My uncle had one and Loved it. In 1976 he traded it for a Cadillac. It had more fake chrome, which he grew to Hate. The Pontiac was always his favorite. In 1992 I got a 1974 Grandville convertible. It was wonderful, had everything you needed and nothing that you did not need. The ride, reliability, handling, and comfort were great. Hurricane Katrina ate it in 2005.
The 1970 blue Bonneville at :55 is one i use to own. It had 15,000 original miles that i bought out of Washington state and shipped it to Georgia. It's now in Europe in the Netherlands.
OK, I have an awesome Grand Ville Story. In 2009 I sold one of the these ( I'm a car broker, help people buy and sell new and used cars) for a lady that her husband was the original owner of a 1973. The husband bought it new and he died in the mid 2000's. In 2009 it had been sitting for 5-10 years and needed some work. I changed all the fluids, belts, hoses, fuel pump, fuel filter etc. Got it going and took it out for a maiden cruise. The engine was a 455. I got her out on the road and gave her an Italian Tuneup. The speedo needle bounced around quite a bit so I didn't know how fast I was going, exactly. Long story short, I got pulled over for going 120 in a 65 MPH zone. Officer was not too happy with me , he asked me " what the hell are you doing?" ( I had the top down and everything). I said " blowing out the carbon as it had been sitting for a number of years ". He just laughed and gave me a warning for no insurance card and expired tags, didn't write up anything else. That car would MOVE!!!!
OUR FAMILY HAD A 1972 PONTIAC CATALINA SEDAN , 1972 PONTIAC CATALINA BROUGHAM HARDTOP , 1972 PONTIAC GRANDEVILLE SEDAN , & 1974 PONTIAC CATALINA COUPE . ENJOYED EACH OF THEM 🤗🤗🤗🤗
I love the case scene in The Seven Ups with Roy Scheider in a 1973 Pontiac Ventura chasing Bill Hickman and Richard Lynch in a 1973 Grand Ville. Car Chase Wonderland on Y/T.
I'll never understand why GM cancelled the Pontiac brand. My family always had Pontiacs from the 1950s through the 1970s. I had a Pontiac two door coup in the late 70s. It was a glorious car. So smooth. So luxurious! It was a gorgeous metallic copper color with a bronze vinyl roof and herringbone upholstery. They were lovely cars until GM ruined them with their trashy minimalized 1980s reduction.
Obama delivered the final death blow to Pontiac by leveraging GM behind the scenes with the bailouts. Then came the cash for clunkers program further revealing his disdain for America’s great automotive heritage.
@@jeffrobodine8579 ruined GM is a hole in my opinion to this day I stick my nose up at Tahoe Yukon and Escalade because they damn near the same thing except for different interiors .just do Tahoe and Escalade 🤷🏾♂️
in 1974 i was shopping for a used grand prix in a Pontiac dealer, couldn't quite find the one i wanted. The salesman says, "I have something you might like i thing it's a better car". So he shows me a used 1972 grand ville. Wow, I think he's right! And the price is low because there is a gas shortage going on and this car is huge and i also get top dollar for my trade because it is a tiny four cylinder that everybody wants! I buy the Grand Ville and I'm Cruising. Few years later i bought a Grand Prix. Both cars were great.
I love the 7 ups car chase scene! That '73 Grand Ville was awesome to watch - love that car. It is interesting to learn what enhancements they did to the car for the chase. (both cars). There is a behinds the scene video about the filming of the chase and it really is a treat to learn what they did to create and film this chase.
An interesting thing about the Seven-Ups car chase is that there is no musical score. The sound track is mostly engine noise, car horns, and screaming tires. And a badly over modulated siren with a tone of which could've made Hendrix proud.
Also Richard Lynch, the actor in the passenger seat during that chase, was not told what Bill Hickman was going to do and he was genuinely scared shitless during that scene. His reactions are real and were left in the film for their gritty realism. Awesome movie!
My aunt and uncle ordered a brand new one like that from the factory, beautiful car all the options, gold with a beige vinyl top and a beige leather interior
One of my favorites of the cars Dad had - a loaded 71 Grand Ville that was his company car. I took my driver's license test in that car, it brings back great memories watching this video. This one was followed by another company car that my brother and I talked Dad into - a 74 Grand Am. Both of us loved that car, and competed for the right to drive it.
My dad bought a new 1975 Grand Ville fully loaded. It’s the car I learned to drive I and got my license. It was the best car but living in Toledo by the time it was 10 well there was not much of the body that didn’t have rust. I will say it was the nice riding most luxury car that I was ever in and people on our block was jealous because my dad has always and probably would always buy top-of-the-line when he bought a new car and I will say it’s what is the quietest car today that I’ve ever been in or owned. Have that thick luxury carpet I have fantastic cloth seats it was just a cool car if I could find one like it I would probably have one today
Thanks for posting - I especially love the ad showing this car in a gorgeous amber color ( right before 2:00 mark ). Ford had a similar, beautiful ginger metallic color in the late'70s.
My first car was a 73 Grandville. My dad bought it in 75 and I got it for my 18 birthday in 86. The car needed some work mechanically but after I tuned it up it ran exceptionally well and was fast as hell for a full size 4000 lb car. That interior was huge, could fit 7 people in a pinch. Loved that car and my dream car to this day is a 73 Grandville convertible.
Such as great video. My parents owned at one time a 2 door hardtop and a 4 door hardtop Grand Villes, both ‘72’s. They both had gold brocade interiors, very durable and elegant looking. I remember how smooth and quiet they were. My Mom drove the coupe 22 years.
As a teen I would do this with our family cars. If I forgot to turn it back to the normal position when I was done with the car, I hear about it from my dad. Let's just say that he wasn't a big fan of the effect.
my oldest sister purchased a new in 72 grandville coupe, it was a really nice car, it was the year for quite a few new cars in our family i was very young but always a car nut even then, mom and dad purchased our 1969 impala from my moms good friend that traded her cars every 3 years she purchased a new 72 impala custom coupe, our impala that i had until 1993 only had 10,000 miles on the clock in 72 at the time we purchased it, and my second sister purchased a new 72 Buick skylark coupe, all gone now, but i retain my 72 lincoln continental :) all original, sister to your black coupe Adam, although mine is a sedan, but all original :) , another great video as always my friend , thank you
Tom Kennedy, in the early 70’s had a show called Split Second where, if you the big winner, you could pick from 5 keys that may start one of five cars. As a 10-year-old I always championed the Grand Ville.
Thanks for the honorable mention of Bill Hickman. He impressed Steve McQueen with his driving, which is notable. Also Hickman tended to James Dean after his fatal accident.
Thanks for the great video! I had a total childhood flashback at 9:45, my dad had a GrandVille EXACTLY like that! I know every inch of that car and his ‘74 Bonneville AND my mom’s ‘74 Safari station wagon, since the best way to get extra on my allowance was to wash their cars! 😂
My grandfather surprised my grandmother with a new 1971 Grand Ville 4 door hardtop, white on white with white interior for her birthday. She absolutely loved that car. In 1980 he surprised her again with a new Chrysler. She wasn’t impressed and continued to drive the Pontiac.
We were also a Pontiac family back then. Dad got a 1967 Tempest in Fremont Gold. Then got a 1974 Bonnie with the 400ci V8 in Fernmist Green. Wonderful cars.
