(first posted 1/21/2015) As someone with a vast knowledge, love, and passion for cars, it pains me to say that I haven’t had a chance to drive the sheer number of cars, especially “classic” cars, that many of you have had. Driving a classic car is an opportunity which I’m rarely presented with, so needless to say it was an invigorating experience when I was able to get behind the wheel of this 1985 Pontiac Grand Prix.
Near where I live is a small mom-and-pop mechanic shop and used car lot that I frequently pass on my runs. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to run and check out their cars by for quite a while now due to a severely pulled hamstring, but on a day out this past summer, this pale green Pontiac caught my eye.
In its forty-six-year history, the Pontiac Grand Prix displayed a number of distinctive looks. The original Pontiac Grand Prix debuted in 1962 as a slightly sportier, more personal version of the full-size Catalina coupe. A Grand Prix convertible was added for 1967, but subsequently dropped the following year.
This car was replaced by a new Grand Prix in 1969. With a totally unique body, the second generation GP exuded all the requisite styling features of the burgeoning personal luxury coupe. Long hood? Check! Formal roof line? Check! Vinyl roof? Check! Although the interior was “cockpit style”, with its Strato-bucket seats and all instrument panels angled towards the driver, a bench seat was a no-cost option.
This uniquely bodied Grand Prix was succeeded by the overly familiar-looking, overwrought, and overweight “Colonnade” Grand Prix of 1973. Things weren’t all bad however, as steel-belted radials and upgraded suspension improved handling. Genuine African Crossfire Mahogany also graced the interior of earlier models. These were also among the best-selling Grand Prix models ever.
The energy crises of the 1970s and resulting government regulations dictated smaller and more fuel efficient cars, and that’s exactly what the 1978 Grand Prix was. The ’78 Grand Prix’s styling was decidedly more slab-sided and blockier than its Colonnade predecessor, although its sheet metal had a few more curves than some of its corporate cousins.
Once again, the Grand Prix was available only as a two-door coupe – related sedan models flew the LeMans, Bonneville, and Grand Am flags. The Grand Prix still sold well, although that fact is often overshadowed by this generation Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, which was among one of the best-selling American cars of all time.
Despite universal downsizing and the growing influx of less ostentatious European and Japanese imports, personal luxury coupes were still a popular body style in the early- to mid-Eighties. It’s no coincidence that the most popular Grand Prix were very Broughamified, with vinyl roof, pillowed bench seats, and wire wheel discs.
The G-body Grand Prix’s siblings, particularly the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, are still kicking around if you look hard enough, but Pontiac Grand Prix from this era are far more elusive. When I first saw this one, I had to return that very day, over fears that it might be gone soon.
I had no intention of getting behind the wheel, but stopping by to take some pictures led to a pleasant conversation with the Jeff, the shop owner, and the vehicle’s most recent owner, a buddy of his who was helping him unload a Mustang off a flatbed.
The current owner, whose name I did not get, was more than happy to talk about the car. According to him, he is the second owner, and the 55,000-mile car had spent most of its life in New Hampshire. For the majority of the last few years, he said it was stored inside a trailer. In a more interesting tidbit, he said that the car had recently been used as a period background car in the upcoming Johnny Depp film, Black Mass, about notorious Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger.
As we were talking, a rather enchanting blonde woman came out of the shop and in an exotic foreign accent, introduced herself as the sales manager. Obviously assuming I had serious interest in buying the car, and not just doing field research for a Curbside Classic article, she asked me if I wanted to take the GP for a test drive, which I willingly accepted.
Sliding into the cloth bench seat and firing up this 29-year-old, rear-wheel drive American coupe was a surreal experience. In my comparatively short driving career, I have rarely had the chance to drive anything older than a 2000 model. The even shorter list of cars I’ve driven that are older than I am (I was born in 1993) have been either Toyotas or Volvos. Needless to say, this Pontiac Grand Prix was a bit different.
