This rear 3/4 shot gives an interesting perspective on the rear quarter-panel extensions and bumper. At this stage of development, the concave backlite used from '63-'68 seems to have flattened out considerably. |
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A comparison of the side views clearly shows the progress between October of 1966 and January of 1967. Note the differences on the roofline, the quarter-windows, the wheelwells, and the shape for the rear quarters. The January shot shows a more production-ready design than just four months before. The project was shelved in favor of the cutting-edge G-body design, which turned the slow-selling GP into a segment leader. |
From the side view, we see even more of the GTO influence. At this point, the roofline closely resembles what was used on the '68 GTO, right down to the rear quarter-window shape. Additionally, the wheel openings are elongated like a GTO, though the shape is somewhat exaggerated. The beltline also appears a little shallower than what made it to production on the '69 B-bodies.
In keeping with the Grand Prix tradition, the clay model also shows a concave backlite and an exclusive taillamp design that appears to fit in the standard '69 Bonneville housing. From there, several details were yet to be worked out; the rear bumper has little in the way of detail, and the "flying buttress" contour of the rear quarter and roof need more development. Interestingly, the trailing edge of the rear quarter-panel and the bumper appear to be integral. From the rear, their shape closely resembles the '62 full-size Pontiacs.
An interesting sidenote are the 8-Lug wheels on the clay model. They are a bit of an anachronism as they were dropped after '68, so even if a B-body GP had been built in 1969, it definitely wouldn't have been available with the unique integral wheel/brake drum option.
The last photo was taken in January of 1967. At this point, the design was much more developed. Aside from the 8-Lug wheels, this is close to what a full-size '69 Grand Prix would have looked like.
Though they can't be seen, this clay mock-up featured the hideaway headlamps and a unique taillamp design to differentiate it from the other full-size '69 Pontiacs. The chrome front bumper was retained with Endura inserts, and the rear bumper was similar to what made production. Like GPs of years past, the mock-up didn't use a body-side molding, though other full-size Pontiacs did. Additionally, the wheel openings were revised to their final production configuration.
As the was the case in previous years, the roofline was the most significant difference between the GP and the other B-body Pontiac coupes. In this mock-up, the formal roofline and rear quarter-windows are similar to that era's Olds Delta 88 coupe but with a large convex backlite design that didn't reach production.
It's interesting to compare this unique Grand Prix design to the car that came before it and the car that actually made production for '69. Though development of the car depicted here went on relatively unfettered until at least January of 1967, there was some concern over its viability in the marketplace.
On April 14, 1967, Benjamin W. Harrison, a Pontiac engineer at the time, sent a memo to DeLorean outlining the advantages of building a new-generation GP based on what he called an "A-Special" body. Duly inspired, DeLorean ran with the idea, enlisting top designers Jack Humbert and Irvin Rybicki to design the car. By April 21, a clay model was completed and approved. The rest, as the old cliche' goes, is history.
In retrospect, the car that wore the Grand Prix nameplate was precisely the right car for the time and was light years ahead of the B-body proposal in market appeal for that segment. While the B-body-based GP was an attractive car, it was essentially more of the same old formula that was no longer relevant to buyers. The '69 Grand Prix "G-body," as the stretched A-platform became known, reignited interest in the personal luxury segment and helped give Pontiac Motor Division its best sales year ever. The Grand Prix was THE hot new car for 1969. Soon everyone was chasing the new standard.