Home > Pontiac Grand Prix
1 Mr. DeLorean Has an Idea - Origin of the Model
The Grand Prix appeared in the Pontiac line in 1962. It was essentially a standard Pontiac Catalina coupe with less chrome outside and sportier trim (buckets & a console) inside, and was intended to compete in the full-size sport/luxury class against the Ford Thunderbird and Chrysler 300. The performance-minded John De Lorean was head of Advanced Engineering at Pontiac at the time and would contribute greatly to the GP (along with the Pontiac GTO). The GP had full access to the Pontiac performance option list, including a handful of '62 & '63s receiving the factory-race Super Duty 421 powertrain.
The full-size Grand Prix did very well through the 60's sharing its body shell with the Catalina, and is often credited with the move towards minimal exterior trim that the early-mid '60s saw. Yet its clear resemblance to the other full-size Pontiacs caused some to consider it not fully a personal luxury car in the Thunderbird style (as the '63 Riviera, '66 Toronado & '67 Eldorado were), but at the same time the GP had a much stronger performance image than these other personal luxury models did.
2 Less is More - How the Downsized GP Shook the Market
However, for 1969 DeLorean's team unleashed an audacious all-new Grand Prix based not on the full-size Catalina chassis but instead on a slightly stretched version of the intermediate Pontiac LeMans/GTO platform, which had been new for '68. This smaller, lighter Grand Prix at last had its own body, and brought unprecedented style and luxury into the intermediate class. It also refocused attention on performance in a personal luxury model, with increased installation percentages for manual transmissions & engine options up to the 390 HP 428 HO. It was both a marketing and an engineering landmark, being hailed at the time as "an Eldorado for the masses" and also in retrospect as the first successful downsizing of an American car.
The '69 Grand Prix performed the remarkable feat of creating a new market segment--the intermediate personal luxury car. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo followed the next year, likewide a healthy sales success. Ford and Chrysler scrambled to respond, producing plusher versions of their Ford Torino and Dodge Charger intermediates, but both eventually created new models to enter the battle--the Ford Elite in 1974 and the Chrysler Cordoba in 1975.
3 Change is Good - Hanging on in Tough Times
After many healthy years, the personal luxury car market, and in fact the market for all 2-door bodystyles, began to decline in the late 80's, and in the 90's it shrank dramatically. Most of the old PLC names vanished from the market, but Mr. Delorean's creation proved resilient. Although by 1990 it added a 4-door model, the Grand Prix was available as a coupe right up until the 2004 model year, when it finally became a 4-door only, ironically because the GTO was about to be reintroduced.
All 1988-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix's were built in Kansas City, Kansas. The 2004 Grand Prix production shifted to Oshawa, Ontario Canada . Production of the 1988 Grand Prix began on January 12, 19881988 is a leap year starting on Friday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 2 Georgia celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 9 Connecticut celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 26 Australia celebrates its bicentennial day.. The Sedan went into production on July 10July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. Events 48 BC Battle of Dyrrhachium, Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. 1778 American Revolution: Louis XVI of Fr, 19891989 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 7 Akihito becomes Emperor of Japan following the death of Hirohito. The Heisei period begins January 8 the Kegworth Air Disaster A British Midland Boeing 737 cra. The 1996 Grand Prix production ended on May 17May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). There are 228 days remaining. Events 1590 Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland. 1642 Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve (1612-1676) founds the Ville Marie de Mon, 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan. The 1997 Grand Prix went into production on August 5August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. Events 642 Battle of Maserfeld Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia 1100 Henry I crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey 1, 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan. The Grand Prix Coupe production ended on July 19July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. Events 700-1899 711 Moslem forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. 1333 Battle of Halidon Hill: the final b, 20022002 is a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). 2002 was the first palindromic year since 1991 and the last until 2112. 2002 was also designated: International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains National Science Year in the United Kingdom. The 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix went into production on May 5, 2003.
