Pontiac Catalina by Thomas Bugdoll

The Pontiac Catalina was an upper midsize model built by US automaker General Motors under the Pontiac automotive brand, classified in the full-size class in the American market, and offered from 1959 to 1981. The name "Catalina" was first used in 1949 for the Chieftain Series 25/27 hardtop, Pontiac's top-of-the-line trim package at the time, and later, in 1954, for the Star Chief, Pontiac's counterpart to the Chevrolet Bel Air. Originally called "hardtop coupes", these cars offered a pillarless design in the door and window areas, along with the premium convertible trim. The advantage of this fixed-roof design was the sporty, airy feel without the cost and disadvantages normally associated with convertibles in terms of rigidity. With the exception of the 1958 Bonneville, all Pontiac hardtops from 1950 to 1958 were designated "Catalinas", and from the 1959 model year onwards, the Catalina represented Pontiac's least expensive "full-size" model. Above it were several more expensive series under changing names: Star Chief (1959-1966), Ventura (1960), Executive (1967-1970), Catalina Brougham (1971-1972), Bonneville (throughout) and Grand Ville (1971-1975), some on longer wheelbase. The Catalina 2+2, offered only in the model years 1965-1967, was a performance-enhanced variant of the normal Catalina.