Motion Pictures A Real Looker: The 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

A Real Looker: The 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix

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Jan & Dean knew all of this a long time ago.

"They tool around town in their big Gran Prix's, sittin' in their bucket seats and shootin' the breeze".

Love them 8 lugs.

 

Owning a '64 Catalina for almost 40 years and coming home from the hospital in a '66 Bonneville wagon I don't disagree with you. Just cleanly styled, beautiful cars. Let's also give a nod to their advertising....those Fritz and Van drawings are some of the best looking ads ever in my opinion.

 

Love the artwork created by GM in this era. The artists made these cars impossibly wide, long, and low and the results were stunning. Of course when you got to the dealership and saw the car in person, it wasn’t quite what the picture depicted, but by that point you were already on the property, smelling that new car smell and catching that new car fever. This was the era when Ad Men ruled.

 

My oldest brother had a then-new 1961 Pontiac bubbletop, a "Laurentian Sport Coupe". Arbor green with Ermine white roof and side coves. Here is a little more of that brochure artwork. The Laurentian used the same side trim as the Ventura, with the addition of the Star Chief stars and, if so equipped, the Canadian V8 fender emblems.

 

^^^^ my all time favorite PONTIAC... Catalina super duty....

 

I all ways love how the artist conception shows it slammed with wheel tuck......

 

As far as I'm concerned Pontiac didn't make a bad looking car at all in these years. Whether stock, custom, drag race, or NASCAR they all look good.

Here's just a few favorites:

 

Love the 63 GP, with the new concave back window, 421, tri power, 8 lugs, and a 4 speed.

 

Best New look for many a year.
Sorry, to not watch video, It's an eye prob

 

I was a Chev guy growing up.....but....in the early 1960's and still in high school we went to Cordova Ill to the dragstrip. Fairly local guy.....Arnie Beswick was hammering everybody with his stable of Pontiacs. I feel in love with them .....especially those beautiful 8 lug wheels.

 

Yep, I love the style of the late 50’s/early 60’s Pontiacs.

 

My Fav 62 G/P Pontiac

 

That's cool, but I think you missed the point. In 1962, Pontiac succeeded big time in what Ford failed to do in 1958 when they introduced the 4 sear Thunderbird as the world's first luxury "Personal car".

At least I think Mr "Bomber" was getting at.

 

Catalina was a looker too

 

'62 Poncho is my favorite of all time! 63&64 aren't bad either. My high school car was a '68 Catalina 2 dr post.......

 

I still drool over these !

 

‘59 Bonneville is out of ~OuTtA SiGhT~

 

So many great details on Pontiac’s first Wide Track!

 

I was 15 when they came out in the Fall of 1961 and on my every other weekend dad and kid weekends our usually Sunday morning involved going down to Innie's (sp?) cafe on the old Renton-Kent highway for breakfast and then hitting a couple of Pontiac dealerships to snoop the lot and put my nose prints on the window especially the one in Auburn Wa. Dad was pretty slick as we only went to those car lots on Sundays when they were closed. I liked the 61 Catalina Ventura but the 62 Grand Prix was a factory custom from the get go.

 

My Bro had a '62 GP for a bit when we were teenagers. I loved that car. Red & white. Was just sitting at a place down the road from us. Think he paid $75 for it, got it running/driving & made some $$ on it. Pontiac made some of the best looking cars in the 60s.

 

My Dad was in the Pontiac demographic. We had a 60 Catalina, then a 64 Cat with a 389 and 4 speed, and then a 65 Cat 2+2 with a 421. I really liked that one.

 

< As you can tell from my avatar 1961 Pontiacs are my favorite but they were really at the top of their game throughout the 1960s.

 

I agree , beautiful cars indeed‼️, but can someone school me on the purpose of the optional 8 lug wheels ⁉️

 

They are beautiful cars, but Pontiac V8s in those days had an unfortunate reputation for timing chain failures at about 80-100K miles...

 

The optional 8-lug wheels (from late 1959 through 1968) were designed to be an improvement in braking. The finned aluminum brake drum/hub was meant to dissipate heat better and had a steel liner where they contacted the brake shoes. Similar concept as the Buick finned drums, different execution.

 

That’s the winner

 

I bought a '62 GP in '64. Could barely afford it. White with black interior, 4 speed. What a wonderful car. Sure wish I had it today.