I couldn’t get the seat to slide forward any more to better accommodate my 5’7″ height, so the pedals were a bit of a reach. It was also a 90-degree August afternoon, and this car was not equipped with air conditioning. None of this mattered though. It was an invigorating experience and I truly felt alive.
We pulled out of the parking lot and I pressed my foot down on the large gas pedal, sending a pleasant sputter out of the exhausts. I actually forgot to ask which engine was under the hood, but given the car’s lack of options, I’m positive it was the standard 2-barrel, 3.8-liter V6. I was basically flooring it going 40 mph, but once again, I didn’t care.
A couple of miles up the road, I pulled into a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot to turn around and head back. Despite having power steering, it still required more effort than the power-assisted units in today’s cars. Navigating the Grand Prix was also more difficult due to its long hood and considerable overhang, which I am not used to.
As I alluded to earlier, this particular Grand Prix is a rather sparsely equipped base model. Its original frugal owner passed on popular options like power windows, air conditioning, split bench seats, cruise control, and cassette player. A rear window defroster for those frigid New England winters was the only option I could detect.
Pulling back into the lot, I made sure to make it clear that I had no intention of buying the car. We all talked for a few more minutes as I took some more pictures, and was on my way. Jeff politely told me to stop by anytime I saw a car on his lot that interested me to photograph for Curbside Classic.
The Grand Prix was gone within a few weeks, so I’m assuming it sold. It wouldn’t have been the type of car I’d have bought, even if I did have the money, but I’m grateful I had the chance to drive it. It was an experience I shall never forget.
A buddy of mine had a 1973 Grand Prix (Colonnade style). It belonged to his parents who sold it to him after graduating from college. We drove from Dallas to Big Bend national park on vacation and this was the absolute “quietest” car I have ever ridden in. Back then, GM had a product you wanted.
I still have the 1983 Grand Prix that I special ordered when a high school senior. 305 V-8, added acoustical insulation, rallye tuned suspension, rally II wheels and tons of other extras. Now it has 37000 miles and has never been driven in the rain or snow, always garaged and never used as a regular car. Great driving car, smooth and QUIET. I have seen the car in this article on and off craigslist Boston for the past 3 or 4 years. Great article. Thanks for taking the time to post about the Grand Prix.
We had a ’79 Grand Prix with a 2bbl 301 V8. I was driving this in ’95 when I was in high school and remember that it was very well-worn by that time. I thought it was a throw away car, but now I wish I had appreciated it more. Glad to see someone has preserved one this well, and in the Northeast no less!
I love the color. It’s a big part of this car’s appeal. And I’m really glad that you got the chance to drive it and tell us about your experience, from the perspective of someone who wasn’t born when it was new and for whom they were already getting thin on the ground by the time you were probably aware of such things. And you liked it!
Count me as another who is surprised at the low option level. There were a lot of these around when I was growing up in Texas in the ’80s, but I can’t imagine one without air conditioning. I assumed it was standard by that time, but I guess not! I also thought that steering wheel would have been retired by then, but there it is! This is a fun car to look at and drive, but not (in my opinion) to own. It’s too stripped! Half of the fun of these old Broughams is the buttons and options, and this one has shockingly few. I’m trying to figure out if that ETR radio is AM only. I think it might be (egads)! I had a base model 1985 Sunbird, and it was better equipped than this, at least in that it had A/C and AM/FM ETR stereo.
I am NOT a GM sort of person, but I find that ’69 GP simply irresistible!
Wow… That’s a neat find. Back in 97 my uncles 91 hardbody was t-boned in a Vancouver intersection. He wasn’t interested in a corolla or a civic as a rental.. We headed over to a rent “A” wreck. The car he picked was this grand prix’s twin. It was exactly the same color combo as this car but was fully loaded with working options and had a 305. That thing was a compfy couch cruiser. He had the thing for a week and a half and loved how it drove. He really hated the color combo. When he returned it he enquired if it could be for sale, after about ten minutes in the office the lady came back with a firm no as it was one of there more popular wrecks.