When I was a little kid my grandma had a beautiful 1973 Pontiac Bonneville. It was red with a white top and white vinyl interior. I loved that car and still think about it often. My aunt and uncle had a Grand Ville that was the same color combo.
We were a Pontiac family in the 60’s. My grandfather was a 61, 65 and 69 Bonneville 4-door sedans. My Dad had a 67 and 69 Bonneville Station Wagon before moving up to a Buick, I loved the 69’s because my Grandfathers and my Dads 69 had the 428 with dual exhaust. I thought as kid it was pretty cool your Dads Station Wagon had dual exhaust!
The only place I saw Grand Villes were as convertibles displayed on the "Split Second" game show in the mid-'70s. They were prizes to be won. Never knew they could also be had as sedans. Mahalo for the lesson! 👍
When I was a teenager, my high school girlfriends family had a convertible Bonnevile, coup. We used it on a few occasions. Light Blue with white interior. An outstanding looking and driving, vehicle.
While I was away at college my dad traded the ‘63 Bonneville in for a new ‘71 Grand Ville, metallic brown with a tan vinyl top. When I came home for the holidays I took the car out hoping it would equal or better the old car that I had taken my driver’s license test in at 16 but was sadly disappointed. The big 455 just didn’t have the sparkling clean power of the Bonney with its high compression 389. It also felt softer and didn’t handle as well. I’m impressed that you were able to wake yours up with a dual exhaust and upside down air filter lid. I used to do the filter trick on the old Bonneville and loved the moan of the Carter AFB. Of course I’d always stop on the way home and flip the lid back over so Dad wouldn’t know I’d been hooning 😊
I did the same with my dad's 74 Impala. Loved it. 350. Not bad pickup. Chevrolet was lighter, than the other GM models. Tried to get him to get a 74 Bonneville. He was impressed with the car salesman. Went from the trunk to the motor. Saying why he should get the Pontiac. My dad was s salesman. Pharma. Did not provide cars then, mileage. Dad, your note may be 75.00 more.
It's hard to believe how large cars once were, nothing like taking your living room for a ride on the freeway. Some cars today are a bit small, just wish the A-pillars were smaller for better visibility when making left and right turns. Thanks, Adam for posting this fine watch.
One of my neiighbors bought a new 1973 Black Grand Ville 2 door hardtop coupe with red interior with rally sport wheels. 455 4bbl with dual exhaust. Sharp looking and sporty.. I really miss Pontiac.
My dad bought his first Pontiac Catalina off the showroom floor Ordered his ice blue 65 Pony Star Chief & his 71 Catalina Brougham. Then his 77 Bonneville Coupe with a 403 CI Olds engine from factory & I got a 77 Grand Prix SJ in Red/White. Then he moved in to Lincoln’s from then on & I had both fully loaded Lunch Cont Mark VI coupe & Hump Back Caddy Seville. Those were the days!😍
HI ADAM ,,GREAT VIDEO I ALWAYS LIKED THESE CARS BIG AND SMOOTH RIDE ,, THE BODY STYLE EVEN THE GRILL WITH THE NOSE WAS PONTIAC'S STYLE IN THOSE DAYS 60-70S THE LEMAN'S ALSO .. WE WOULD LIKE A VIDEO ON YOUR PONTIAC ONE DAY ,, SEEING THE AD'S ARE GREAT!! THAT WAS A GREAT CHASE SCENE IT SEEMED LIKE IT WENT ON FOR EVER I CANT REMEMBER IF IT WAS SAN FRANCISCO??? STREETS... THANK'S FOR THIS GREAT VIDEO..
These were unloved in their time and as we see them today, more than 50 years later, we can appreciate the beauty of their design. I was a kid in those days and while my parents had a Chevrolet, you always knew someone who had one of these.
My beloved Grandfather traded in his '63 Pontiac Catalina for a '71 Grandville 4 door. Unfortunately he never drove it much because he got cancer and passed the following year. It was blue with a blue interior and a black roof. My Grandmother gave the car to my Mother and she carted us kids around for years in that car. My Dad then bought her a new car and he took the Grandville. He repainted it and took care of that car until he traded in on a used '82 Imperial in '85. I remember the car was very powerful and roomy but not overly luxurious. It served our family well for many years and was very reliable if l remember. It also reminded us of our beloved "Poppy" every time we were in it. I sure wish we had kept it. ❣️
I'm not sure how you're churning out so many videos so quickly, but I'm into it. Growing up in the PNW in the late 80s, early 90s the American old "boats" were always derided as horrendous and unreliable land yachts that were to be made fun of... My parents never owned anything from GM except for two hand-me-down cars that I hated as a kid: 1982 Cutlass and 1984 Regal--both coupes. Now, looking back, I'm not sure why I thought they were so embarrassing and crappy. Your videos have sparked a dormant interest in the history of GM and the American auto industry at large. Thank you!
It seems like he's been cranking out the videos since the beginning of Thanksgiving week. Maybe he hoards his vacation time and takes much of it around the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays? Shame on you for looking down on G-body coupes! They weren't great cars in stock form, but GM sold a shitload of them and just about any engine from any GM division would fit in them. I had a 1980 Cutlass with an Olds 350 2bbl. from a 1970 Delta 88. It had a 260 V-8 and a TH200 transmission when it was new. The 260 spit out the timing chain, so I bought it from my grandmother for peanuts. I built a TH350 trans for it & drove the shit out of it. It had a 2.29:1 rear axle ratio. It would do 60 MPH in first gear! Honestly, many of the malaise era cars WERE embarrassingly crappy. None of the domestic manufacturers could figure out how to build a decent subcompact car until GM introduced the J cars in 1982. And the allegedly "highest quality" 1982 J- car was a Cimarron, which was a tarted up Cavalier with Cadillac tail lights and shittier build quality than the least expensive cars offered by the Germans or the Japanese manufacturers.
Interesting. I worked for a Seattle based company in the Detroit area. Many Seattle natives moved to Michigan for the automotive contract. Most of them were soooo cool (sarcasm). This was 1998. One drove a Saab and was complaining that he wished cars has a mute button for the radio, I'm assuming for when taking phone calls etc. I mentioned my 1990 Olds Touring Sedan has a mute button on the steering wheel, years ago obviously. He did mention his parents had a '75 Grand Prix and it was so cool. This came up when in 1998 I found a '75 Grand Prix SJ for sale with the original window sticker on it but couldn't buy it because the deposit check I left for a '98 Z28 convertible had just cleared the bank. He loved the Z28 too and mentioned that I ordered it "the way it was meant to be" (without the ground effects package and other add on garbage). Anyway, my summary was they tried way too hard to be "different" to almost a silly extent when what they were looking or really wanted for was right in their faces.
Mom drove a '71 Grand Safari 455 2bbl BITD. The cheap area of the interior was the lower door panel plastic and the weird rubber texture arm rests, which if I'm not mistaken was the first generation of a formed plastic door portion for GM.
There's something about the old big Pontiacs -- any of them -- that just warms my GenX heart. You couldn't have paid me to drive one when I was 17. But at 51? I want!
In HS I Drove a '72 Grand Ville. One of my fave sounds was kicking down into passing gear and having the Carb's secondaries kick in. Seems you could watch the gas gauge go down! Loved that 455, I drove that tank like a sports car! Loved not having the door posts, when all the windows were down was a huge open space, lots of air flow.
