The 1960s brought a few radical changes to the American auto industry, especially in the high-performance department. The Pontiac GTO, launched in 1963, helped popularize muscle cars. The Plymouth Barracuda and Ford Mustang, introduced in 1964, created a new pony car segment. And both expanded dramatically toward the end of the decade, spawning a long list of iconic performance cars.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxU-UARCIt5XzRC_lFseQ9XSIae35n5OMUjXd4KQP4ZEjw4_jgNm9YJjauVsPZ00T99jgOc0SDvpgyGmH-iAQA6kptiWo9LkvQcRLwuPveGWFZI4k36v7e6gN91yMpUInW3gnMa0gX4p8POuLgZ_-vU7Kmv5CMboIKxo1-HTQGhCk10QxAW2OZg9/s16000/0.jpg)
But it wasn't just midsize and compact vehicles that were becoming increasingly more powerful. The big rigs were also sporting big-block V8 mills that often came with more than 350 horsepower on tap.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdvBOJKogDTVeAftagiQCzPmPADScUu4P4GDuhO_KqX6h2sO11x_IFfDfwYKwweqMGejyPRnkF6FcUQtBO3sAcQG7TAWznWgEbc3OnWqkGIAkdwRUq_v6DPd9_x_DAFepP2MKUkD590FtXE0dh89Hk9WBs3lfzMRk2OGAkobtbG0_Fwbfxmwf9X_5/s16000/1.jpg)
But as the "Big Three" dropped out of factory-backed racing, the full-size horsepower war moved on public roads. And by the mid-1960s, land yachts like the Chevrolet Impala and Ford Galaxie were available with big-block V8s generating over 400 horsepower. Pontiac's answer to this trend arrived in 1964 as the 2+2.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIP5qIaegDR_EOAegLIvxC8DisNSUbBzvQxiWotKPnY61kiXnjMS23-v44jkcBFITiSIMmI1NQlClXJYPR9h-K5-BYUDRRq4MT6i7Bz9TODakp2euGJAuiUZWUs6UEUEH_ntH_fFNgKl1jxXNzwDEfUyYdnou_kSXfpEDlNsvTxz09SNi4PdPNzzc/s16000/2.jpg)
An optional package for the Catalina, it was marketed as the "big brother" to the already famous GTO. Extra features include unique door panels, bucket seats, a center console, and heavy-duty suspension.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaM_90kSh6YN7QcrYjrJCGEiH0sGHRA1XlhebscBeqc4rXAyaIOCitZ7DcHqPS7CW1ESws4gRMpJzO86twoekXSFXiLWW2zQppz6XXW8vR46aH_zVP4D1KmjJkzSMzbj64O2BBiO46QFggBEJd56q4Tt-4Hw6qzffXMspZeVIsHcZavbWTw9LcE6M/s16000/3.jpg)
The powerplant wasn't quite as potent as the beefed-up Super Duty, but it came with 375 horsepower on tap in the range-topping version. And that was enough to turn it into a larger, roomier, and slightly more luxurious GTO. It was also a worthy competitor for the Chevy Impala SS.
But unlike its bowtie-badged rival and smaller GTO sibling, the 2+2 wasn't very popular then. In four years on the market, the nameplate moved only 27,668 units. For reference, the Pontiac GTO moved more than 75,000 units in 1965 alone.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVJt2Mgd8kGi35_8mwE-nrVOzQ_sfzdYTs05oRolAzSLRHD_nL6EOdll_XvDhpyH7R3p8WNO2xo3me51dAPDzvejYVxl5LfiB3QTiphShSCE4sCcu3X6vyMiK_pveIoo-YC7HwvB8fVD1-X4GNhVbDVDwX8FMDEajIt4gqkL7ioFY_uBOVFxeW3Tc/s16000/5.jpg)
Come 2023, and the 2+2 isn't the most desirable Pontiac out there. To many enthusiasts, however, it's a diamond in the rough and a much more stylish alternative to the relatively common Chevrolet Impala SS. And this 1965 example in Mayfair Maize proves that the 2+2 deserves much more attention than it's getting.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3OXOwWRfu7sjrXowfzzU_YUcJ6FS0cYVqEiu6HbqoVqbClY_-lpr8iw9eQrk0RYAOP4J_cU9ZCh6DYgqdCDRCF8yWutWapvZqzgJsmKCvrGYPuvfw6erIA0hD0WYJMgjG-1tESEcTX-R_49vlM9D7hTkzUkDyFQdQTkbe038bqQMp8DQatvepdHe/s16000/6.jpg)
Featured by "Muscle Car Campy," this Poncho is a finely-restored gem still carrying most of its original features. And yes, the long front hood hides a numbers-matching 421, which sends its oomph to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxU-UARCIt5XzRC_lFseQ9XSIae35n5OMUjXd4KQP4ZEjw4_jgNm9YJjauVsPZ00T99jgOc0SDvpgyGmH-iAQA6kptiWo9LkvQcRLwuPveGWFZI4k36v7e6gN91yMpUInW3gnMa0gX4p8POuLgZ_-vU7Kmv5CMboIKxo1-HTQGhCk10QxAW2OZg9/s16000/0.jpg)
But it wasn't just midsize and compact vehicles that were becoming increasingly more powerful. The big rigs were also sporting big-block V8 mills that often came with more than 350 horsepower on tap.
