Vehicle Description
By 1972, the era of full-sized luxury muscle was starting to die,
just like the rest of the high-horsepower machines, but that didn't
stop Pontiac from building cars like this ultra-cool 1972 Grand
Prix. There's still a rumbling 400-inch V8 under the hood, a pair
of bucket seats inside, and enough performance to make it a
legitimate piece of the Pontiac legend.
Time has been kind to the Grand Prix, whose design stands out as
one of the better ones of the period. Of course, long hoods and
short decks have been in fashion since the dawn of the industry,
but this Grand Prix gets it exactly right. A slight freshening for
the '71 model year only helps, adding a neo-boat-tail rear end.
This car has been nicely restored in its original Brittany Beige,
which suits the upscale Poncho just fine, especially with the black
vinyl top. Befitting a car of this one's stature, fit and finish
are quite good, particularly with that massive hood sitting flush
which is no small achievement. The big doors line up well, too, and
the paint has a great gloss that seems well-suited to the period,
neither too shiny like a modern car nor faded-looking like original
paint. This one just looks right. Note the crisp line along the
lower edges of the body that makes panel alignment so critical, as
well as neat details like the slotted rear side marker lights and
pinstripes that highlight some of the more dramatic sheetmetal
curves. Thankfully, Pontiac took it easy on the chrome, using it
sparingly on the tightly-fitted bumpers to make a statement, and
they remain in great condition.
Pontiac's commitment to luxury and performance is quite evident
inside, where you get a comfortable black vinyl strato-bench up
front. A wrap-around instrument panel was new and Pontiac
advertising called it "aircraft-inspired" which might be a reach,
but it sure looks good. The black seat covers have to be recent, as
they're just too nice to be original and those appear to be fresh
carpets on the floor. However, the door panels are likely original
and their condition suggests that this car has lived an
exceptionally easy life. The car includes factory air conditioning,
a tilt column, power brakes and steering (mandatory on a beast this
size, I'd think), and a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission that's
a reliable travelling partner. The trunk is original and very
spacious, but that also means that there are no secrets hiding
under a mat, and you can see that this car is really clean.
Mechanically, the numbers matching 400 cubic inch Pontiac V8 is
hard to beat. Torquey, smooth, and versatile, it moves the big GP
with ease. Not detailed for show, it takes its influences from
contemporary Trans Ams and wears light blue on the block and
maintains its original black snorkeled air cleaner. The intake and
4-barrel are stock spec, although the stock-style headers now feed
a Flowmaster dual exhaust system. The underside is original and
very solid, and the light dusting of undercoating does nothing to
hide the fact that this car doesn't suffer from the tin worm like
so many of its contemporaries. And those handsome Pontiac Rally II
wheels look as good here as they do on its siblings, wearing big
225/70/14 BFGoodrich white-letter radials at all four corners.
These cars have a dedicated following and with values only going
up, now is the time to put a clean, attractive Grand Prix in your
stable. With only 99,810 actual miles on the clock, it may very
well be the best preserved one on the market. Call today!