My best friend in high school had a beautiful 1970 Bonneville hardtop sedan, light blue with a black vinyl top and 455. I always thought they were so long and sleek but I could never tell if I thought the front end was ugly or beautiful with its beak grill. On the other hand, I did think that the new ‘72 Grand Ville was beautiful, all around. I remember I wanted one but none could be found in 1978/79 so I settled for a ‘70 Mercury Marquis Brougham, HT sedan w/429. Those were such great years!
71 was the first year that the full sized cars (B’s and C’s) lost their individual chassis’. Unlike previous years were each division shared body structure but still had their own uniquely designed chassis the 71 generation introduced a corporate design frame that was shared by all divisions (with differences in just wheelbase and overhangs to account for different uses). This was noticeable especially on the higher end models where the new corporate frame just didn’t have the rigidly of the previous more expensive divisions.
We had a '73 & a '72 or 2 '73s in the early 1980s, dad got these cars so cheap. He ended up buying so many Grand Villes (& more Bonn), and putting 301s in all of them for my mom & 4 older sisters, they'd get upper teens mpg. One all maroon inside & out, one dark brown with cream vinyl top. (Interesting to see years later other people got these same colored cars). Adam's right. I rode in brand new hondas in the '80s & '90s my sisters bought; they couldn't hold a candle to how much smoother the ride is in a Grand Ville, or how quiet the big Pontiac is inside, especially going over small bumps.& potholes, even a little washboard once in a while living in a small Nebraska town without paved streets at the time, you'd barely feel all those bumps and holes, and the difference in noises & rattles a new honda would make going over any of the slightest bumps or potholes vs. virtually none in the Pontiac.
My parents bought the new Grand Ville in 1971; I earned my driver's license in that car. It was amazingly comfortable but had those awful trunk louvers that leaked from day one. They drove it for over 100k miles. Beige with dark brown vinyl roof and dark brown vinyl interior. Plastic grille, though, and Fiberglas front fender points.
Your poor long suffering wife 😁. She must be the most patient person to tolerate all of your mistresses that you have in your cars. You’d better hold onto her and give her what she wants.
Normally I would say that an old car costs less than a human mistress (especially the divorce) but in this case I don’t think so. That’s a lot of mistresses.
@@HemiChrysler lol. Despite my hopes, I recall him mentioning her. My dream guy is someone who likes to travel and loves cars 🤷🏻. Adam would be perfect but…….
In 1973 I did an exhaust job on a 71 Grand Ville on my back in the garage... I remember having a heck of a time hanging those long pipes! The owner was a heavy smoker, I'm sure he used all of the lighters!
I bought a used 1971 Grandville from my high school auto shop teacher back in 1982. I Loved the car. The 455 cubic inch engine performed some great tire smoke jobs (I was 17 then). Anyway, after having it for about 4 months, I made some repairs, cleaned it up and sold it to make some money. I currently own two Chevys a 1970 and 1971 low mileage Impalas in beautiful condition. No, I don't drive these cars like I was 17. However, have owning 1-69, 1-70, 4-71s, 1-73 and 2-76s I have to disagree with Adam regarding the ride quality on 71-76 GM B bodies. My 70 rides like a brick with a hard cushioned vinyl bench seat whereas the 71 is a much smoother riding experience with soft comfortable seats. Either way, the GM B body cars make great cruisers. Nice car Adam!
I see Toronado in that Grand Ville front end. And Eldorado style bladed front fenders. A former neighbor of mine had a white Grand Ville convertible with white interior. It was beautiful and gave the illusion of being 20 feet long!
These were beautiful cars, even with the cost cutting to interior finishes. I always like the wrap around dash as well. And yes, Pontiacs always did seem to be well put together.
Adam, sometime in 2023 do a video and drive video of your '71 Grand Ville - I'd love to watch it. The Bonneville and Grand Ville were some of my favorite cars. I miss Pontiacs.
A buddy's dad had one of these, and us as newly minted drivers in the mid 70's delighted in the surprising speed of it. Nothing like 5 17 year olds hooning a boat around the highways and biways.
had a 72 catalina with the 400 but only two barrel. i put duals on it and top end was about 125. the duals added top end and made it sound great. I had it in College in 1976-78. A buddy loved it so I sold it to him after graduation. Got a Vette.
My father had a 71 Pontiac Grandville in great condition, black. I ran it into a telephone pole while blacked out, new year eve around 1989. I was 18. I totaled the car. the headlights were looking at each other. I had no injuries. He took me to the junk yard to look at it. I paid him $1000 dollars for what I had done. Great car. The back end was so light that in the winter we put cement blocks in the trunk to keep it from fish tailing.
There was a political science professor at my college who went to look at the new cars for 1973. He went to the Pontiac dealer in town and told the salesman what he was looking for. The salesman showed him a green Grand Ville 2-door. "Who wants a green car?!' he responded. But he agreed to take it for a drive. Twenty minutes later he returned and said, "SOLD." Bought it on the spot. That was a time when someone with a decent job could do that.
Back in the day, I was lucky to have driven both '70-earlier and '71-later full size Pontiacs, and the '71- later just rode and drove so nice, but were a lot plainer than the earlier...the interiors reflect the industry's unfortunate full-on embrace of injection molded plastic...the darker colors and rally II wheels brighten them up on the outside tho. I have a '75 Grand Ville convertible and it no doubt is a little shakier than the already shaky hardtops, but it does ride very nice and the RTS helps the big ol boat get through traffic cleanly.
0:55 The '70 seems like a good target for collectors, with that one-year-only grill and the Rolls-style horn grilles as well. Aside from looking great and following the trend of the time toward vertical grilles, this front end was much more pedestrian-friendly than that of the '69. As for the Grand Ville, I assume they dropped the stretched wheelbase for '73 because of the new bumper requirements. It was sort of an opening shot of the downsizing wave of the '70s. Even Volvo got in on the act when it dropped the stretched wheelbase 164 in favor of the 264, using a short PRV V6 engine that no longer needed a long nose.
From 1955 to 1972, Bonnevilles and Grand Villes used the longer wheelbase of the old Star Chief series. Catalinas and Venturas used a shorter wheelbase (usually two inches shorter), but for '73 all full-size Pontiacs (except the Safari wagons) shared the 124-inch wheelbase. Most people didn't notice the difference anyway!
I really enjoyed all the tidbits of 'close to the vest' info. At 3:15, did you notice the resemblance of the wheels on the TA proposal to the stock C7 wheels? Tidbit that you probably know, Ed Welburn's first contribution of design that made it to production were the 73 Grand Ville taillights.
I learned to drive using a 1971 Bonneville. This was factory 455, 4brl, dual exhaust. The car was slightly tweeked for performance. The car had more power then a modern truck. It was fun to drive for 16 year old 1983.
Growing up in rural South Dakota and in the 60's when most families only had one car (the family car) there were not many convertibles new or used back then seen on the road. Based on that, I was very impressed when someone in my small rural town bought new a triple black 1971 Pontiac Grand Ville Brougham convertible. The car did not seem big because most people drove full size cars. What did stand out was that new look for 1971 along with the car being triple black. I always wondered what happened to that car being in a part of the country where it was so impractical to not only have a convertible but to buy one brand new. After having the red Indian chief show up when the bright lights were on the full size cars from 1960 to 1970, I was disappointed that that went away in 1971 with the new round instruments. Been a Pontiac guy since my family bought a new 1962 Catalina, I have owned 16 Pontiac's over the years and am currently looking for number 17.
