Collectible Classic: 1973-1975 Pontiac Grand Am - Automobile
But one of them, the Pontiac Grand Am, lives on as an intriguing artifact of a road not taken. Although the name suggested a synthesis of the luxury of the Pontiac Grand Prix and the performance of the Pontiac Trans Am, the Grand Am was designed as an American take on the poised handling and elegant interiors of premium European imports. So this Pontiac was equipped with radial tires, a sport-tuned suspension, bucket seats, a beefy steering wheel, and even a Euro-style high-beam switch on a stalk off the steering wheel rather than the usual button on the floor. Despite sharing its fundamental shape with the Buick Century, Chevrolet Chevelle, and Oldsmobile Cutlass, the Pontiac is uniquely striking. Just like the Pontiac LeMans from which it is derived, the Grand Am has classic long hood/short rear deck proportions, but a six-piece “catwalk” grille, louvered B-pillars, and a special graphics package have embellished them. Most of all, the Grand Am has a distinctive nose just as every Pontiac since 1959 has had, and its V-shape hood ends in a dramatically sculpted prow. The Grand Am’s base price in 1973 was $4,263. 50. This was about $1,000 more than a Pontiac LeMans or an Oldsmobile Cutlass, but it was only half as much as a BMW Bavaria, a Jaguar XJ6, or a Mercedes-Benz 280C. Source: www.automobilemag.com
