1964 Pontiac Bonneville

The 1964 Pontiac Bonneville was available as a 2- or 4-door hardtop, a station wagon, or a convertible. The 4-door Hardtop was listed at $3,430 with 57,630 examples produced. The 2-door Hardtop sold for slightly less, at $3,360 and found 34,769 buyers. The convertible sold for $3,575 and there were 22,016 examples produced. The station wagon version saw 5,844 examples produced. The station wagon, offered as a Bonneville Custom, was based on Catalina underpinnings and had only the interior and engine in common with the other body styles.

The base engine was an overhead-valve, 389 cubic-inch V8 which offered 255 horsepower for the cars equipped with the synchromesh gearbox. The Hydra-Matic cars were rated at 305 horsepower. Various other 389 cubic-inch V8 engines were available offering up to 330 horsepower. For those individuals seeking even more power, the 421-CID motor with three two-barrel carburetors offered 370 horsepower.

Like the other 1964 Pontiacs, the Bonneville had a clean design with no body-side moldings and could be identified by the Bonneville block lettering on the rear fender sides. They had V-shaped fender badges and ribbed lower body beauty moldings on the rocker panels. The design was the start of the 'coke bottle' styling that would become a hallmark of the brand for the next few years. Standard equipment included a padded dashboard, rear foam seat cushions, and courtesy lights. Pontiac also offered a Bonneville Brougham trim package on the 4-door hardtop which added special interior trim and roof pillar nameplates.

The Bonneville had both an elegant and aggressive design. They were the top-of-the-line full-size Pontiac vehicles during the early 1960s and were given more powerful engines than what could be found in the similar Star Chief.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2014