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1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Convertible / Photos, Specs, Model History

A true classic from the 1960’s is this beautiful 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Convertible.

pontiac grand prox — 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Convertible

The first generation Grand Prix ran from the 1962 through the 1964 model year. First generation models were full size vehicles and became mid sized starting with the second to the fifth generation for the sedan and to the sixth generation for the coupe.

John De Lorean who was the head of Advanced Engineering at Pontiac managed the development of the Grand Prix as well as several other performance models such as the GTO. The Grand Prix was developed to be Pontiac’s flagship model that combines style, luxury and performance.

Beginning in the 1969 model year the Grand Prix would be shortened to a 118.0 inch wheelbase becoming a mid size car and be part of the Pontiac LeMans series.

The 1967 Grand Prix is a part of the second generation which ran from 1965 through 1968.

Pontiac Grand Prix..A Mixture of Luxury and Power

One thing the Grand Prix was well noted for was it’s luxurious interior while keeping the sporty touch. Seat coverings were either cloth upholstery or Morrokide. This sporty interior touch also included a tachometer and rear audio speakers. If a car buyer wanted to display performance yet do it in a luxurious enclosure, the Pontiac Grand Prix was his or her automobile with plenty of V-8 horsepower. It’s interesting to note that the Grand Prix was perhaps overlooked a bit as a muscle car simply because of it’s luxurious styling. Many muscle car enthusiasts of that era were likely much more concerned with what was under the hood than the upscale interior appointments. The truth about the Pontiac Grand Prix was that it offered plenty of both.

The Grand Prix was built on the Pontiac Catalina platform. This was Pontiac’s shorter big car chassis. The Grand Prix differed a lot from the Catalina with it’s sportier interior including popular Strato bucket seats. Between the seats was a console along with a floor shifter.

A Big Redesign

As years progressed, nearly every GM vehicle grew in size-and the Grand Prix was no exception. The additional weight negatively affected performance and handling. And a major redesign for 1967 produced a Grand Prix that shared little with what it was just a few years before. By 1968, Grand Prix sales figures had dipped below 32,000 units. Amid the increasing popularity of musclecars, the larger Grand Prix was doomed for extinction if drastic changes were not in its future.

1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Specifications

Engines available on the 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix included 400 and 428 cubic inch V-8’s in various configurations and horsepower. The 400 cubic inch came as two and four barrel carburetors with horsepower at 265 and 350 respectively. The 428’s delivered 360 and 375 HP with four barrel carbs.

Pontiac built a reputation for powerhouse engines. Their 1967 GTO models, also powerful muscle cars, came with the first Ram Air engine. The Ram Air I was the most advanced 400 cubic inch engine Pontiac had at the time and pushed the horsepower up to 360.

Transmission options were a three speed and four speed manual along with a three speed Hydramatic and Hydramatic Turbo.

Dimensions include a wheelbase of 121.0 inches, overall outside length 215.6 inches, width 79.4 inches, height 54.0 inches. Curb weight 4,280 lbs.

New car price averaged about $3,750.

Only 5,856 Grand Prix Convertibles were produced for the 1967 model year. This was out of a total Pontiac 1967 Production of 780,700 units.

Related Auto Museum Online articles include..

1965 Pontiac Grand Prix

1964 Pontiac GTO

1967 Pontiac GTO

Reference material for this article includes..The Life and Death of Pontiac by Tony and Michele Hamer…Grand Prix : Pontiac’s Luxury Performance Car by Don Keefe…Pontiac: The Performance Years by Martyn L. Schorr…Pontiac Registry.

1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Collector Car Sales Prices

Pontiac’s from the 1960’s are popular collector cars both for their modern styling and powerful engines. Both the Grand Prix and the GTO fit well in the muscle car wars of the latter 1960’s. As far as the 1967 convertible models are concerned, they are considered rare and highly collectible as only 5,856 were produced. collectible today.

