The Pontiac Ventura was an automobile produced by the Pontiac

Pontiac

Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...

 Motor Division of General Motors

General Motors

General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

. The word "ventura" is a derivitave of the word "bonaventure

Bonaventure

Saint Bonaventure, O.F.M., , born John of Fidanza , was an Italian medieval scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, he was also a Cardinal Bishop of Albano. He was canonized on 14 April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV and declared a Doctor of the...

" which is Italian for "good fortune". It also shares its name with the locations of Ventura, California

Ventura, California

Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...

 and Ventura, Iowa

Ventura, Iowa

Ventura is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 670 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ventura is located at ....

. At one time, GM had an assembly plant until 1992 that manufactured X-body sedans and coupes in the neighboring city of Van Nuys, California.
The Ventura was first introduced for 1960 as a new higher priced model on Pontiac's shorter full-size 122-inch B-body

GM B platform

The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors' full-size rear-wheel drive automobile platform. It was closely related to the C-body and D-body and was used for coupés, sedans, and station wagons....

 wheelbase, shared with the Pontiac Catalina

Pontiac Catalina

The Pontiac Catalina was part of Pontiac's full-sized automobile line. Initially, the name was used strictly to denote hardtop body styles, first appearing in the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines...

.