Needing a compact to sell, Pontiac introduced a knock-off of the Chevrolet Nova in 1971 and called it Ventura II (the Ventura had previously been a full-size car). It followed in the Nova’s shadow through 1977, after which it was renamed Phoenix for the car’s last two years. This 1976 edition is a 4-door sedan that presents as a nice survivor, and its claim to fame is that it has appeared as a prop in several movies. Located in Freeport, New York, this Chevy in Pontiac clothing is available here on craigslist for $8,000 OBO. Thanks for the tip, Tony Primo.
Pontiac dropped the “II” designation on the car after a couple of years, so it was simply Ventura from 1973 to 1977. Until 1978, the base engine in the Pontiac was a 250 cubic inch inline-6 sourced from Chevrolet. After that, Buick’s 231 CI V6 became the base engine. The seller’s car has an automatic transmission, which we assume is a TH-350, as the Powerglide had been gone for several years.
Considering the Pontiac spent some time around movie/TV people, you’d think some better photos would be provided (none of the engine and only one of the interior). The entertainment industry credits to its name include The Irishman, The Kitchen, The Hunters, and Joker. I haven’t seen any of them, so I don’t know how significant a role the car played, but we assume it was mostly for period-piece window dressing.
At 92,000 miles, the burgundy paint, tan vinyl roof, and tan interior all seem to be okay. It’s a running car that offers decent passenger space and okay fuel mileage (by today’s standards). This is not a restored show car, but a 50-year-old machine with the kind of wear and tear you would expect for its age. No V8 and it has four doors – will this be a standout at Cars & Coffee?
I went to the movies in a car like this.
I clicked on the craigslist link (twice),& the ad for the
1970 Black Valiant came up.
I saw that too!
Try this one.
https://www.craigslist.org/view/d/freeport-1976-pontiac-ventura-movie-car/1Gymx6vhkCh7uTJfNakp9N
Me too…Saw the Vailiant ad yesterday.
Yup, the link to craigslist in the writeup above is the wrong link.
Being in movies or TV adds no value in my world unless the vehicle was the star. It’s not always a good thing.
Oh so very ’70s…
Not bad looking in mahogany and buckskin. Very basic car without even tinted glass which probably benefited its film career. Little more than a driver or conversation piece.
I’m wid Terry. Provence is a petty addition to cost in my opinion (& family antique/ephemera, etc collectors try’n straighten me out on that. I understand but wont bite). Let the other guy pay, I’ll skip “this one” f0r the nxt.
Had a ’78 model of above w/a hatch, 350/auto in that green many GMs had then (Augusta? Alpine?) that moved me from WVa to MA in 1981. B4 leavin I went to the staties’n asked for permission to travel this 1 trip w/o registration. I bought it just ‘to get home’ after grad school. They gave me a piecea paper saying “Display prominently and we got our eyes on U fella.” That was not the worse of it. Car was so fulla my junk the hatch was straight out level (couldnt close it) and the roof stuff overflowed to B packed on top the hatch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
I took a look B4 gettin in (just room 4 da driver) and thought: “Jed Clampit. How appropriate.” Stoped once (9.5 hr, 600 mi) in Jersey by nother statie & asked “What R U tryin to pull w/o Regis/Plate?” I pointed to the document on the driver’s side back window. He took a look’n said “Get oudda here & dont lemmie C U in Jersey ever again.” Leavin ‘West by God’ after done packin (started just B4 lunch) got me ‘home’ at 2 am none the worse for wear (asa 30 something). Too old to travel that way now ~8^ )
It’s not listed on the IMCDB page for The Irishman but this may be it in the TV series The Americans. Note the NY style stickers in the lower left windshield corner, and the lack of a center “property tax” sticker that one would expect in the bottom center of the windshield on a Virginia registered car.
The 1976 Pontiac Ventura came with 3 engine choices. Chevy 250 inline 6 . The Oldsmobile 260 V-8. Or the Buick 350 V-8.. Mine came with the Buick 350