One of Pontiac's longest-running nameplates, the Catalina came to be in 1950 as a range-topping, hardtop version of the Chieftain. Four years later, the badge was also added to the Star Chief hardtop.

Introduced in 1950 as a trim line reserved for hardtops only on the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines, the Catalina became a separate model as the entry-level full-size Pontiac in 1959. It ...

At the height of the El Camino's relative popularity, Pontiac floated a similar idea with the El Catalina, though only one example remains to this day.