That is amazingly rust free for a 29 year old New Hampshire car. New England has one of the cruelest environments for automobiles.
Not really… we still have a lot of CCs running around and being used as DAILY drivers around here.
There was an ad in Cape Cod for a 79 mint condition T-Top Grand Prix, not too long ago.
The LAST good Grand Prix, before they became FWD plastic appliances.
Love the A/G bodies… own 3(86 Monte Carlo SS, 81 Malibu Classic coupe, 85 Buick Regal).
Amazing how awful those old G bodies look now. Ouch! Even a Smart car is better looking than those angular G bodies!
Counterpoint: G bodies look better than ever.
Really, David?
If you think a Smart car is better looking than these… You might want to make an appointment at LensCrafters. Lol
We can play a game of chicken… I’ll drive the G body Grand Prix and you can risk it in your bubble gum machine unSmart car…
Didn’t think so………….., 😉
Yeah, let’s just insult everyone for having a different opinion. I mean, I think the GP looks nicer in its own way, but come on, man.
I had an 85 in almost the exact same green, maybe a shade or two darker. Mine had the white landau roof and all power options. That was my first car. Honestly, looking back on it, it was really a pile of junk. The oil light would flicker at idle, the steering was sloppy, and like you said in the article…the thing couldn’t get out of its own way. All that said, it was mine, and it got me where I needed to be when I was 16 years old. I slapped a set of Cragar SS wheels on it that I found in a junk yard, installed a loud stereo system, and then drove it until it caught fire. Total loss and replaced it with a Firebird. I can honestly say I have more fond memories of the Firebird than I do the GP but again, it was my first car, and it was mine.
Look I’m probably wayyy too biased as I own a 77 GP, but IMHO from 78 on they just became drab slabs of generic caricatures of their former selves. Stand and take that side-on photo from another 20 feet and it’d be almost impossible to identify.
Yes a lot of folk still bag the 70s, especially anything from 71 on, but everything about that decade was overwrought. It was after all “the decade that style forgot”.
Which ironically, gives these overwrought, overstyled, ridiculously excessive beasts their…………….style.
Beats bland anyday. Here in New Zealand it gets some looks!
The way one of these is optioned can make or break the car for me. If ordering one back in the day the first thing I would do is upgrade to the Pontiac rally or snowflake alloy wheels. There would be no vinyl roof. It would have the sport rear view mirrors. The 231 V6 would be chucked in favor of any one of the V8 options available given the year. The bench seat would be replaced by the buckets and floor shift, the idiot lights replaced by full gauge package with tachometer and the suspension would be of the F-41 variety with the larger P205 tires with raised white letters. the exterior would be either white with maroon interior or better yet blue with blue interior. It’s amazing how these options transform this car from mediocre to awesome in my eyes.
Wow – that is probably the most stripped Grand Prix I have ever seen! No A/C? Wow. The only options I see are whitewalls, sport mirrors and a rear defroster.
There is no question that with GM cars of this era, options could make or break them. This looks like a car that an older couple would want. Bare bones, no frills basic transportation.
The type of buyer who got a stripped Chevy Biscayne/BelAir or Pontiac Catalina in the ’60s would get a car like this 20 years later. No A/C, manual windows, bench seat and no tape deck. Had some frills, like velour and hood ornament, but not common features of most personal lux coupes. I remember seeing some GP’s with dog dish hub caps then too!
OTOH, I can see dealers in New England ordering new cars without A/C, being far from the Sun Belt. Just that economies of scale made A/C standard in today’s cars.
You would be surprised how much I use my A/C and I live in RI. Our summers are HUMID and even on days when it is mild out, the A/C makes defrosting and the overall climate in the car so much better.
By the 80’s it was rare to see a GM intermediate or full-sized car without A/C.
I think they’d have rather gotten a base-model LeMans coupe.
