Pick of the Day: 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix

At the risk of sounding inelegant, among all the brands in Detroit, Pontiac was the shiznit in the 1960s. Pontiac had style and a performance image in spades to the point that, for most of the decade, placed it at #3 in sales in the industry — ahead of Plymouth, a brand that traditionally held that slot. However, by 1968, even with the strength of the Firebird and all-new A-bodies, Pontiac had lost its way a bit. The Pick of the Day, a 1968 Grand Prix listed for sale on ClassicCars.com, is a great example how Pontiac style was admired yet the movement towards longer/lower/wider had corrupted the Grand Prix’s modus operandi. It’s listed for sale by a dealer in Pittsburgh. (Click the link to view the listing)

When the Grand Prix was introduced in 1962, it was Pontiac’s quick take on the personal-luxury formula. By giving it unique styling, Pontiac created distinction from the equally luxurious but less sporty Bonneville. Bucket seats and trim proportions (thanks to being built on the Catalina’s wheelbase) made the Grand Prix different and, starting in 1963, the Grand Prix startled Detroit with its clean, unadorned flanks and special concave backlite. Unique styling continued with the 1965 redesign, with the Grand Prix always appearing one step ahead of the industry, and that seemed true once again with the heavily restyled 1967. What stood out was an interesting front end design that was shared with other full-size Pontiacs yet featured different styling with hidden headlights and interesting parking lights. However, the lithe look of previous Grand Prixs were gone and, with the restyled 1968, any design leadership was lost. Sales reflected this, as only 31,177 were built — contrast that with 72,959 only five years before. The much trimmer 1969 would recenter the Grand Prix and its sales.

Nonetheless, 1968 Grand Prixs were unique takes on the full-size Pontiac and featured several special styling elements not shared with other models: concave rear window, unique rear fenders and trunk lid design, an exclusive rear bumper with taillights that seemed to foreshadow those used on 1970-72 A-bodys, and hidden headlights (later made an option for the Bonneville).

The Pick of the Day bears this out. This Solar Red example features the standard 350-horsepower 400 (which was different than that used on the GTO despite the similar power rating). Like most of them, this Grand Prix features the optional TH400 three-speed automatic. “The air conditioning has been updated with R134a refrigerant for minimum maintenance and maximum comfort,” claims the seller, which comes in handy considering the Black “halo” vinyl top does its job of keeping the greenhouse marginally warmer. “New Kumho radial tires complement the ride and handling of the big Pontiac.” Of course, power steering and brakes are a welcome set of options to assist with driving enjoyment, and the black Strato Bench vinyl seat means you can keep your sweetheart nearby.

There’s a segment of the Pontiac fraternity that enjoys the style of Grand Prixs of this vintage despite the Rubenesque proportions. There is no denying the 1968s had style and Poncho appeal and, in some sense, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) could have been driving this instead of that Caddy. For $28,000, you too can squint and think you’re driving past the Whiskey on Sunset.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.