1962 Pontiac Catalina 421 “Swiss Cheese”
In the early 1960s, Pontiac realized that racing helped sell cars and that famous Detroit`s mantra “Win on Sunday-Sell on Monday” really works. At that time, Pontiac was big in NASCAR, but its drag racing reputation in the NHRA championship was slim. Pontiac had a good basis for a fast Super Stock car in the two-door Catalina and a potent 421 V8 engine.
But they needed more. It needed to add power and subtract weight. To do the latter, the Pontiac engineers manufactured numerous aluminum parts like bumpers, fenders and hoods, saving 159 pounds from the heavy car. Moreover, they soon nicknamed it, “Swiss Cheese,” since they also drilled holes in the frame to save a few grams more. With a high compression 421 V8 engine and 410 HP, these Catalinas were lightning quick.
Needless to say, “Swiss Cheese” Catalinas proved to be the fastest on the strips. They even won numerous races, earning Pontiac some much-needed publicity. They used the cars for two years, 1962 and 1963. However, Pontiac built only 14 “Swiss Cheese” Catalinas. And they gave each one to notable a drag racer of the day. Today, they have accounted for most of the cars. But, the prices for those valuable drag racing legends are close to $1 million.