The only thing the Grand Ville accomplished was undercut the Bonneville's niche for a few options that could have been added to a special edition Bonny. That's probably why the Grand Ville name didn't endure for long, while the Bonneville wound up reclaiming its position in the hierarchy. Still, it was a good informative video. Keep 'em coming.
Agree that the GrandVille was long on marketing and short on substance. It was no more luxurious than the prior Bonneville base and Brougham trims it replaced, while the Bonneville name was simply shifted down market replacing the Executive name. By '73 the longer wheelbase was history... by '76 so was the GrandVille name.
My older brother had this Pontiac in the 1970s. He actually measured it against his best friend's Caddy. The Pontiac won. (Calling Dr. Freud.) And for a huge vehicle, it flew down those Los Angeles freeways like a bullet. It was the perfect car for that time and place.
Adam, I would love to see a video on a truly luxurious and fully equipped car, the beautiful 1963-64 Chrysler New Yorker Salon. The list of standard equipment tops Imperial, Lincoln and Cadillac. It bet it even topped a Rolls Royce of the day, as it came with power everything, AC, cruise, FM, reclining seats.
My third car was a brand new, 1971 badge-engineered Pontiac. A Ventura II Sprint. It was essentially a re-badged Nova coupe. Mine was a metallic bronze-brown color, with a gold stripe along the sides. Nice wheels. A 307 2 Barrel, with three on the floor, and bucket seats. It actually was a very reliable car. I liked it enough to buy a new 1978 Phoenix.
I love these Grandvilles a family friend had a brand new 73 2dr white interior lite blue met paint. With a 455 ,that car was amazing 👏 💙 fast and ice cold A/C .Talk about top end fast like 125 mph 😳 👌 still Quite and smooth even at illegal Speed. Hahaha 😆 those were the days. Thanks for the memories.
Adam, I think it is safe to say that as fine as your '71 Grand Ville may be, it can never match the elegance and solidity of the pinnacle Pontiacs from the mid-60s. 😁
Pontiac was a GREAT car until 1977 when GM completely badge-engineered the entire GM line, there was an exact car in Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick (and MOST Cadillacs) that you easily detect... look at the Chevy MONZA- Pontiac had the Sunbird, Oldsmobile Starfire and Buick Skyhawk (ALL the same with minor cosmetic changes!!!)
Absolutely! I LOVE 60's Pontiacs up to and including the 1970 models. In 71 they were just bloated Chevrolets. Uglier though. This is my least favorite Pontiacs, the Grandville. Hate the front end and the headlamps. Just awful. Loved the 77 Grand Prix and even the downsized Grand Prix. Really liked the 1980 and 81 (last of the true full size Pontiacs). I owned a 1978 Grand Lemans and a brand new 1992 Bonneville SE Sport package.
My father was a Pontiac man through most of the 60s. His last brand new one that he owned was a 69 Beautiful dark brown Catalina coupe with light tan interior. It came with a 400 cid 8. I loved that car and still do up to this day. In my opinion, 69 was one of Pontiacs nicest model design years. I was sad when GM closed down the Pontiac division.
Back in the early 80s, I had a black 2 door 75 GrandVille coupe, with the 455, I raced my coworker at least 8 times, he was driving his moms 1977 Chrysler Newport with a 440, I won every time. We would race for 5 to 10 miles on some narrow country roads, how Im still here is a miricle!
So interesting! The 60s & 70s have got to be Pontiac’s golden age - they all look cool and distinctive, and I’ve always just liked their styling a little better than a basic Chevrolet. I remember finding that chase from “The 7-Ups,” seeing that flying battleship of a Granville with the Ventura hit on its tail & thinking “what a monster!” Those old Yankee Clippers sure made car chases fun in the 70s and 80s…even if my modern day 4 cylinder Honda Accord could probably out turn, out-stop and maybe even out accelerate them; wouldn’t want to get in a shoving match with one though. I assume people loved these for the same reason people love big SUVs & full size pickups today: tons of room, tons of power, tons of luxury. Thanks for keeping the memory of these glorious old barges alive!
I remember a grade school teacher who had both a convertible version and a hardtop coupe, both I thought were an acquired taste in appearance and I preferred my French teacher's Mazda RX-3 coupe.
Thx for the video. Would love to see a video of the development of the 70 station wagon under/over tailgate. What forces produced such a complex design, the features and compromises. We had a pontiac grand safari wagon with the powered version of that gate. It was a seminal design for station wagons. Yes, it was a quiet car. 70 mph on the highway was was like sitting on your living room couch.
Oh the memories! From 73-76 I was stationed in Ft. Carson, CO. At the time I bought a fairly nice 71 Grand Ville Conv., off of a Sgt I worked under. It was very similar to the dark blue, but mine was red, with wire/red interior with bench seats and arm rests. There was also AM/FM, AC and power windows and locks. Powered by a 455, 2 brl, that I changed to a 4 brl with dual exhaust really woke it up. Then a couple friends helped change the complete rear axle assembly, that I picked out of a Safari Wagon with a posi rear.
Thanks for some love for Pontiacs. I was getting a little tired of the Ford products which most look like refrigerators or the Mopars which most look like vending machines. No disrespect to you, Adam, you present them all with fair assessments far beyond the understanding of us mere mortals. So thanks for that.
My uncle had one and Loved it. In 1976 he traded it for a Cadillac. It had more fake chrome, which he grew to Hate.
The Pontiac was always his favorite. In 1992 I got a 1974 Grandville convertible. It was wonderful, had everything you needed and nothing that you did not need. The ride, reliability, handling, and comfort were great. Hurricane Katrina ate it in 2005.
The 1970 blue Bonneville at :55 is one i use to own. It had 15,000 original miles that i bought out of Washington state and shipped it to Georgia. It's now in Europe in the Netherlands.
The most seminal memory of this car, for me, is the excellent car chase in "The Seven-Ups" 🤩
They drove the hell out of that Grand Ville
2:22 I see some Cadillac in this design and that could be a first for me in viewing a Pontiac. Looks great. Thanks for video. Merry Christmas to all.
OK, I have an awesome Grand Ville Story. In 2009 I sold one of the these ( I'm a car broker, help people buy and sell new and used cars) for a lady that her husband was the original owner of a 1973. The husband bought it new and he died in the mid 2000's. In 2009 it had been sitting for 5-10 years and needed some work. I changed all the fluids, belts, hoses, fuel pump, fuel filter etc. Got it going and took it out for a maiden cruise. The engine was a 455. I got her out on the road and gave her an Italian Tuneup. The speedo needle bounced around quite a bit so I didn't know how fast I was going, exactly. Long story short, I got pulled over for going 120 in a 65 MPH zone. Officer was not too happy with me , he asked me " what the hell are you doing?" ( I had the top down and everything). I said " blowing out the carbon as it had been sitting for a number of years ". He just laughed and gave me a warning for no insurance card and expired tags, didn't write up anything else. That car would MOVE!!!!
OUR FAMILY HAD A 1972 PONTIAC CATALINA SEDAN , 1972 PONTIAC CATALINA BROUGHAM HARDTOP , 1972 PONTIAC GRANDEVILLE SEDAN , & 1974 PONTIAC CATALINA COUPE . ENJOYED EACH OF THEM 🤗🤗🤗🤗
I love the case scene in The Seven Ups with Roy Scheider in a 1973 Pontiac Ventura chasing Bill Hickman and Richard Lynch in a 1973 Grand Ville. Car Chase Wonderland on Y/T.
