When the 2+2 went from trim package to full performance model in 1965, Pontiac didn't mess around — the 421-cubic-inch V8 became the BASE engine, with up to 376 hp on tap.
Lead trim: 2+2 421 V8 (338 hp at 4600 rpm, 4-barrel, 1965–66) · up to 376 hp
Pontiac Catalina 2+21965–1967
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Pontiac Catalina 2+2 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactWhen the 2+2 went from trim package to full performance model in 1965, Pontiac didn't mess around — the 421-cubic-inch V8 became the BASE engine, with up to 376 hp on tap.
Beginning in 1965 the name Catalina was no longer found on the car, though the 2+2 was still an option on the Catalina: it became an all-out performance package similar to the GTO with a unique 421 cu in (6.9 L) "2+2 V8", heavy-duty springs and shock absorbers, a 3-speed synchromesh manual (a 4-speed with Hurst shifter optional), dual exhausts and a 3.42:1 performance axle ratio, distinguished by louvers in the bodywork, and a new Turbo-Hydramatic automatic replaced the Hydramatic. It became a separate Pontiac series for the 1966 model year on the same platform; for 1967 the displacement was increased to 428 cu in (7.0 L) and the 2+2 reverted to an option on the Catalina and was discontinued in the United States the same year due to poor sales, the Tri-Power having been dropped after 1966 under a GM mandate. Only a hardtop coupe or convertible was offered; wheelbase 121 in, length 214 in, height 48 in. (Canadian-built 2+2s used Chevrolet engines and are not listed here.)
Collectors Spotted in the Pontiac Catalina Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Pontiac Catalina yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2+2 421 V8 (338 hp at 4600 rpm, 4-barrel, 1965–66) | 1965–1966 | 6.9 L V8 | 338 hp | 459 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 2+2 421 V8 Tri-Power (356 hp at 4800 rpm, 1965–66) | 1965–1966 | 6.9 L V8 | 356 hp | 459 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 2+2 428 V8 (360 hp at 4600 rpm, 1967) | 1967–1967 | 7.0 L V8 | 360 hp | 472 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 2+2 HO 421 V8 Tri-Power (376 hp at 5000 rpm, 1965–66) | 1965–1966 | 6.9 L V8 | 376 hp | 461 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 2+2 Quadra-Power 428 V8 (376 hp at 5100 rpm, 1967) | 1967–1967 | 7.0 L V8 | 376 hp | 462 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
California banned Pontiac's own V8s the very year this generation launched — so every Catalina sold there ran a Chevy, Buick, or Olds engine instead.
1975 marked the end of an era for Pontiac -- the Grand Ville Brougham was the brand's last full-size convertible, and Pontiac wouldn't build another until 1982.
When the 2+2 went from trim package to full performance model in 1965, Pontiac didn't mess around — the 421-cubic-inch V8 became the BASE engine, with up to 376 hp on tap.
Did you know the 1967 Catalina hid an industry first behind its windshield? Its concealed windshield wipers were the first of their kind on any car.
Bucket seats, heavy-duty suspension, and real performance intent — the 1964 2+2 package cost just $291 on top of a base Catalina.
A 1963 Catalina convertible, hot-rodded by Californian Bill Straub, became NASA's tow vehicle for the M2-F1 — the ungainly lifting-body aircraft that helped pioneer the Space Shuttle's landing technique.
The 1959 Catalina's split grille wasn't planned — designers cut a conventional oval grille in half and swapped the pieces while experimenting, and the accident became iconic.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.