In the 1960s, General Motors wanted people who stepped up to its top-of-the-line luxury cars to feel as if they were getting their money’s worth, which is why they added three inches of wheelbase and seven inches of length to an already sizable Catalina to create the Bonneville. In addition to that, you got a more powerful 389 as standard equipment, along with enough extra trim to make anyone who missed it understand that yes, you had indeed “made it.” Some buyers took things a step further by ordering a nicely optioned convertible such as our featured car, which Barn Finds reader Curvette found on craigslist in Redmond, Washington, with an asking price of $39,000. That’s a lot, but then again, it’s a very nice two-owner car with a claimed 61,000 miles.
One of many nice things about owning a classic Pontiac is that you can order a packet about your specific car from Pontiac Historical Services that includes original options, date of shipment, selling dealer, and more. While this Bonneville doesn’t have every option on the list, it does have the big names: air conditioning, AM/FM radio, console, power steering and brakes, Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, and the four-barrel 421-cubic-inch V8.
The seller unfortunately doesn’t include any engine compartment photos, but the basic 421 was a $78.42 option over the standard 333-horsepower 389. It only gave buyers an extra five horsepower, but the additional 30 lb.-ft. of torque (459 vs. 429) would be noticeable when piloting a heavy Bonneville ragtop. The standard axle ratio was a 2.93:1 with air conditioning, so modern expressway speeds will be no problem for the new owner.
The interior is basic black with a “walnut accented” instrument panel and console, and instead of the common bench seat, the original buyer ordered the sporty “Strato Bucket” seats. Interestingly enough, the Positive Crankcase Ventilation system was a $5.23 feature according to the window sticker. Not everything is perfect: The air conditioning isn’t conditioning, the heater and fan stopped working a while back, and there are some stone chips on the nose. Perhaps those flaws will be bargaining chips for potential buyers.
Any car fan most likely has their favorite full-size Pontiac. Mine is a coin flip between the 1963 and 1965 models, but I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t park this Bonneville in my garage with pride, even if I’d need a bigger garage than I currently have. The paint code indicates that the paint is “Blue Charcoal,” a beautiful muted color that would probably be in my top-five if I had ordered this car new. The seller says that this Bonneville was repainted (and a new top was installed) before they bought it 15 years ago, and when they replaced the carpet, they were greeted with floorpans that “looked new.” While it has a few needs before it’s “done,” this is a gorgeous convertible that any Pontiac fan would be happy to show off.
Aaron, as you may already know….. I have a connection to ’66 Bonnevilles. My Dad bought one new. However. It wasn’t as nice as this. His was burgundy and had a black interior with a bench seat, not the console and buckets like this one. He did have the real wood on the dash like this one though. I think I read it was John DeLorean that liked the real wood on the dashboards instead of the Vinyl fake stuff. This color is definitely at the top of the list for sure. Its just gorgeous, inside and out. And the optional 421 is icing on the cake!!!
Beauty Dave 👍
Thank you Stan. He liked it. But sold it to his uncle in ’67 to buy my Mom a house she really wanted. He later on ” Surprised” her with a nice ’68 Cutlass S.
We had a customer who had a later model Bonneville 69 or 70 every conceivable option. The car was deep blue metallic, red interior and a white convertible top. The guy‘s daughter was the most beautiful 17 year-old blonde girl I’ve ever met! She looked like a model. ❤️❤️❤️
I’m not necessarily a fan of wheel covers, so my choice would be a set of Rallye II’s for this absolutely gorgeous drop top beauty!! GLWTS!! :-)
“Magnanimous” is a good description for this big guy. You can’t get the feel of how big it is until you stand next to it. Nice!
So true, those quater panels are as long as some of the new compact cars. It’s a beautiful car, rolling artwork.
Another mid sixties GM knockout. I’d prefer a 2+2 but this beauty would do. It would fit in the 2 deep section of my 3 car garage effectively making it a 2 car garage. Pretty steep price but make them an offer.
And God made Pontiac.
Great looking Pontiac. I always found it interesting/odd how the heating/ventilation/ac controls mimicked the radio controls. I don’t recall seeing this on other mid 60s GM product… although I’m probably wrong
Fine lines. The optional power and drop top make if rare and beautiful
Those AC vents below dash were I think a Pontiac exclusive. My 80 Bonneville Brougham had them. When I reluctantly took an elderly neighbor lady for a short drive, She called them Crotch Coolers, not really to my surprise. But they did serve the purpose!
That’s what we all called them, Rick, crotch coolers and they were sorely missed when discontinued. But to politely correct you, they were on all GM full size cars in the 60s. But then again, a/c was just getting it’s momentum then, hence the decline in convertible sale after 1965.
The only “option” it needs is those iconic 8-lug Kelsey Hayes rims with thin white walls…
Passed my drivers license test in Moms 66 Bonny 4-door hard top
Top end seemed unlimited even with the standard 389 it had.
Dad would bury the needle on long western roardtrips during summer vacations when Mom and my younger Brother were “napping” in the back
lol
What a beauty she was!
Pontiac built the most beautiful cars of this era. This is gorgeous. I’d prefer the heat to work but that hopefully that’s an easy fix.
$51811.84 in 2025 money. Actually $5218.29 was more than a half year’s salary for most folks in 1966. I remember when $10K a year meant you had made it. I wonder if those are 15 inch wheels with the 15 inch wire caps. They are not easy to find today.
Dad bought new Pontiacs in the 60s when we were kids. Unfortunately, in 1966, he got a new Safari wagon, white over burgundy vinyl. I vividly remember Pontiacs having the highest quality interiors in that era, real wood dash trim, the toughest vinyl seats that wore like iron, etc. Ridiculous that GM killed the division. They should have killed Buick instead. Think about it, what Buick would anyone buy today? His aunt always bought new Bonneville convertibles.
!!! Regardless if correct or not!
Saw this one in a parking lot a few years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvkjHiflBk
No Safety-Track Diff!