I'll never understand why GM cancelled the Pontiac brand. My family always had Pontiacs from the 1950s through the 1970s. I had a Pontiac two door coup in the late 70s. It was a glorious car. So smooth. So luxurious! It was a gorgeous metallic copper color with a bronze vinyl roof and herringbone upholstery. They were lovely cars until GM ruined them with their trashy minimalized 1980s reduction.
Sadly, it looks like all car brands have become homogenized into appliances. There is not much left that has any true style or personality.
Badge engineering ruined Pontiac and Oldsmobile.
@@jeffrobodine8579 Amen. As did Pontiac plastic “ribs”.
Obama delivered the final death blow to Pontiac by leveraging GM behind the scenes with the bailouts. Then came the cash for clunkers program further revealing his disdain for America’s great automotive heritage.
@@jeffrobodine8579 ruined GM is a hole in my opinion to this day I stick my nose up at Tahoe Yukon and Escalade because they damn near the same thing except for different interiors .just do Tahoe and Escalade 🤷🏾♂️
HI ADAM,, THANK'S FOR THE HEADS UP ON THE SEVEN- UPS MOVIE IT'S BEEN YEARS AND WE ARE WATCHING IT MY SON AND I..
in 1974 i was shopping for a used grand prix in a Pontiac dealer, couldn't quite find the one i wanted. The salesman says, "I have something you might like i thing it's a better car". So he shows me a used 1972 grand ville. Wow, I think he's right! And the price is low because there is a gas shortage going on and this car is huge and i also get top dollar for my trade because it is a tiny four cylinder that everybody wants! I buy the Grand Ville and I'm Cruising. Few years later i bought a Grand Prix. Both cars were great.
I love the 7 ups car chase scene! That '73 Grand Ville was awesome to watch - love that car. It is interesting to learn what enhancements they did to the car for the chase. (both cars). There is a behinds the scene video about the filming of the chase and it really is a treat to learn what they did to create and film this chase.
I heard that the sound effects from the Bullitt Mustang were used for Roy Scheider's Ventura.
I like that car chase, my first car was a Pontiac Ventura 'Sprint' hatchback.
Yeah it was funny to watch the Grand Ville floating around on it's coil springs at high speed, the smaller Pontiac in pursuit fared much better...
An interesting thing about the Seven-Ups car chase is that there is no musical score. The sound track is mostly engine noise, car horns, and screaming tires. And a badly over modulated siren with a tone of which could've made Hendrix proud.
Also Richard Lynch, the actor in the passenger seat during that chase, was not told what Bill Hickman was going to do and he was genuinely scared shitless during that scene. His reactions are real and were left in the film for their gritty realism. Awesome movie!
My aunt and uncle ordered a brand new one like that from the factory, beautiful car all the options, gold with a beige vinyl top and a beige leather interior
Nice ride. Thanks for sharing the history. Enjoyable and interesting. I had a 1970 Grand Prix with a 455 in 1978-79 and I loved it.
My folks had a 1959 Bonneville and then a 1972 LeMans. Always loved Pontiac's style. In 1974, I had a Grand Prix. Loved it !
One of my favorites of the cars Dad had - a loaded 71 Grand Ville that was his company car. I took my driver's license test in that car, it brings back great memories watching this video. This one was followed by another company car that my brother and I talked Dad into - a 74 Grand Am. Both of us loved that car, and competed for the right to drive it.
That car would be a challenge (even back then) to parallel park!!!
My dad bought a new 1975 Grand Ville fully loaded. It’s the car I learned to drive I and got my license. It was the best car but living in Toledo by the time it was 10 well there was not much of the body that didn’t have rust. I will say it was the nice riding most luxury car that I was ever in and people on our block was jealous because my dad has always and probably would always buy top-of-the-line when he bought a new car and I will say it’s what is the quietest car today that I’ve ever been in or owned. Have that thick luxury carpet I have fantastic cloth seats it was just a cool car if I could find one like it I would probably have one today
Thanks for posting - I especially love the ad showing this car in a gorgeous amber color ( right before 2:00 mark ).
Ford had a similar, beautiful ginger metallic color in the late'70s.
My first car was a 73 Grandville. My dad bought it in 75 and I got it for my 18 birthday in 86. The car needed some work mechanically but after I tuned it up it ran exceptionally well and was fast as hell for a full size 4000 lb car. That interior was huge, could fit 7 people in a pinch. Loved that car and my dream car to this day is a 73 Grandville convertible.
Such as great video.
My parents owned at one time a 2 door hardtop and a 4 door hardtop Grand Villes, both ‘72’s.
They both had gold brocade interiors, very durable and elegant looking.
I remember how smooth and quiet they were.
My Mom drove the coupe 22 years.
You bring up a great point about interiors. Earlier Pontiac interiors were some of the best, absolutely beautiful in some cases.
We used to use the 'turn the top of the air cleaner over' trick on all of the GM cars of that era. Great sound when you get on it with the Q-jet!
We did too!
As a teen I would do this with our family cars. If I forgot to turn it back to the normal position when I was done with the car, I hear about it from my dad. Let's just say that he wasn't a big fan of the effect.
Thank You Adam another great factual and historical video
I like the long hoods, driving was like navigating a large ship 😮
my oldest sister purchased a new in 72 grandville coupe, it was a really nice car, it was the year for quite a few new cars in our family i was very young but always a car nut even then, mom and dad purchased our 1969 impala from my moms good friend that traded her cars every 3 years she purchased a new 72 impala custom coupe, our impala that i had until 1993 only had 10,000 miles on the clock in 72 at the time we purchased it, and my second sister purchased a new 72 Buick skylark coupe, all gone now, but i retain my 72 lincoln continental :) all original, sister to your black coupe Adam, although mine is a sedan, but all original :) , another great video as always my friend , thank you
Tom Kennedy, in the early 70’s had a show called Split Second where, if you the big winner, you could pick from 5 keys that may start one of five cars. As a 10-year-old I always championed the Grand Ville.
I had a 73 Grandville.
The thing was a tank!
Smooth ride👍
Thanks for the honorable mention of Bill Hickman. He impressed Steve McQueen with his driving, which is notable. Also Hickman tended to James Dean after his fatal accident.
Thanks for the great video! I had a total childhood flashback at 9:45, my dad had a GrandVille EXACTLY like that! I know every inch of that car and his ‘74 Bonneville AND my mom’s ‘74 Safari station wagon, since the best way to get extra on my allowance was to wash their cars! 😂
Thank you for a very informative and enjoyable presentation.
My grandfather surprised my grandmother with a new 1971 Grand Ville 4 door hardtop, white on white with white interior for her birthday. She absolutely loved that car. In 1980 he surprised her again with a new Chrysler. She wasn’t impressed and continued to drive the Pontiac.
I had a 73 Gran Ville it was loaded with I think all options except the sunroof. Friends loved it when we did road trips in it.
My dad bought 72 Grandville white gold pin strips with beige color interior they called neutral GM could put it in any color car and it would match .
We were also a Pontiac family back then. Dad got a 1967 Tempest in Fremont Gold. Then got a 1974 Bonnie with the 400ci V8 in Fernmist Green. Wonderful cars.
When I was a little kid my grandma had a beautiful 1973 Pontiac Bonneville. It was red with a white top and white vinyl interior. I loved that car and still think about it often. My aunt and uncle had a Grand Ville that was the same color combo.
Absolutely amazing and gorgeous car!
