Number three in the industry was Plymouth’s rightful place, but two brands in the 1960s kicked the Mopar out of 3rd place: Rambler and Pontiac. The latter enjoyed this position for most of the decade thanks to cars like our Pick of the Day, a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Des Moines, Iowa. (Click the link to view the listing.)
Nineteen sixty-six was a year of refinement for full-size Pontiacs, as they had been redesigned for 1965 to much success: The whole Pontiac line won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award due to styling and engineering excellence. For 1966, the design was cleaned up and more elegant, with the turbine-like headlight buckets eliminated and the grille featuring a more angular motif. The overall effect was just as fine as the ’65, which probably made it difficult for Pontiac enthusiasts to decide which model year they preferred the most.
The Catalina continued to play the role of entry-level full-size model. Available body styles were two- and four-door sedans, two- and four-door hardtops, and a convertible, plus a wagon. The Catalina was also available with a Ventura package (available for all Catalinas save the two-door sedan and wagon) that included fancier interior trim, a padded dashboard, and fender skirts.
The Bonneville was the top full-size Pontiac model, situated above the Star Chief Executive and complementary to the personal-luxury Grand Prix. Available body styles were a two-door hardtop, convertible, four-door hardtop, and station wagon. Aside from a longer 124-inch wheelbase (three more than the Catalina), the Bonneville came with a fancier interior. On the outside, it was easily identified by wider taillights and ribbed lower-body chrome that not only distinguished the Bonneville from lesser Pontiacs, but also accentuated the “Coke-bottle” curves that made Pontiac a styling star in the mid-1960s.
Available powerplants for 1965 were carried over into 1966, aside from the 338-horsepower 389 Tri-Power. Standard for the Catalina and Star Chief was a high-compression 290-horse 389 two-barrel that was available with an automatic or a four-speed, though you could step down to a low-compression 256-horse version with a three-speed manual or automatic. Want a four-barrel? A 325-horse 389 was available with the automatic, but if you ordered a stick, you scored a horsepower bump to 333, which was standard for the Bonneville. And then there was the trio of 421s: a four-barrel (which was standard on the 2+2) rated at 338 horses, a Tri-Power 421 offering 356, and the 421 HO (also with Tri-Power) topping out at 376. Clearly, there was an engine for every need, as complicated as it may appear.
This 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible was originally painted Martinique Bronze and equipped with a black top, but now it’s Tiger Gold, an extra-cost color at the time. The interior remains the original Bronze vinyl per the data plate. Also listed on the plate are several accessory codes for some of the original equipment, such as a foam bench seat cushion, TH400 automatic, rear-mounted power antenna, rear-seat speaker, exterior remote mirror, and deluxe seat belts.
Even better, this car comes with the PHS invoice, which confirms those features and indicates several others, including the very desirable aluminum eight-lug wheels, Super-Lift rear shock absorbers, heavy-duty battery, vanity mirror, non-glare tilt mirror, power steering and brakes, and the 325-horse 389 (despite the 421 badges on both sides of the vehicle).
The seller states, “The … interior is super-clean and has an amazing dash with wood-grain trim, signature grab handle, and lots of chrome like you would expect in a full size … Pontiac.” We can’t disagree. This car is a looker and, in the finest tradition of full-size American convertibles, all wrapped up in Pontiac style. With apologies to Plymouth, Number One (you) can start driving Number Three (Pontiac) for just $36,900.
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com