The Pontiac Catalina was first offered in 1950 as the top trim level option on the Chieftain and was later made available as a stand-alone vehicle in 1959. The Catalina, GM’s most affordable full-size car, was positioned beneath the Chevrolet Impala in the lineup, although the Poncho had a V8 engine as standard. It goes without saying that it was quite well-liked.
In 1959, Pontiac sold an astounding 231,561 Catalinas; in 1960, the company sold an even more remarkable 210,934 units. Granted, the first-generation Catalina is anything but rare—nearly 500,000 of them were delivered. In actuality, though, some models will be hard to locate in 2022. One of the vehicles is the 1960 convertible that you are viewing.
What makes it rare, you ask? Well, for starters, the drop-top Catalina wasn’t as popular as its coupe, sedan, and station wagon siblings. Of the almost 211K Catalinas built in 1960, only about 17,000 were convertibles. That’s only 8% of total production, but the figure isn’t low enough to impress collectors looking for rare classics.
But this Catalina is not a regular drop-top. It’s a special-order car that left the factory with a red exterior, a red interior, and a red top. I guess we could call it a triple red car. And the red top is the big highlight here. Because while red-on-red cars were quite common back in the day (quite a few Chevy Impalas were ordered like that too), red soft tops were available on Pontiac’s regular options list.
Additionally, triple red Catalinas are quite uncommon. I haven’t seen one of these automobiles in years, but regrettably, it’s impossible to estimate how many were made in this manner. Although I wouldn’t say it’s a one-of-a-kind, it’s unlikely you’ll come across another Catalina quite like this one anytime soon.
Sadly, the once-gorgeous Poncho is not in as good a condition. The car was owned by the same family from the time it was new, but after the owner passed away, they left it outside in the yard. As of 2022, it has been since 1988, meaning that the Catalina had been decaying for 34 years.
The good news is that it was covered in a tarp, so the damage isn’t all that bad relative to how long it’s been sitting. And the soft top, which is among the first features to get ruined due to exposure to the elements, is in surprisingly good shape. On the flip side, the car sunk all the way to the rocker panels in the mud, so the undercarriage is probably in need of serious repairs.
Luckily, the people at “IowaClassicCars” were able to save the Catalina from certain death and get it onto a trailer without damaging it. It would be wonderful to see this unusual classic back on the road, but it’s unclear if they want to restore it. Indeed, the engine under the hood remains the same 389-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) V8 that produced up to 318 horsepower.