We were a Pontiac family in the 60’s. My grandfather was a 61, 65 and 69 Bonneville 4-door sedans. My Dad had a 67 and 69 Bonneville Station Wagon before moving up to a Buick, I loved the 69’s because my Grandfathers and my Dads 69 had the 428 with dual exhaust. I thought as kid it was pretty cool your Dads Station Wagon had dual exhaust!
Thank you for this information, sir. Hats off. 👍Please keep em coming!!
I have a 1972 Grand Ville convertible that i am slowly restoring. I love it. Thanks for highlighting these early 70s Pontiacs.
The only place I saw Grand Villes were as convertibles displayed on the "Split Second" game show in the mid-'70s. They were prizes to be won. Never knew they could also be had as sedans. Mahalo for the lesson! 👍
When I was a teenager, my high school girlfriends family had a convertible Bonnevile, coup. We used it on a few occasions. Light Blue with white interior. An outstanding looking and driving, vehicle.
Listening to this agsin, makes me excited to finish my two 71s to drive them
While I was away at college my dad traded the ‘63 Bonneville in for a new ‘71 Grand Ville, metallic brown with a tan vinyl top. When I came home for the holidays I took the car out hoping it would equal or better the old car that I had taken my driver’s license test in at 16 but was sadly disappointed. The big 455 just didn’t have the sparkling clean power of the Bonney with its high compression 389. It also felt softer and didn’t handle as well. I’m impressed that you were able to wake yours up with a dual exhaust and upside down air filter lid. I used to do the filter trick on the old Bonneville and loved the moan of the Carter AFB. Of course I’d always stop on the way home and flip the lid back over so Dad wouldn’t know I’d been hooning 😊
I did the same with my dad's 74 Impala. Loved it. 350. Not bad pickup. Chevrolet was lighter, than the other GM models. Tried to get him to get a 74 Bonneville. He was impressed with the car salesman. Went from the trunk to the motor. Saying why he should get the Pontiac. My dad was s salesman. Pharma. Did not provide cars then, mileage. Dad, your note may be 75.00 more.
Trust me. Dad knew.
It's hard to believe how large cars once were, nothing like taking your living room for a ride on the freeway. Some cars today are a bit small, just wish the A-pillars were smaller for better visibility when making left and right turns. Thanks, Adam for posting this fine watch.
....like taking your living room for a ride on the freeway 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The grandville front seat was wider than the caddy
@@gieb6428 Funny how cars have gotten smaller, and people have gotten larger.
One of my neiighbors bought a new 1973 Black Grand Ville 2 door hardtop coupe with red interior with rally sport wheels. 455 4bbl with dual exhaust. Sharp looking and sporty.. I really miss Pontiac.
I remember an article in Car & Driver when the Grand Ville was introduced. Headline was: "Grand Ville: French for Big City, American for Big Boat."
My dad bought his first Pontiac Catalina off the showroom floor Ordered his ice blue 65 Pony Star Chief & his 71 Catalina Brougham. Then his 77 Bonneville Coupe with a 403 CI Olds engine from factory & I got a 77 Grand Prix SJ in Red/White. Then he moved in to Lincoln’s from then on & I had both fully loaded Lunch Cont Mark VI coupe & Hump Back Caddy Seville. Those were the days!😍
HI ADAM ,,GREAT VIDEO I ALWAYS LIKED THESE CARS BIG AND SMOOTH RIDE ,, THE BODY STYLE EVEN THE GRILL WITH THE NOSE WAS PONTIAC'S STYLE IN THOSE DAYS 60-70S THE LEMAN'S ALSO .. WE WOULD LIKE A VIDEO ON YOUR PONTIAC ONE DAY ,, SEEING THE AD'S ARE GREAT!! THAT WAS A GREAT CHASE SCENE IT SEEMED LIKE IT WENT ON FOR EVER I CANT REMEMBER IF IT WAS SAN FRANCISCO??? STREETS... THANK'S FOR THIS GREAT VIDEO..
These were unloved in their time and as we see them today, more than 50 years later, we can appreciate the beauty of their design. I was a kid in those days and while my parents had a Chevrolet, you always knew someone who had one of these.
My beloved Grandfather traded in his '63 Pontiac Catalina for a '71 Grandville 4 door. Unfortunately he never drove it much because he got cancer and passed the following year. It was blue with a blue interior and a black roof. My Grandmother gave the car to my Mother and she carted us kids around for years in that car. My Dad then bought her a new car and he took the Grandville. He repainted it and took care of that car until he traded in on a used '82 Imperial in '85. I remember the car was very powerful and roomy but not overly luxurious. It served our family well for many years and was very reliable if l remember. It also reminded us of our beloved "Poppy" every time we were in it. I sure wish we had kept it. ❣️
I'm not sure how you're churning out so many videos so quickly, but I'm into it. Growing up in the PNW in the late 80s, early 90s the American old "boats" were always derided as horrendous and unreliable land yachts that were to be made fun of... My parents never owned anything from GM except for two hand-me-down cars that I hated as a kid: 1982 Cutlass and 1984 Regal--both coupes. Now, looking back, I'm not sure why I thought they were so embarrassing and crappy. Your videos have sparked a dormant interest in the history of GM and the American auto industry at large. Thank you!
It seems like he's been cranking out the videos since the beginning of Thanksgiving week. Maybe he hoards his vacation time and takes much of it around the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays?
Shame on you for looking down on G-body coupes! They weren't great cars in stock form, but GM sold a shitload of them and just about any engine from any GM division would fit in them.
I had a 1980 Cutlass with an Olds 350 2bbl. from a 1970 Delta 88. It had a 260 V-8 and a TH200 transmission when it was new. The 260 spit out the timing chain, so I bought it from my grandmother for peanuts. I built a TH350 trans for it & drove the shit out of it. It had a 2.29:1 rear axle ratio. It would do 60 MPH in first gear!
Honestly, many of the malaise era cars WERE embarrassingly crappy. None of the domestic manufacturers could figure out how to build a decent subcompact car until GM introduced the J cars in 1982. And the allegedly "highest quality" 1982 J- car was a Cimarron, which was a tarted up Cavalier with Cadillac tail lights and shittier build quality than the least expensive cars offered by the Germans or the Japanese manufacturers.
Interesting. I worked for a Seattle based company in the Detroit area. Many Seattle natives moved to Michigan for the automotive contract. Most of them were soooo cool (sarcasm). This was 1998. One drove a Saab and was complaining that he wished cars has a mute button for the radio, I'm assuming for when taking phone calls etc. I mentioned my 1990 Olds Touring Sedan has a mute button on the steering wheel, years ago obviously. He did mention his parents had a '75 Grand Prix and it was so cool. This came up when in 1998 I found a '75 Grand Prix SJ for sale with the original window sticker on it but couldn't buy it because the deposit check I left for a '98 Z28 convertible had just cleared the bank. He loved the Z28 too and mentioned that I ordered it "the way it was meant to be" (without the ground effects package and other add on garbage). Anyway, my summary was they tried way too hard to be "different" to almost a silly extent when what they were looking or really wanted for was right in their faces.
Mom drove a '71 Grand Safari 455 2bbl BITD. The cheap area of the interior was the lower door panel plastic and the weird rubber texture arm rests, which if I'm not mistaken was the first generation of a formed plastic door portion for GM.
There's something about the old big Pontiacs -- any of them -- that just warms my GenX heart. You couldn't have paid me to drive one when I was 17. But at 51? I want!
