Ventura

Original 421: 1966 Pontiac Catalina Ventura

When a classic tips the scales at over 4,000 lbs, it requires something special under the hood to deliver respectable performance. This 1966 Pontiac Catalina Ventura ticks that box, courtesy of its 421ci V8. The car presents superbly, and… more»

Bubbletop Beauty: 1961 Pontiac Ventura

The Ventura spent its first decade as a trim package for the popular Pontiac Catalina until the moniker was eventually moved to the GM X-Body in 1971, which often gets mistaken as a Chevrolet Nova.  The name first appeared… more»

Garage Kept: 1975 Pontiac Ventura

Cars evolved tremendously from the 1960s into the 1970s, and not always in a good direction. The Pontiac Ventura emerged in 1960, sharing a platform with the Catalina. Its stylish horizontal fins, graceful hard top, and beefy V8 struck… more»

48 Years Captive: 1964 Pontiac Catalina Ventura

From 1959 to 1981, Catalina was the volume sales leader in the Pontiac portfolio. It may have been Pontiac’s equivalent of the Chevy Impala. And in the 1960s, you could order the Catalina Ventura which brought a custom level… more»

Final Outing: 1974 Pontiac GTO

With sales of its mid-size muscle car – the GTO – on the skids through 1973, Pontiac shifted the auto’s focus to competing with compacts like the Plymouth Duster 360. It was now an option on the Ventura, which… more»

One-Year-Only Ventura Package: 1974 Pontiac GTO

The 1974 Pontiac GTO was the last one before the car took a lengthy hiatus, with the name not revived again until it made a brief comeback nearly 30 years later, but the fifth-generation Goat didn’t stick around for… more»

Award Winner! 1961 Pontiac Ventura

Between 1960 and 1970, the Ventura was an upscale version of the Catalina, perhaps like the Impala was a tier above the Bel Air. Mechanically they were mostly the same car, but the Ventura was packaged to appeal more… more»

Fully Documented: 1965 Pontiac Catalina Ventura

Apart from a repaint over a decade ago, this 1965 Pontiac Catalina Ventura is as original as the day it rolled off the showroom floor. The originality extends to its documentation, which would have accompanied the car on that… more»

Muscle Car Swan Song: 1974 Pontiac Ventura GTO

From a peak of more than 96,000 cars in 1966, production of the Pontiac GTO fell to just over 7,000 copies in 1974. The muscle car craze of the 1960s/1970s had passed and the GTO quietly slipped into the… more»

Runs Great! 1968 Pontiac Ventura Hardtop Coupe

Record Pontiac’s Ventura for 1968 as another home run for ’60s GM styling. This 1968 Pontiac Ventura Hardtop Coupe in Frisco, Texas comes to market here on eBay where at least 15 bidders have elevated its market value beyond… more»

Cheap Project: 1976 Pontiac Ventura

There are few things more rewarding than tackling a first hands-on project build, but the process also comes with its own potential stresses. If the builder is unsure of their skill levels, the thought of taking to a desirable… more»

Tri-Power Bubble Top: 1961 Pontiac Ventura

The GM 2-door hardtops with the thin C-pillar are often referred to as “bubble tops” and were a one-year-only body style for Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick in 1961. However, Chevy would use it a bit longer. This ’61 Ventura,… more»

GTO Clone: 1974 Pontiac Ventura Shed Find

The GTO is credited with starting the mid-size muscle car craze in 1964. But a decade later, higher insurance premiums, more stringent emissions controls and rising gas prices signaled the end of the line for the GTO (and others… more»

400 V8 Hot Rod: 1974 Pontiac Ventura

The third generation of the Chevy Nova was selling so well that Pontiac clamored for and got their own version of it. They would call it the Ventura II beginning in 1971 and it would differ little except in… more»

Worth Saving? 1974 Pontiac GTO

The GTO was a hot property in the 1960s, but by 1974 it was an option package on the compact Ventura. That would be its last year until a brief resurrection in 2004 on an Australian-based GM model. This… more»

Rare Double Optioned: 1975 Pontiac Ventura SJ/Sprint

Ventura is a name that Pontiac used twice in its 85-year history. Its second go-around was based on an X-body architecture which was the underpinning for the Chevrolet Nova. Novas to this day are still commonly found, the Ventura?… more»

Barn Finds