Pontiac Made The Coolest Nine-Seater Wagons Back In The '60s

By Nigel Evans

Even though vehicles today are much larger on average than they were some decades ago, it's still not so easy to transport a large group of people in an everyday vehicle. Even the boldest three-row SUVs struggle. They may offer you some thinly-padded and hidden-away third rows, but if you really want to move nine people on a regular basis today, you're going to have to do some very involved shopping to come up with a solution.

However, back in the early 1960s, things were rather different. Manufacturers were able to come up with solutions that could effectively carry nine people effectively, honestly, and without embarrassment. The 1964 Pontiac Catalina Safari wagon is a good example of that, and it's probably one of the clearest expressions of a purpose-built people transport carrier that you can get.

Some examples are still around today, and while they may be more than six decades old, they may certainly still be coherent and appealing to those who do hunt in packs. A Catalina Safari reminds us that cool people movers did exist and were designed for real-world use.

The '64 Catalina Safari Was Built To Carry Nine People Properly

Pontiac engineered the Catalina Safari from the ground up specifically to carry nine people without any contradiction or compromise. It chose its platform and designed the vehicle's proportions to support this purpose while carefully laying out the interior and picking the powertrain to make sure that everything worked just right. Crucially, there was no attempt to streamline or slim down the vehicle to make it look lighter or smaller than it turned out to be.

Pontiac used General Motors' full-size B-body platform with a 123-inch wheelbase and an overall length that was beyond 210 inches. This meant that the company could fit three full seating rows to accommodate adults in the very back, and not just kids. There was no question of any cramped or occasionally used third row. Instead, you'd find bench seats in the front for three, a similar setup in the second row, and a rear-facing third row which you could fold flat into the cargo floor if you didn't want to use it. So, this wasn't a seven-seat vehicle with some kind of emergency bench at the back but a true nine-passenger car in both intent and design.

Mechanically, the Catalina Safari was well capable of doing its job without moving beyond its comfort zone. You’d get V8 power as standard with plenty of torque and no complaints. The car also looked like it could carry nine people as Pontiac never made any attempt to hide the fact. It came with a very long hood, an expansive greenhouse and heavy chrome detailing to announce its arrival. And while many modern people-movers today try desperately to look as if they are discreet or sporty, there was none of that here. Instead, you’d just get visual and mechanical confidence to create a good alignment between form and function.

Full-Size American Wagon Engineering Before Minivans And SUVs Existed

If you look back at the early 1960s American automotive scene, you might find a number of full-size wagons serving as daily transport, long-distance cruisers, or regular load carriers. Manufacturers were responding to the demand in the marketplace and made sure that they engineered these vehicles robustly with good attention to detail. OEMs tended to prioritize ride quality over handling for sure, with long travel suspensions, and compliant spring rates. And as wagons like the Catalina Safari had generous tire sidewalls as well, they were able to absorb rough road surfaces with ease. Overall, the Catalina Safari was calm and stable rather than engaging and that's probably just what you’d want in the shape of a nine-passenger vehicle.

Remember that this was well before the era of electronic gadgetry, so you didn't have any software solutions trying to make up for undersized hardware. Instead, companies were conservative in their engineering approach and achieved their durability through physical scale. You'd get oversized cooling systems, under stressed engines, and everything else designed to tolerate abuse rather than to chase efficiency.

Powertrain Options And How Pontiac Approached Performance, Even In Wagons

Pontiac had a sterling reputation in the 1960s, revolving around its redoubtable coupes and muscle cars. The Catalina Safari undoubtedly benefited from that philosophy, and Pontiac didn't fit any smaller or highly stressed engine into this vehicle but ensured that it came standard with plentiful V8 power. You could choose between different carburetion setups to balance responsiveness with smoothness according to your desires. But even if in its most conservative form, the 389 V8 punched out plenty of low-end torque, and this was far more important than peak horsepower in a vehicle with a heavy load. If you wanted more capacity, you could opt for the 421 V8, which was available within the Catalina range.

Automatic gearboxes were most popular as they were so easy to deal with and great for relaxed cruising. Acceleration was positive and authoritative rather than hurried, and you could get up to highway speeds without too much effort. You could also climb long grades without drama and even with your full complement of club mates onboard.

Sources: RM Sothebys, Bring a Trailer, Hagerty.

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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.