Pontiac Catalina 421 “Swiss Cheese”
In the early 1960s, Pontiac realized that racing helps sell cars and that the famous Detroit mantra “Win on Sunday-Sell on Monday” truly worked. In that period, Pontiac was big in NASCAR, but its drag racing reputation in the NHRA championship was slim. Pontiac had a sound basis for a fast Super Stock car in the form of a two-door Catalina, and it had a potent 421 V8 engine, but it needed more. Pontiac needed to add power and subtract weight (via Supercars).
To do the latter, Pontiac’s engineers manufactured numerous aluminum parts like bumpers, fenders, hoods, and so on, saving 159 pounds from the heavy car. They also drilled holes in the car’s frame to save a few more grams, so the vehicle was nicknamed “Swiss Cheese”. With a high compression 421 V8 engine and 410 HP, these Catalinas were lightning quick.