The weather was unusually nice that August day in 1971 when Howard Williams spent the day with his wife Phyllis since it was her birthday. They went for a long drive and their route took them by a Pontiac dealership showroom. On display in the showroom window was a Bluestone Gray 1971 Pontiac Grand Prix, which quickly caught the eye of Williams' wife.
He agreed with her that both the color and the style of the car were beautiful. On a whim he parked by the dealership and told his wife that he was going inside to gather additional information on the car. What he did once inside was tell a salesman that he would return the next day to buy the car on display.
He then returned to his waiting wife and resumed the trip home. On his lunch break the following day Williams returned to the dealership and bought the car that his wife had seen the day before. The base price was $4,557.
The 3,863-pound Grand Prix stretched a hair shy of 17 feet, 9 inches from bumper-to-bumper. Until Williams brought the Pontiac home, he says his wife had never driven. But having that "birthday" car parked outside her home changed all that.
And soon she had her driver's license. The Grand Prix is equipped with power-assisted equipment including: brakes, steering, windows, and trunk latch. For the comfort of the occupants the car has a factory-installed air conditioner.
The speedometer is calibrated to record speeds up to 140 mph. "It will do every bit of it if you've got nerve enough to do it," Williams observes. Beneath the engine hood is a four-barrel carburetor feeding fuel to the 400-cubic-inch V-8 engine that propels the car on 14-inch white sidewall tires that support the car on a 118-inch wheelbase.
With a slight nudge of the accelerator pedal a throaty sound comes tumbling out of the dual exhaust pipes. The gear selector is mounted on the floor through the console. Near the windshield the engine hood is perforated by two rows of 24 louvers.
When seated behind the three-spoke steering wheel the driver is in control because the instruments are mounted in a panel that wraps around the driver. Each spoke of the steering wheel has a separate horn button. The like-new interior remains original, as does the vinyl covering on the roof.
A few years ago Williams had the car repainted in the original color from the 1930s style standup grille in the front to the rear of the car that resembles a boat tail. All of the 58,325 Pontiac Grand Prix models built in 1971 had two round headlights set in square housings. The lengthy car stands only 52 inches high but the 75.
9-inch width provides the passengers an abundance of space. Williams and his wife enjoyed their Grand Prix until her passing in 2010. Since then the Pontiac continues to get regular exercise shown by the odometer which is now approaching 139,000 miles.
William says the Grand Prix is a rolling memory of the good times. — Vern Parker, Motor Matters.
