PONTIAC EXPANDED ITS SPORTY CAR OFFERINGS for 1964 with the GTO and 2+2 options. The Goat drew more attention and buyers, likely due to the new Le Mans’ A-body on which it was based, its included high-performance 389 four-barrel engine, and its price. Conversely, the new 2+2 was essentially a trim option that added bucket seats, upscale side panels, and a console to the Catalina.
Engine upgrades were available for the 2+2 over its base two-barrel 389, but they cost more.
For 1965, however, the 2+2 became a bona fide muscle car. Wearing a revised GM B-body semi-fastback shape, the 2+2 option delivered a 421-cu.in. engine, dual exhausts, three-speed manual transmission, Hurst shifter, 3.42:1 rear gears, heavy-duty suspension, bucket seats, upgraded upholstery, carpet, emblems, “Decor” louvers, pinstripes, lower-body molding, and…