High retail value for examples in showroom condition will see bids of $55,000 on up. Those in excellent condition have seen bids in the $35,000-$45,000 range. Those models in good condition are in a wide range of from about $20,000 to $30,000.

(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)

1952 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon / Photos, Specs, Model History

The 1952 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon featured here is a true 1950’s classic. The two tone paint scheme on this model adds a lot to its outstanding appearance.

While Ford’s new postwar styling came out in 1949, the 1952 models did receive a refresh but still retained some of the basic appearance as the postwar models before them with some added trim. Ford’s Ranch Wagon was a two door, six passenger wagon. It has the same trim level as the entry level base Mainline and was considered the lowest price wagon on the market in 1952.

The Increased Popularity of the Wagon

The term “Station Wagon” were given these vehicles because the original purpose was to transport people and/or luggage/merchandise from train stations to their homes. These vehicles, also first called Depot Hacks, have been around for a long time but it was after World War Two that they became mainstream.

The early 1950’s were part of family growth with the Baby Boomer generation. More suburbs were coming into being as well as shopping malls and shopping centers far away from the central city. The demand for vehicles to transport children and merchandise was growing along with everything else. All indications were that wagons would be in demand and, for 1952, Ford Motor Company offered three models of their all steel body station wagon. These were the Mainline models as already mentioned, the Country Sedan Customline mid priced models, and the Country Squire top trim level of the Customline series.

Two Door Wagons

Several other automakers than Ford produced two door station wagons at various times. The first two door wagon was said to be the 1946 Willys Jeep Station Wagon. Another story has Crosley with the first two door wagon prior to World War Two. In 1951 it was Nash, in 1954 it was Studebaker and in 1955 and 1964 it was Chevrolet. The two door styling gave the Ford Ranch Wagon both a sportier appearance versus four door wagons and also some added room for cargo.

Ford’s Ranch Wagon was known to have a smooth ride, similar to a sedan which is quite positive for a hauler.

Ford’s 1952 Mainline Vehicles

Ford introduced all new models for 1952. This beat new Chevrolet models by a full model year. The Mainline became Ford’s entry level model, but it did present a more modern style than the basic Deluxe model it replaced. New styling included a wrap around windshield, curved rear glass, a modified grille, and more trim and ornaments to break away from the earlier “Shoebox” Ford’s slab sides. These new 1952 Ford’s gave the new entry level Mainline a clean fresh look.

1952 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon Specifications

The 1952 Ford Mainline came standard with a six cylinder 215 cubic inch that delivered 101 hp. Optional was a 239 cubic inch L-head with a two-barrel carburetor putting out 110 hp.

A three-speed manual transmission was standard and a Ford-O-Matic three speed automatic was optional. The automatic could be used with either engine.

Brakes are four wheel hydraulic drums.

Sales of Ford wagons increased from around 29,000 in 1951 to over 53, 000 in 1952. Two Door Ford Ranch Wagon production for 1952 totaled 32,560 vehicles. Ranch Wagon production for the 1953 model year totaled just short of 67,000 vehicles, a big step up from the previous year.

Related Auto Museum Online articles are on the links below..

1958 Ford Ranch Wagon

1955 Chevy Nomad Wagon

Reference material for this article includes..Ford Station Wagons 1929-1991 by author Paul G. McLaughlin..Ford Motor Cars 1945-1964 by Robert Berry and Alan Earnshaw…Fords of the Fifties by Michael Parris.

Ford Ranch Wagon Collector Vehicles

It’s not easy to find an excellent example of the 1952 Ford Ranch Wagon such as the example featured here.

At this time 1952 Ranch Wagons in good condition might be found in the $19,000 to $23,000 range. An original example in excellent restored condition sold at auction recently for $42,000.

(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)

The 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville Brougham / Photos, Model History, Specifications

Featured is a true classic, the 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville Brougham Convertible. The Pontiac Grand Ville was a luxury car offering and was advertised by Pontiac as such.

