This photo is of the "White Goddess" 1961 Catalina 389 SD that was built by Royal Pontiac and Hurst as a prize to the 1961 NHRA Stock points champion. The car was won by California racer Bruce Morgan, who ran a 1957 Chevy that year. I believe that his son is Mike Morgan. I have identified two of the three following people in this photo. From left, Ace Wilson, Jr and Jim Wangers. Who is the third guy closest to the front of the car? Is it Bruce Morgan? I was thinking it was Dick Jesse, who also worked at Royal Pontiac but it's not. Any ideas?
View attachment 6012530 Picture of one for sale in Florida. Looks sectioned all right, but I think that's just how they are.
'61 and '62 Pontiacs were some of the best proportioned cars to ever come out of Detroit! (OK, Pontiac, Mich. but you know what I mean!)
Most definitely one of my favorite model's of Pontiac. The line's of these kick ass cars, are very cool. "Often imitated, never duplicated". Saw a couple of these a few years ago.
Woodward Cruise pictures from a few years back.... Pictures were taken with a real cheesy cell phone....
Wonder what happened to the White Goddess? Here's one that flips my switch... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1961-pontiac-catalina-super-duty/ Bump for the OP
I don't think that is Bruce Morgan on the right. I read somewhere, he was very displeased with that Pontiac.
He couldn't have been too upset with it, as he set an NHRA National record with it in November of 1961. I think the story was mixed up a bit because Jim Wangers was actually upset with Morgan, thinking he was arrogant when he received the car as a prize, which Wangers took as an insult to Royal Pontiac and Hurst, as well as himself. It was outlined in his book, "Glory Days" but he got some of the story wrong there. He said that he sold the car immediately, which was untrue. He sold his existing racecar and raced the Catalina for the rest of the '61 season at least.
In 1962 Bruce was racing a 57 Corvette, saw him at a Divisional race here in Oregon. It was red and had "Jardine Headers" in white shoe polish on the side !
While we are speaking of great 61's, meet Carol Cox, a Whittier, CA homemaker who made history by being the first female class winner at an NHRA national event at the 62 Winternationals, pictured here. Carol won class again at Indy later that same season. She likely would have won at Indy in 61 but was not allowed to compete (after making the trek to Indy, and after having won numerous times at Santa Ana and Lions) because she was female. Her husband Lloyd drove the car at the 61 Indy and won class. Carol subsequently mounted a publicity campaign with support of folks like C.J. and Peggy Hart, Mickey Thompson, the L.A. Times and the Examiner. Early in 1962 the Lloyd and Carol were informed that Carol could compete at the Winters. CAROL IN 1961: LLOYD AND CAROL: INDY NATS 1962: The Ventura was Carol's daily driver, equipped with Lakewood prototype 90/10 shocks and headers built by Lloyd's friend Doug Thorley. I borrowed these photos from nhra.com, you can read the full story as follows; https://www.nhra.com/news/2018/carol-cox-nhra-s-first-class-winner
You're probably right. I knew there was some conflict there. As I recall, Pontiac wasn't very happy with Morgan.
Yeah, the pictures were taken on Sunday.. The day after the Saturday Cruise... That parking lot on 13 Mile and Woodward Ave. don't exist no more because of the reconstruction... That Kroger lot used to be the best hangout for years... Not no more..
A guy named Jimmy Adams that ran a Sohio Station in Grove City, Ohio had a blue 62 "BOBCAT" that sat outside the station with the 421 missing when I worked at A1 Auto Parts from about 1968 until at least 1971. I came home from the Army in Feb. 73 and he and the Pontiac had moved on. Always wondered what ever happened to Jimmy and the BOBCAT!!
That is not my dad, who passed away in 2017. The reason he didn't like the car much is because he blew it up not long after he got it, and the local dealer would only replace it with a regular production 389, and it never ran worth a damn after that. And it's true that he was racing a 56 Corvette in 62. He sold the Vette to a friend, who somehow managed to get it registered as a 57 so he could race in different classes with a single carb, dual carb or Rochester Fuel Injection. When I was in high school the Vette came up for sale--$1200 with all 3 intakes, a 3 speed and a 4 speed, all the stock wheels, tires hubcaps, and the polished Americans with slicks and skinny front tires. If not for the $1200 a year insurance, I may have been the next owner!
As a young pup kid riding around in pops '61 VW bus with mom and my brother and I remember thinking , these were bitchin, cool looking cars. They had wide axles and were just cool looking
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