This trend was heavily influenced by the drag-racing wars of the early 1960s, which saw the "Big Three" create lightweight factory dragsters based on full-size cars. Notable examples included the Pontiac Catalina Super Duty, the Chevrolet Impala Z11, and the Ford Galaxie 500 Lightweight.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdvBOJKogDTVeAftagiQCzPmPADScUu4P4GDuhO_KqX6h2sO11x_IFfDfwYKwweqMGejyPRnkF6FcUQtBO3sAcQG7TAWznWgEbc3OnWqkGIAkdwRUq_v6DPd9_x_DAFepP2MKUkD590FtXE0dh89Hk9WBs3lfzMRk2OGAkobtbG0_Fwbfxmwf9X_5/s16000/1.jpg)
But as the "Big Three" dropped out of factory-backed racing, the full-size horsepower war moved on public roads. And by the mid-1960s, land yachts like the Chevrolet Impala and Ford Galaxie were available with big-block V8s generating over 400 horsepower. Pontiac's answer to this trend arrived in 1964 as the 2+2.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIP5qIaegDR_EOAegLIvxC8DisNSUbBzvQxiWotKPnY61kiXnjMS23-v44jkcBFITiSIMmI1NQlClXJYPR9h-K5-BYUDRRq4MT6i7Bz9TODakp2euGJAuiUZWUs6UEUEH_ntH_fFNgKl1jxXNzwDEfUyYdnou_kSXfpEDlNsvTxz09SNi4PdPNzzc/s16000/2.jpg)
An optional package for the Catalina, it was marketed as the "big brother" to the already famous GTO. Extra features include unique door panels, bucket seats, a center console, and heavy-duty suspension.
Originally fitted with the 389-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) V8, it gained the bigger 421-cubic-inch (6.9-liter) mill as standard for the 1965 model year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaM_90kSh6YN7QcrYjrJCGEiH0sGHRA1XlhebscBeqc4rXAyaIOCitZ7DcHqPS7CW1ESws4gRMpJzO86twoekXSFXiLWW2zQppz6XXW8vR46aH_zVP4D1KmjJkzSMzbj64O2BBiO46QFggBEJd56q4Tt-4Hw6qzffXMspZeVIsHcZavbWTw9LcE6M/s16000/3.jpg)
The powerplant wasn't quite as potent as the beefed-up Super Duty, but it came with 375 horsepower on tap in the range-topping version. And that was enough to turn it into a larger, roomier, and slightly more luxurious GTO. It was also a worthy competitor for the Chevy Impala SS.
But unlike its bowtie-badged rival and smaller GTO sibling, the 2+2 wasn't very popular then. In four years on the market, the nameplate moved only 27,668 units. For reference, the Pontiac GTO moved more than 75,000 units in 1965 alone.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVJt2Mgd8kGi35_8mwE-nrVOzQ_sfzdYTs05oRolAzSLRHD_nL6EOdll_XvDhpyH7R3p8WNO2xo3me51dAPDzvejYVxl5LfiB3QTiphShSCE4sCcu3X6vyMiK_pveIoo-YC7HwvB8fVD1-X4GNhVbDVDwX8FMDEajIt4gqkL7ioFY_uBOVFxeW3Tc/s16000/5.jpg)
Come 2023, and the 2+2 isn't the most desirable Pontiac out there. To many enthusiasts, however, it's a diamond in the rough and a much more stylish alternative to the relatively common Chevrolet Impala SS. And this 1965 example in Mayfair Maize proves that the 2+2 deserves much more attention than it's getting.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3OXOwWRfu7sjrXowfzzU_YUcJ6FS0cYVqEiu6HbqoVqbClY_-lpr8iw9eQrk0RYAOP4J_cU9ZCh6DYgqdCDRCF8yWutWapvZqzgJsmKCvrGYPuvfw6erIA0hD0WYJMgjG-1tESEcTX-R_49vlM9D7hTkzUkDyFQdQTkbe038bqQMp8DQatvepdHe/s16000/6.jpg)
Featured by "Muscle Car Campy," this Poncho is a finely-restored gem still carrying most of its original features. And yes, the long front hood hides a numbers-matching 421, which sends its oomph to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual.
It's one of more than 11,000 units built in 1965, the 2+2's best year, but the gearbox narrows it down to only 4,008 units. Granted, it's not exactly rare by production number, but 2+2 are pretty hard to find nowadays, especially in this condition. Check it out in the video below.
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