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"Bubbletop Beauty"
These are the terms that best describe General Motors' incomparable and stunningly beautiful hardtop models for 1961; that year was a high-water mark of GM design, in every way the equal in charisma and forward-looking styling to its lineup of cars for 1958. The new styling of the Catalina two-door hardtop model quickly became known as the ''bubbletop,'' due to the curvy, somewhat bubbly shape of the backlite and the overall appearance of the whole rooftop. This expansive window's rounded shape was further enhanced by the very slim C-pillars that surrounded it; that was the key element that gave these hardtops their distinctive appearance and nickname. Another hallmark design element that separated the 1961 lineup of full-size Pontiacs from its older and younger siblings was the grille. Pontiac first went to a split-grille design for the 1959 model year, but abandoned it for the 1960 cars. Then the twin-grille design reappeared for the 1961 lineup, where it became a hallmark Pontiac styling cue throughout the 1960s, lasting well into the late Seventies. Even the early 1980's models still showed a hint of the split-grille pattern. If you are on a PC or tablet, be sure to take a look at the real Catalina in the photo rotation.
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