29k-Mile Survivor? 1974 Pontiac Ventura

The 1970s Ventura was Pontiac’s version of the Chevrolet Nova. They needed a compact car to compete, and cloning the Nova was the logical (and easiest) route to go. The front clip and taillights were different, but not much else was, except the engines when you ordered a Nova SS vs. a Pontiac GTO. The seller has a sweet-looking 1974 Ventura with 29,000 miles that could be original (or maybe restored). Located near Stratford, Connecticut, this simple set of wheels is available here on craigslist for $7,000. Head up to “Zen” for this ‘70s iron tip.

Arriving in 1971, the Ventura II (as it was called in ’71-’72 because the ’70 Ventura had been a full-size car) led to Buick and Oldsmobile also getting their own variants. Beginning in 1973, the car was simply called Ventura, and that stuck until 1977, after which it became the Phoenix for two years before the whole series was retired. Demand for the Ventura was good, but nowhere near that of the Nova, 103,500 units in 1974 vs. 390,500.

The seller’s car looks as though it should have a lot of history to go along with it. Yet, the seller doesn’t take the opportunity to tell it. Or why the car may only have 29,000 miles. The vehicle is finished in Denver Gold, an official Pontiac color in 1974 that looks similar to the finish on the Firebird in the TV show The Rockford Files. It’s a basic machine, with a 250 cubic inch inline-6 that would have been borrowed from Chevy.

Besides a Turbo-Hydramatic transmission and power brakes, the options on this car may have been few when new. It sports half-moon wheel covers, not likely from ‘74. The seller says the car comes with “many extras,” but doesn’t say what they are. The plaid interior looks basic but clean and jives with what one should look like with less than 30k miles. From the photos provided, it appears the car was featured at the area’s recent Independence Day celebration.