In HS I Drove a '72 Grand Ville. One of my fave sounds was kicking down into passing gear and having the Carb's secondaries kick in. Seems you could watch the gas gauge go down! Loved that 455, I drove that tank like a sports car! Loved not having the door posts, when all the windows were down was a huge open space, lots of air flow.
My best friend in high school had a beautiful 1970 Bonneville hardtop sedan, light blue with a black vinyl top and 455. I always thought they were so long and sleek but I could never tell if I thought the front end was ugly or beautiful with its beak grill. On the other hand, I did think that the new ‘72 Grand Ville was beautiful, all around. I remember I wanted one but none could be found in 1978/79 so I settled for a ‘70 Mercury Marquis Brougham, HT sedan w/429. Those were such great years!
You did better with the Merc !
I saw Grand Ville convertible in Munich and was surprised that the owner managed to parallel park the gargantuan car!
When you are in a desperate rush for a giant pretzel, it is amazing what you can accomplish.
71 was the first year that the full sized cars (B’s and C’s) lost their individual chassis’. Unlike previous years were each division shared body structure but still had their own uniquely designed chassis the 71 generation introduced a corporate design frame that was shared by all divisions (with differences in just wheelbase and overhangs to account for different uses).
This was noticeable especially on the higher end models where the new corporate frame just didn’t have the rigidly of the previous more expensive divisions.
We had a '73 & a '72 or 2 '73s in the early 1980s, dad got these cars so cheap. He ended up buying so many Grand Villes (& more Bonn), and putting 301s in all of them for my mom & 4 older sisters, they'd get upper teens mpg. One all maroon inside & out, one dark brown with cream vinyl top. (Interesting to see years later other people got these same colored cars). Adam's right. I rode in brand new hondas in the '80s & '90s my sisters bought; they couldn't hold a candle to how much smoother the ride is in a Grand Ville, or how quiet the big Pontiac is inside, especially going over small bumps.& potholes, even a little washboard once in a while living in a small Nebraska town without paved streets at the time, you'd barely feel all those bumps and holes, and the difference in noises & rattles a new honda would make going over any of the slightest bumps or potholes vs. virtually none in the Pontiac.
I purchased a 1 owner 1973 Grand Ville Convertible 7-31-21. Loving it.
Thanks!
My parents bought the new Grand Ville in 1971; I earned my driver's license in that car. It was amazingly comfortable but had those awful trunk louvers that leaked from day one. They drove it for over 100k miles. Beige with dark brown vinyl roof and dark brown vinyl interior. Plastic grille, though, and Fiberglas front fender points.
Your poor long suffering wife 😁. She must be the most patient person to tolerate all of your mistresses that you have in your cars. You’d better hold onto her and give her what she wants.
Normally I would say that an old car costs less than a human mistress (especially the divorce) but in this case I don’t think so. That’s a lot of mistresses.
Jay Leno (who I've read is happily married) once quipped, I could never get divorced, my wife would get half of my cars..!
@@robertvincent562
Thats why celebrities have "accidents"
😂
@@HemiChrysler lol. Despite my hopes, I recall him mentioning her. My dream guy is someone who likes to travel and loves cars 🤷🏻. Adam would be perfect but…….
In 1973 I did an exhaust job on a 71 Grand Ville on my back in the garage... I remember having a heck of a time hanging those long pipes! The owner was a heavy smoker, I'm sure he used all of the lighters!
I bought a used 1971 Grandville from my high school auto shop teacher back in 1982. I Loved the car. The 455 cubic inch engine performed some great tire smoke jobs (I was 17 then). Anyway, after having it for about 4 months, I made some repairs, cleaned it up and sold it to make some money. I currently own two Chevys a 1970 and 1971 low mileage Impalas in beautiful condition. No, I don't drive these cars like I was 17. However, have owning 1-69, 1-70, 4-71s, 1-73 and 2-76s I have to disagree with Adam regarding the ride quality on 71-76 GM B bodies. My 70 rides like a brick with a hard cushioned vinyl bench seat whereas the 71 is a much smoother riding experience with soft comfortable seats. Either way, the GM B body cars make great cruisers. Nice car Adam!
The 71s have a nice ride, but they tend to jiggle!
I see Toronado in that Grand Ville front end. And Eldorado style bladed front fenders.
A former neighbor of mine had a white Grand Ville convertible with white interior. It was beautiful and gave the illusion of being 20 feet long!
My aunt and uncle had a 1971 Silver black vinyl top 400 4barell that car had crazy torque.😎🔥💯
I took my drivers license test in my dad's 71 Grand Ville four door hardtop. A few years ago I purchased a 75 Grand Ville convertible.
These were beautiful cars, even with the cost cutting to interior finishes. I always like the wrap around dash as well. And yes, Pontiacs always did seem to be well put together.
The front of this one looks like a woodpecker!
@@tonywestvirginia a woodpecker? As in a hickory dickory?
that dark blue convertible is absolutely gorgeous.
Adam, sometime in 2023 do a video and drive video of your '71 Grand Ville - I'd love to watch it. The Bonneville and Grand Ville were some of my favorite cars. I miss Pontiacs.
A buddy's dad had one of these, and us as newly minted drivers in the mid 70's delighted in the surprising speed of it. Nothing like 5 17 year olds hooning a boat around the highways and biways.
had a 72 catalina with the 400 but only two barrel. i put duals on it and top end was about 125. the duals added top end and made it sound great. I had it in College in 1976-78. A buddy loved it so I sold it to him after graduation. Got a Vette.
My father had a 71 Pontiac Grandville in great condition, black. I ran it into a telephone pole while blacked out, new year eve around 1989. I was 18. I totaled the car. the headlights were looking at each other. I had no injuries. He took me to the junk yard to look at it. I paid him $1000 dollars for what I had done. Great car. The back end was so light that in the winter we put cement blocks in the trunk to keep it from fish tailing.
There was a political science professor at my college who went to look at the new cars for 1973. He went to the Pontiac dealer in town and told the salesman what he was looking for. The salesman showed him a green Grand Ville 2-door. "Who wants a green car?!' he responded. But he agreed to take it for a drive. Twenty minutes later he returned and said, "SOLD." Bought it on the spot. That was a time when someone with a decent job could do that.
Before all of the lefties regulations
I used Grandvilles to tow same size cars over 300 miles up and over the Pocono Mts for years! Never had one fail!
Hey buddy how about a recording of that 455 qudrajet sound for a trip to the past love that q jet sound. LOVE Your 📹 📹 videos Thanks
Back in the day, I was lucky to have driven both '70-earlier and '71-later full size Pontiacs, and the '71- later just rode and drove so nice, but were a lot plainer than the earlier...the interiors reflect the industry's unfortunate full-on embrace of injection molded plastic...the darker colors and rally II wheels brighten them up on the outside tho. I have a '75 Grand Ville convertible and it no doubt is a little shakier than the already shaky hardtops, but it does ride very nice and the RTS helps the big ol boat get through traffic cleanly.
A neighbor had one of these back in the 70s.
Beautiful car! Looking forward to your full review! 😉
0:55 The '70 seems like a good target for collectors, with that one-year-only grill and the Rolls-style horn grilles as well. Aside from looking great and following the trend of the time toward vertical grilles, this front end was much more pedestrian-friendly than that of the '69. As for the Grand Ville, I assume they dropped the stretched wheelbase for '73 because of the new bumper requirements. It was sort of an opening shot of the downsizing wave of the '70s. Even Volvo got in on the act when it dropped the stretched wheelbase 164 in favor of the 264, using a short PRV V6 engine that no longer needed a long nose.
