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1971 Pontiac Grand Prix. Production: 58,325 units.
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1971
The 1971 Grand Prix promotional catalog told its readers that
"...you don't mess with a classic. Refine it maybe, hone it. It's just that we take
our refining and honing very seriously..."
Fortunately, the promoters were right. While the 1971
Grand Prix was not a complete redesign, it was not a botched-up afterthought, either. All
too often, when designers try to "improve" an enlightened design, they destroy its harmony, even
to the point of grotesqueness. Pontiac's changes to its G-body not only gave it a more
formal look, its styling was a bit more consistent with the full-size Pontiacs, which no doubt
helped them as well.
Up front, the dual headlight arrangement was replaced by a
single headlight treatment and a larger, vertical slatted grille. The grille tied in well
with the twin-tiered bumper. The signal lights remained on the leading edge of the front
fenders. Likewise, the rear end design was updated for the formal look. The decklid
was "sculpted" into a modified boattail design, and the taillights were set into the bumper,
which also carried the sculpted motif.
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