Vehicle Description
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Petty Enterprises, Richard
Petty wanted to create a special "Limited Edition" NASCAR Pontiac
that his fans could buy directly from their local Pontiac dealer.
The project was conceived by Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan who
teamed with Bruce Canepa to create this one of a kind concept car.
Petty was personally involved in the design, and approved every
design element and performance upgrade.
GM supplied a new Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, and then asked their
performance division Delphi to develop special engine upgrades
specifically for this car. The Delphi modifications increased the
standard 240-horsepower supercharged V6 engines output to an
impressive 300-horsepower. The transmission, suspension and brakes
have all been upgraded to handle the increase in power.
Other modifications include custom one-off aluminum wheels, special
painted Petty graphics, full leather front and rear seats with
Petty's embroidered signature, leather door cards with 50th
anniversary plaque, stainless steel front grilles, hand-formed
stainless steel exhaust tips, custom carbon fiber trim in the
interior and engine bay, and a custom cold air intake.
Once underway, excitement for the project extended beyond GM and
the design team with Canepa's friend and colleague Chip Foose
coming on board to design the graphic elements, and to collaborate
on color selections.
Upon completion the team, along with Richard Petty, presented the
car to Pontiac and received rave reviews. It looked like the
project was well on the way to becoming a reality until the bean
counters got into the act. Ultimately the project was put on hold,
and this car would become the only Richard Petty Grand Prix GTP
produced.
Pontiac returned the car to Bruce Canepa, and it remains today in
its original presentation condition - absolutely spectacular and
show ready. This is a true factory Hot Rod with prototype parts and
technology not seen outside of Detroit.
