Loading ...Pontiac Grand Am
The Pontiac Grand Am manufacture by Pontiac automobile company. Read more to view more detail and video reviews. Please feel free to comments and give rating to help others
The Pontiac Grand Am was originally a mid-size car and later a compact car that was produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. The Grand Am had two separate 3-year runs in the ’70s: from 1973 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1980. It was based on the GM A platform. Production of the Grand Am was canceled in 1980 when it was replaced by the Pontiac 6000. The Grand Am was reintroduced in 1985 when it replaced the Pontiac Phoenix. It was Pontiac’s best selling car and later replaced by the Pontiac G6, so named as it was intended to be the 6th generation of the Grand Am.[1] Grand Ams were built between 1973 and 1985 in Pontiac, Michigan at Pontiac’s main assembly plant and in Atlanta, Georgia at GMAD Lakewood. All Grand Ams between 1985 and 2005 were built in Lansing, Michigan at the Lansing Car Assembly.
The original Grand Am was introduced in the fall of 1972 as a 1973 model. It was based on the GM A-body platform along with other cars such as the Pontiac LeMans, Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Chevelle, Buick Century, and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. The GM A-body platform had major design revisions in 1973 that included the elimination of pillarless hardtops due to proposed federal rollover standards, but with frameless windows similar to that of a hardtop. No convertibles were produced due to those same federal rollover standards (that never were enacted). In addition to federal emissions regulations that reduced performance, new federal standards required a 5 mph (8.0 km/h) impact-resistant front bumper and a 2.5 mph (4.0 km/h) impact-resistant rear bumper, which increased to 5 mph (8.0 km/h) for 1974.
The Grand Am, coined by Pontiac with a name derived from two other cars in its lineup (”Grand” signifying “Grand Prix luxury” and “Am” for “Trans Am performance”) was designed as American’s answer to European luxury/sport sedans and available as a 4-door Colonnade sedan or a 2-door Colonnade coupe. 43,136 Grand Ams were built during the first year of production (both two door and four door models).
The Grand Am could be had with a standard 400/2bbl engine (170 horsepower), an optional 400/4bbl engine (230 horsepower), or an optional 455/4bbl engine (250 horsepower). Originally planned but never materialized was the availability of 310 horsepower (230 kW) Super Duty 455/4bbl that was originally set to be available on several 1973 Pontiac models including the Grand Am, Grand Prix and GTO along with the Firebird Trans Am and Formula. However, production of the 455 SD was delayed from its planned debut at the start of the model year due to emissions considerations. Production of the 455 SD was delayed until the spring of 1973 and then it was made available only on the two Firebird models. One early ‘73 Grand Am prototype was reportedly assembled with the 455 SD engine.
The 400/2bbl, 400/4bbl, and 455/4bbl engines were available with a Turbo-hydramatic 400 automatic as standard equipment. A 4-speed manual transmission was available with the 400/4bbl engine in 1973 and 1974. It is unknown how many of the 1973 model year Grand Ams had the four-speed manual transmission, but it is estimated to be in the 600-900 range for 1973 and perhaps half that in 1974. The four speed manual transmission was available only with the 400/4bbl engine. All 400/2bbl and 455/4bbl equipped cars were automatics.