The Pontiac Grand Ville was produced from 1971 to 1975 as the top trim full sized model Pontiac offered. The Pontiac Grand Ville distinguished itself with luxurious interior trim along with distinctive chrome up front and taillight trim at the rear. The Bonneville was also a top model for Pontiac and compared with the Grand Ville Brugham, the Grand Ville was one step up from the Bonnevile during it’s five year production run. The essential difference was that the Grand Ville Brougham offered a bit more trim and power options.

The Grand Ville was built with a stretched wheelbase version of the GM “B” platform, which was similar with the Cadillac Eldorado.

The 1970’s

The 1970’s was a time of significant change, especially coming on the heels of the 1960’s muscle car wars. During the late 1960’s the name of the game was horsepower.

Pontiac pretty much established their brand as a luxury car offering coupled with plenty of power and performance and excellent styling. Federal emission and safety regulations introduced in the early 1970’s had forced automakers to not only tune down engine output but also became a design issue mostly due to bumper impact regulations.

At this time, Pontiac was building full size performance cars but when 1976 arrived the full size muscle car was being phased out. The new federal emission regulations along with the 1973 oil crises and rising insurance premiums made owning and driving a muscle car less affordable. A full size high performance automobile even more so.

Pontiac Grand Ville Styling

The 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville was produced there were new roof lines put in place throughout the entire Pontiac line. This included the Bonneville and Grand Ville Brougham (a new name) coupes. The automobiles came with large fixed quarter windows and B-posts that stretched all the way to the door glass. Four door hardtops added small “opera windows” in the rear pillars. Add to that a fixed-position vent window that added more glass area.and a new grille and tail lights that wrapped around the fender edges.

New to the Grand Ville were rectangular quad headlamps which General Motors designed for upper-level cars. These were found on the Bonnevilles and Grand Villes. , which also shared a revised grille and taillamps that newly wrapped around the fender edges.

1975 Pontiac Grand Ville Specifications

Engines included a standard 400 cubic inch V-8 with 185 HP. Also available was a 455 cubic inch V-8 with 200 HP.

Transmission is a three speed GM Turbo Hydramatic THM-400. This transmission first came out in 1964 and had a great reputation as being sturdy and reliable.

Dimensions include a 123.4 inch wheelbase, 226.0 inch overall outside length, 79.6 inch width and a 54.3 inch height. Curb weight is listed at 4,660 lbs.

1955 total Pontiac production came to 531,900 vehicles. From that amount there were 27,650 Grand Ville models produced. The Two door hardtop was the biggest seller at about 15,680 vehicles. Convertibles accounted for only 4,500 units and the Grand Ville Brougham was the only 1975 Pontiac built as a convertible.

Related Auto Museum Online articles on the links below..

1970 Pontiac GTO

1954 Pontiac Star Chief Convertible

1953 Pontiac Chieftain Convertible

Reference material for this article includes..Pontiac Classics : By the Editors of Consumer Guide…Pontiac : The Performance Years by Martyn L. Schorr…Pontiac Muscle Cars by Mike Mueller.

The Pontiac Grand Ville Collector Car

The Pontiac Grand Ville is a fine representation of the luxury and performance this nameplate was noted for. At the time, Pontiac’s sweeping lines and prominent grille made their cars head turners. The Grand Ville’s were also noted to have as standard a 400 cubic inch V-8 with an option for an even larger engine. The Pontiac Grand Ville represented a time in automotive history where bigger was considered better.

The Pontiac Grand Ville Convertible was not widely produced at only about 5,000 units per year. In 1975, the final year for the model, the Grand Ville was the only full size convertible offering from Pontiac.

The Pontiac Grand Ville is an excellent and relatively low cost way to start a collection. While price varies widely depending on overall condition and mileage, it appears that excellent condition original unmodified examples of the 1975 Grand Ville Brougham have sold in the $29,000 to $49,000 range.