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.
Shake up 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 GM A platform. 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.
1973
The Grand Prix was redesigned, as were the rest of the A-bodies. This generation was larger and heavier, due partly to the federally mandated 5 m.p.h. crash bumpers. Although large V-8's were still available, performance was on the decline due to another federal standard--a new emissions control system. This most notable styling feature of this generation was the appearance of the fixed opera window, replacing the previous disappearing rear side glass.
1978
1978 brought a downsizing of the Grand Prix and the other GM A platforms. This version of the A-body got a few sheet metal revisions in 1980.
1982
In 1982, the Grand Prix remained on the same rear wheel drive chassis, now under the name "G-body". The Grand Prix remained as a coupe, with its sedan version being the short-lived mid-size Bonneville. The Bonneville went back to full size on the GM H platform in 1986, and the Grand Prix continued as a rear wheel drive vehicle until 1987, when it shifted to front wheel drive on the GM W platform in 1988.
1988
The first Grand Prix Coupe was built on January 12, 1988. The Grand Prix became part of the W-body family in 1988. Three model designations were available. Base, LE, and SE. Base model Grand Prix were equipped with basically nothing more than the base 1SC option group. LE model Grand Prix's got more standard equipment including air conditioning, power windows, and power locks. SE models got the 2.8L V6 standard along with other available commodities such as "AQ9" 14-way pnumatic power seats, a driver information center console extension, and a sport gauge cluster. In 1989, A/C became standard on all models and in mid-year, a 3.1L Multi-Port Fuel Injected V6 replaced the underpowered, outdated 2.8. The Grand Prix was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1988.
Another model designation was added in 1989, the Turbo Grand Prix. All Turbo Grand Prix's started as fully loaded SE's minus three available options: Leather, Sunroof, and in 1990, a CD Player. The SE's were shipped off to ASC/McLaren to get a "B4M" body kit, A modified 3.1 with Garrett T-25 Turbocharger, and Intercooler. TGP's got specific body molding and hood louvers along with a full-analog gauge cluster that would soon become the base of the 1990-1993 sport cluster.
In 1990, the base model was dropped, a sedan was now available, and STE was added. The first sedan was built on September 12, 1989. A new cluster was introduced. Based off the TGP cluster, the new sport rally cluster dropped the digital speedometer, fuel gauge, and odometer in favor of all analog instruments. The Special Touring Edition Grand Prix's got specific seats, audio systems, and Driver Information Centers. The seats were 8-way pnumatic with adjustable lumbar supports. The audio systems were 8-speaker with full graphic equalizer and a "Gain" slider to control bass. The Driver Information Centers were quite a step up from the more basic ones available in the SE and TGP's. In addition to the basic information that the SE LCD counterparts displayed, the STE vacuum fluorescent display DIC's had a full light and door monitor with icons for all the major vehicle systems. The STE's got a front and rear lightbar in addition to a trunk-panel. A Turbocharged STE was also available for this year.
In 1991, the Turbo Grand Prix and Turbo STE models were dropped. An SE sedan is now available. A new model, GTP, was added. Grand Prix GTP's got a new 3.4L Twin Dual Overhead Cam engine along with all available options. GTP's got a modified version of the B4M body package. The composite headlights were replaced with mini-quads and the package was renamed B4U. The final 1996 Grand Prix was built on May 24, 1996.
1997
In 1997, the W-bodies got a major redesign. Promoted widely because of its "wide track" appearance, the second generation W-body Grand Prix sold well. The Grand Prix was made in Kansas City, Kansas' Fairfax plant until 2003, when production was shifted to Oshawa, Ontario Canada. The last Grand Prix coupe rolled off the assembly line on July 19, 2002.
The Future
The Grand Prix will be replaced for the 2007 model year by the Pontiac G8.
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