rebuild of the original instead of a swap.
That is one thing I love about the RCC videos - they are always a jumping off point for more research.
Beautiful cars Adam! However I would say 59 was when they really took off. The 61s are among my favorite Pontiac’s.
What a great watch, perfect timing, just going out the door.........................
My dad had a 61 Catalina 4 door, with the curved overhanging roof. I’m pretty sure that was a rare car. Unfortunately, my grandma was T-boned in a parking lot in Anacortes Washington in 1969, and the car was scrapped. I wish I had that car now.
My favorite full size Pontiac.
My parents had a 61 Catalina convertible in red. Still think the 61 and 65 Pontiacs had the best styling. How true about the automatic transmission. I remember my Mom starting from a standstill, and the engine would rev, and the transmission would then engage with a slam.
119" wheelbase is the ticket.
Ford and GM both fell in love with that number.
The 1961-1962 (especially the '62) were beautifully-styled cars, both inside and out.
Throughout the 1960s, and into the 1970s, Pontiac had a major influence on many of Detroit's automobile stylists. Compare the 1967 Ford full-size car front styling with the 1963 Pontiac full-size; 1966 Mercury full-size rear styling with the 1963 Pontiac full-size; 1971-'72 Mercury full-size rear styling with the 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix; 1971-'72 Plymouth Satellite rear styling with that of the 1968 Pontiac Lemans and GTO.
There are probably some others, but the above-listed are just a few that come to mind.
I'm a Ford guy, but my pick of the early 60s GM stable would be the B-O-P B-bodies, with the 61 Olds coupe my favourite of that bunch. Just gorgeous.
To my eye, the Pontiac design proposal's headlights resemble the underslung engines of a jet airliner, and the inward-sloping hood line the leading edge of a swept wing.
Great vid!! 🤜🤛
That first proposal's side sculpturing looks like it was designed to resemble the '61 Tempest.
The first car I ever bought was a 61 Star Chief four door. I test drove it but the owner resisted letting me see under the hood. After I got it I found out why - it had the three two barrel engine. One of those famous engines that could pass anything other than a gas station. My brother had a '63 Catalina and 'offered' to swap me engines. I took him up on it. It was a simpler time. Swapped both those engines in a weekend with only a little help from our dad and I.
In 1960 my dad was working as a automatic transmission specialist for a GM dealership. His opinion of the trans in the Catalina level cars was the same as reported here. As far as my dad was concerned you never rebuilt one of those transmissions, you just threw away the old one and installed a new one instead.
Thanks for confirming for me the 3 x 2 engine set up was a stock item. Most people I tell about think its a lie or after market.
Safari Wagon is class
Some of those proposals look Buick like. My dad had a lot of transmission trouble in his 64 Bonneville. He had an experimental 4 speed automatic transmission.
Love it
The 61 Pontiac and Chevrolet bubble tops are my favorite ❤️
I thought '61 Pontiacs were beatiful when they came out.
My opinion has never changed.
I guess there were a variety of bottom end variations on the 389 engine including some with 4 bolt main caps and forged crankshaft
1961 wasn't one of the years where some 389s came with the substandard and horrible cast connecting rods was it ?
Also sometime in that era some GM cars had the perimeter sides of the frame deleted as a cost cutting measure that probably almost no one knew about ? (The X brace in the middle of the frame remained- I think the 1959 Chevrolet was an example)
ALL Pontiac engines made betwwen 1958 and 1962 had forged connecting rods. 1961 was the year Pontiac introduced a full perimeter frame, there was no 'x' brace that year or afterward in any Pontiac
My 1st car was a '61 Star Chief
What great cars and great colors! Compared to the 50 shades of grey we have as options now. I don't usually like green or yellow but the shades of each late in this presentation were outstanding compared to our drab pallet now.
Grey should be outlawed. On cars and in life.
First car I remember was a 1961 Catalina Wagon.
My folks 1st - second car was a 1961 Pontiac Catalina two door hardtop the car had the most greenhouse of almost any car ever sold. It was gifted to them from my uncle on ironically April 4, 1968 the same day Martin Luther King was assassinated.
The nose of these first two 1961 models reminds me of the 1961-62 Plymouths with the way the headlights are net in four enclosures and the fine grained, concave grill.
At 10:39 you can see the unique aluminum wheels that Pontiac pioneered in the early 1960's. Look where the lug nuts are at! This actually has the brake drum cast into the aluminum wheel! When you removed the wheel, you were looking at your drum brake pads, there was no separate drum. This was offered between 1960 and I think (?) 1968. They worked great, but what caused this to go away was the introduction of front disc brakes. These used 8 lugs. You can see them in the picture.
Had a 2+2 with a 283. Chrome everywhere! East York Canuck.
True mid century, just like me. I left the factory 3 years after the '61 but I'm still soldiering on, despite the Poncho's sad demise....
...any rust issues?! 😅
The Pontiac automobile is an automobile manufactured by the Pontiac automobile division of General Motors.
Pontiac's complaint about its Catalina having the same 119" wheelbase as full size Chevrolets was apparently heard and addressed, as that was only true in 1961. The Catalina's wheelbase grew to 120" for 1962, 121" for 1965, and 122" for 1969; while Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and later Caprice remained at 119" all the way through 1970.
One thing that stood out to me while Adam was recounting Pontiac’s leadership - all engineers. No marketing guys, no finance guys, no “sneaker salesmen” - I’m looking at you Harley-Davidson. For all the criticism that late 50s - early 60s American cars get for being more focused on style than substance, at least the folks in charge understood hard science and were to a point “gearheads”. What an odd idea - people making cars actually liking cars 😉
Although I think the '65 through '68 full-size Pontiacs were the best, these slightly older Catalinas and Bonnevilles are quite handsome. ✨Whatever one thinks of DeLorean, without his influence, Pontiac would not have the legacy it does today.
The Pontiac Banshee prototype was stunning from some views and ridiculous from others. Of course it was little more than a styling exercise, but it heavily influenced the fourth generation Camaro and Firebird. Those were nice looking cars. Tons of cheap materials, but nice looking.
Is the Roto-Hydramatic Transmission the same ones that were also called Slim-Jims? I had a 63 Cat years ago, and the auto trans was called a Slim-Jim by a garage worker, and I wondered if they were the same.
Same
yes, the roto hydramatic was offered in Pontiac and Old 61-4. GM never called it a slim jim. that name was created by the public.
That`s a nice.
1935-1965 was the pinnicle of GM styling and design. Many great vehicles before and after, but this was the zenith.
I had one ,, RAGTOP 6 CYL, POWER GLIDE , WISH I STILL HAD IT.
Mine was a 61 Parisienne Ragtop 6 cylinder, ,powerglide
*Please talk about grilles* and design trends when they were made to look angry and/or 'expressive' - as if to make a statement
I like the concept at 8:20, but I can see what you mean about it not being super Pontiac-y. I can see it as a really nice Oldsmobile.
Adam, I'm not sure how I feel about it either, but if you look at the car at 11:00 you'll see that they actually did carry that 'indented' lower feature-line into production and just like the clay model, it intersects with a corner in the rear bumper.
The entire GM full si9ze line up were the besat styling of any era .
I was waiting for comments on the "Slim Jim" hydramatic. I wonder who designed it and what they were thinking. I think it was direct gear driven in 2nd gear.