From 1955 to 1972, Bonnevilles and Grand Villes used the longer wheelbase of the old Star Chief series. Catalinas and Venturas used a shorter wheelbase (usually two inches shorter), but for '73 all full-size Pontiacs (except the Safari wagons) shared the 124-inch wheelbase. Most people didn't notice the difference anyway!
Thanks. I was hoping you would mention Bill Hickman !!
I really enjoyed all the tidbits of 'close to the vest' info. At 3:15, did you notice the resemblance of the wheels on the TA proposal to the stock C7 wheels? Tidbit that you probably know, Ed Welburn's first contribution of design that made it to production were the 73 Grand Ville taillights.
I learned to drive using a 1971 Bonneville. This was factory 455, 4brl, dual exhaust. The car was slightly tweeked for performance. The car had more power then a modern truck. It was fun to drive for 16 year old 1983.
Growing up in rural South Dakota and in the 60's when most families only had one car (the family car) there were not many convertibles new or used back then seen on the road. Based on that, I was very impressed when someone in my small rural town bought new a triple black 1971 Pontiac Grand Ville Brougham convertible. The car did not seem big because most people drove full size cars. What did stand out was that new look for 1971 along with the car being triple black. I always wondered what happened to that car being in a part of the country where it was so impractical to not only have a convertible but to buy one brand new. After having the red Indian chief show up when the bright lights were on the full size cars from 1960 to 1970, I was disappointed that that went away in 1971 with the new round instruments. Been a Pontiac guy since my family bought a new 1962 Catalina, I have owned 16 Pontiac's over the years and am currently looking for number 17.
The only thing the Grand Ville accomplished was undercut the Bonneville's niche for a few options that could have been added to a special edition Bonny. That's probably why the Grand Ville name didn't endure for long, while the Bonneville wound up reclaiming its position in the hierarchy. Still, it was a good informative video. Keep 'em coming.
Agree that the GrandVille was long on marketing and short on substance. It was no more luxurious than the prior Bonneville base and Brougham trims it replaced, while the Bonneville name was simply shifted down market replacing the Executive name. By '73 the longer wheelbase was history... by '76 so was the GrandVille name.
My older brother had this Pontiac in the 1970s. He actually measured it against his best friend's Caddy. The Pontiac won. (Calling Dr. Freud.) And for a huge vehicle, it flew down those Los Angeles freeways like a bullet. It was the perfect car for that time and place.
Adam, I would love to see a video on a truly luxurious and fully equipped car, the beautiful 1963-64 Chrysler New Yorker Salon. The list of standard equipment tops Imperial, Lincoln and Cadillac. It bet it even topped a Rolls Royce of the day, as it came with power everything, AC, cruise, FM, reclining seats.
On the 1964 Salon, there was one option, and that was the new for 1964, adjustable steering wheel.
Loved this. In the Seven Ups is a great car chase with this boat being driven by the baddies.
Edit: ah you mention it at the end 👌🏻
My third car was a brand new, 1971 badge-engineered Pontiac. A Ventura II Sprint. It was essentially a re-badged Nova coupe. Mine was a metallic bronze-brown color, with a gold stripe along the sides. Nice wheels. A 307 2 Barrel, with three on the floor, and bucket seats. It actually was a very reliable car. I liked it enough to buy a new 1978 Phoenix.
I love these Grandvilles a family friend had a brand new 73 2dr white interior lite blue met paint. With a 455 ,that car was amazing 👏 💙 fast and ice cold A/C .Talk about top end fast like 125 mph 😳 👌 still Quite and smooth even at illegal Speed. Hahaha 😆 those were the days. Thanks for the memories.
Adam, I think it is safe to say that as fine as your '71 Grand Ville may be, it can never match the elegance and solidity of the pinnacle Pontiacs from the mid-60s. 😁
Pontiac was a GREAT car until 1977 when GM completely badge-engineered the entire GM line, there was an exact car in Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick (and MOST Cadillacs) that you easily detect... look at the Chevy MONZA- Pontiac had the Sunbird, Oldsmobile Starfire and Buick Skyhawk (ALL the same with minor cosmetic changes!!!)
Absolutely! I LOVE 60's Pontiacs up to and including the 1970 models. In 71 they were just bloated Chevrolets. Uglier though. This is my least favorite Pontiacs, the Grandville. Hate the front end and the headlamps. Just awful. Loved the 77 Grand Prix and even the downsized Grand Prix. Really liked the 1980 and 81 (last of the true full size Pontiacs). I owned a 1978 Grand Lemans and a brand new 1992 Bonneville SE Sport package.
Great video Adam. Quite informative as usual.
Great video.
Thanks!
My father was a Pontiac man through most of the 60s. His last brand new one that he owned was a 69 Beautiful dark brown Catalina coupe with light tan interior. It came with a 400 cid 8. I loved that car and still do up to this day. In my opinion, 69 was one of Pontiacs nicest model design years. I was sad when GM closed down the Pontiac division.
Back in the early 80s, I had a black 2 door 75 GrandVille coupe, with the 455, I raced my coworker at least 8 times, he was driving his moms 1977 Chrysler Newport with a 440, I won every time. We would race for 5 to 10 miles on some narrow country roads, how Im still here is a miricle!
So interesting! The 60s & 70s have got to be Pontiac’s golden age - they all look cool and distinctive, and I’ve always just liked their styling a little better than a basic Chevrolet. I remember finding that chase from “The 7-Ups,” seeing that flying battleship of a Granville with the Ventura hit on its tail & thinking “what a monster!” Those old Yankee Clippers sure made car chases fun in the 70s and 80s…even if my modern day 4 cylinder Honda Accord could probably out turn, out-stop and maybe even out accelerate them; wouldn’t want to get in a shoving match with one though. I assume people loved these for the same reason people love big SUVs & full size pickups today: tons of room, tons of power, tons of luxury. Thanks for keeping the memory of these glorious old barges alive!
My favorite full-sized Pontiac is the 1970 model year. I thought they were absolutely beautiful. I owned a 1970 Catalina with a 400. I loved that car.
I remember a grade school teacher who had both a convertible version and a hardtop coupe, both I thought were an acquired taste in appearance and I preferred my French teacher's Mazda RX-3 coupe.
Thx for the video. Would love to see a video of the development of the 70 station wagon under/over tailgate. What forces produced such a complex design, the features and compromises. We had a pontiac grand safari wagon with the powered version of that gate. It was a seminal design for station wagons. Yes, it was a quiet car. 70 mph on the highway was was like sitting on your living room couch.
Oh the memories! From 73-76 I was stationed in Ft. Carson, CO. At the time I bought a fairly nice 71 Grand Ville Conv., off of a Sgt I worked under. It was very similar to the dark blue, but mine was red, with wire/red interior with bench seats and arm rests. There was also AM/FM, AC and power windows and locks. Powered by a 455, 2 brl, that I changed to a 4 brl with dual exhaust really woke it up. Then a couple friends helped change the complete rear axle assembly, that I picked out of a Safari Wagon with a posi rear.
Thanks for some love for Pontiacs. I was getting a little tired of the Ford products which most look like refrigerators or the Mopars which most look like vending machines. No disrespect to you, Adam, you present them all with fair assessments far beyond the understanding of us mere mortals. So thanks for that.