You may be interested in knowing that GM “G” body is a mainstay of Saturday Night short-track racing all over America, this is in what is called a “Hobby Class”, an entry level class in which a car cheaply obtained is stripped, fitted with a roll cage and raced with strictly limited modifications. The basic good handling,horsepower, and toughness of these cars lend themselves to this endeavor, much to my amusement because the elite car magazines of the day didn’t have much good to say about them.
I had a 83 brougham that was quite not stock, 350/4 barrel on a edlebrock rpm manifold/hooker long tube headers, so on so forth. I was a high school kid with more horsepower than any kid needed, and I racked up the points in exhibition of excel, drag racing, etc. Parents sold it around 2003, just after I graduated. I’ve missed the car, and the feeling it gave me, cruising main on a Fri/Sat nite in second gear as the Flowmasters sang their song. It would be great to find another and build it with my son.
I liked the looks of these in their time. A couple of friends each had one, and I remember their cars being admired out in the parking lot at work. One was used to chauffer co-workers out for lunch on Fridays, those folks liked being seen in the Grand Prix. I haven’t seen one of these in at least ten years.
Looks almost naked without a vinyl roof.
Does anyone still sell green cars? Or make a cut-down door like the ’73-77 (the best part of it)?
Of the quartet of G-special coupes, GM got the styling right with regard to the Sloan hierarchy. None were bad, but the further you went up the division ladder, the better looking car you got.
So it is with the last RWD Grand Prix. It’s okay, but the Cutlass and Regal coupes were better.
Not perfectly for me, I put the Monte Carlo ahead of the GP(in both in regular and especially SS form) although I do think the Pontiac dash is the best of the four
Agreed. It was kind of a toss-up between the last RWD Monte Carlo and Grand Prix, coming down to simply whether you liked Chevys or Pontiacs better.
I’m amazed how many comments there have been, but I’ve contributed a few along the way myself.
One thing bugs me about this car (and its GM cousins) – it suffers the ‘seventies Ford disease’ of too having much length on too little wheelbase. It would look so much better if those front wheels were moved forward about four inches or so. That would give better weight distribution which would improve handling, and it’d be easier to maneuver when parking too. Why did they do that short-wheelbase-with-long-overhang thing?
I think the 5mph bumpers played a major role in that, at least for GM. These G bodies were still designed with them before the law was relaxed, and to better visually integrate them the bodywork was pulled forward and smoothly integrated. Comparatively when you look at a lot of the transitional 73-74 cars with those early battering ram bumpers the overhang doesn’t look disproportionately long on them, the bumper just kind of hangs out on its own to add length.
Speculatively I wonder if it was done for actual crash safety which was becoming more important at the time, using that longer overhang as the intended crumple zone. That seems to be the case in my later MN12 Cougar, it has a similarly long front overhang and all the internal stampings within are accordion shaped.
These cars had loads of space between the bumper and radiator. The long hood thing was a Detroit standard for a couple of decades. It was always about styling. The first generation of these cars in 1978 had 5 MPH bumpers and was a bit shorter. These cars were 200″ long, so not small.
With the V-6 there is plenty of space!
Yeah but GM in the 60s and early 70s typically had proportionally shorter front overhangs with more space between the cowl and wheel opening, compared This 85 from the side compared to a 69 Grand Prix is like a 65 Mustang compared to a Mustang II in terms of wheel placement. The long hood was no doubt for style but there must have been other reasons to reposition the wheels further back
The first car I ever drove was a 1981 Grand Prix similar to this one, also light green inside and out though a different shade, back when public high schools in my state still offered driver education to 15-1/2 year olds. It was a base model, but not quite as stripped down as this one (I don’t think I’ve ever seen an 80s Buick, Olds, or Pontiac personal luxury coupe without A/C, or just an AM radio). Don’t know which engine it had, but my driving impressions, even though I had nothing to compare it to yet, were about the same as described here.
Also, I thought Pontiac had retired this mid-’70s steering wheel design long before this car was made.