1975 Pontiac Grand Ville Brougham Coupe: Pontiac’s Cadillac
The Pontiac Grand Ville was only available for five model years, but it made an impression on your author from an early age. I loved domestic land yachts starting around the age of 2 or 3 years old, believe it or not.
As the 1975 Pontiac brochure advised: “Don’t even consider it, unless you have a taste for luxury. A well-cultivated taste. Because this is Pontiac’s most luxurious car. Ever.”
Yes, folks, this is another column full of Broughamage! If that’s not to your liking, feel free to flee now. Flee for your lives!
But wait, you may be thinking. What’s a Grand Ville? Wasn’t the Bonneville top-dog?
Well, yes, for most of its life. But there was a brief period during which the Grand Ville snuck in above it. The Bonneville remained, but was just a little bit less fancy, had just a little bit less chrome, and got slightly less ostentatious seats.
Although the Bonneville remained in the lineup throughout the ’70s, it was bumped a notch with the appearance of the Grand Ville in 1971. But for whatever reason the name never really found a following, and starting in 1976 the Bonneville Brougham would return as the flagship. The Bonneville would remain Pontiac’s nicest car until its demise in 2005, with the exception of the Caprice-based Parisienne somewhat outsizing it during 1983–86.
1975 was the last year for the Grand Ville and at its last appearance, it became the Grand Ville Brougham, rather than just the plain Grand Ville.
Well, it was 1975 …
The ’75 models were handsomely restyled with a squared-off nose with new quad rectangular headlamps, which gave it a very Cadillac-like appearance from the front. Some of our younger readers may not be aware, but square headlights were a really big deal circa 1975 and ’76. Before ’75, everything had round lights.
Out back, handsome dual-level wrap around taillights dolled up the rear deck. The nose and tail were shared with the Bonnevilles, but plainer Catalinas retained round headlights, a less flashy grille, and shorter taillights out back.
And inside, perhaps the Grand Ville’s best feature (or was that the exterior?) were the sumptuous velour button-tufted seats that you could just sink into like your favorite recliner after a hard day at work. They were also available upholstered in Morrokide at no extra charge.
By the way, Morrokide was Pontiac’s incredibly durable vinyl upholstery that dated back to the ’60s. But I’d have chosen nothing else but the velour, oh yes! And the red is just perfect with this car’s Cameo White paint and matching Cordova vinyl roof.
The ’75 Grand Ville Broughams were available as a four-door hardtop, two-door hardtop, and a convertible. In addition, there was the related Grand Safari station wagons that came in six- and nine-passenger versions. They had Grand Ville noses and button-tufted seats but weren’t strictly Grand Villes.
Grand Ville coupes, like our featured gorgeous, white-over-red Brougham Coupe, had a base price of $5729, weighed 4404 pounds, and only 7447 were built. So you didn’t see many even when new.
You see even less now, naturally. In fact, this was the first coupe I ever saw in person … so far!
In addition to the coupes, 15,686 four-door hardtops and 4519 convertibles were built. The topless Grand Ville was the last full-size Pontiac convertible ever built, though Sunbirds, Sunfires, and Firebird convertibles would last into the 2000s. And with that, the Grand Ville came to the end of the road.
The 1971–76 GM B- and C-body full-size cars were the biggest GM built. Along with their Bonneville and Catalina siblings, they had an overall length of 226 inches, of which 123.4 were wheelbase.
A 400-cubic-inch, four-barrel V-8 was standard on Grand Villes, with a four-barrel 455 V-8 optional. Of course, GM’s terrific Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission was standard equipment.
The 1975 Pontiacs debuted on September 27, 1974, and in all 523,469 Pontiacs were built for the calendar year. Not bad, especially considering it was a recession year. But the bulk of sales were not Grand Villes, despite their gorgeousness and luxury and fine appointments.
Oops, rambling a bit there. But I warned you I love these!
I spotted this one at the Pontiac-Oakland Club International (POCI) meet held at the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf, Iowa, back in the summer of 2016. It was great having a national meet right here in the metropolitan area. I haunted the show for all three days, taking way more photos that I needed. I believe I was walking around with a stupid look on my face the whole time. It was great!
There was also a very nice ’75 Grand Ville convertible at this show, but my favorite was the coupe, complete with cornering lamps, Pontiac Rally II wheels, and that decadent red interior. I’m happy to finally share its sheer Broughaminess with you all!
i confess i am starting to think in Brougham after a number of your articles (and having had a company owned 80’s Bonnie Brougham silver red velour). My mid-2000’s Arctic Cat Pantera 4-strokes definitely qualify as the Broughams of the sled world. Big and plush, heated everything. Not hot rods…
Have a plush and Broghhamy New Year!
Thanks for sharing. Love this car
Outstanding article and feature, Tom! I liken the appearance of rectangular headlights in ’75 to when composite lamps appeared in the mid-’80s. The latter just seemed so futuristic when I was in elementary school.
I had a 76 Gran Prix LJ with the red velour bucket seat. The engine was a 400 cid and 4 barrel carburetor. I drove it for 12 years, love that car. It was fast. When I sold it, it was running 12 mile a gallon.
Another one of the BIG Pontiacs that I really liked. This coupe is cool, and the Gand Ville convertible is just as, if not more so!! 🙂
In the late nineties, I wanted to buy myself something special for my 37th birthday. I saw an ad for a ’73 Grand Ville convertible and bought it that afternoon. It wasn’t in perfect condition but, I mainly got it to have fun with. It served me well for a few years and, I sold it for exactly what I paid for it. The guy who bought it said he wanted it for parade use but, in the twenty some years since, it’s never moved from his driveway and it’s been sitting there rotting. It breaks my heart and, if it hadn’t fallen into such disrepair, I’d buy it back and get it back on the road.
Oh wow! Get it down 3 inches in the front and 2 in the back and I’d drive it proudly. I’d drive it as-is proudly, who am I kidding.
You make an interesting point. It is pretty common to see German cars of this era that have been fitted with the slimmer cosmetic bumpers of their home market, but I can’t think of a time I’ve seen anyone fit 1971-1972 bumpers on an American car that sprouted 5-mph impact bumpers during its production run.
My biggest aesthetic issue with this car is the discordant manner in which the hardtop, c-pillar and rear side windows sit on top of the quarter panels, as if they’re from different cars made by different car companies in different styling periods. I’m not sure what the concept was.
Thanks for noting this Top-On-Body look, CJ.
I thought I was the only one who noted this oddness. As I understand it, the B-body Pontiac has been called a “hybrid half-breed” — dimentions of the Caprice, Delta 88 and LeSabre, but with features only used on the luxury 98, Electra or deVille bodies.
Either way, it’s a cool, low-production car.
Working my way thru my 75 Grand Ville convertible. Fun!
I owned a ’73 Grand convertible for some years as a summer driver in the late 80’s. It was a remarkable car, tremendously reliable and strangely agile, given its size, weight, and mushy suspension. A relative of mine was visiting from rural Finland and commented on how big everything seemed in Canada. He was speechless when I rolled the Pontiac out of the garage, and cruising on the expressways with the top down on a summer’s day, well he was totally smitten!
So fun to read this article. My Dad bought a year old model for my Mom when I got my driver’s license. I was allowed to take this cruiser on my honeymoon, and later bought it from them and accumulated 188,000 miles on the odometer before (foolishly) trading it in on a Mazda 626.
When these were new, my friends and I (beginning drivers all) referred to this class of cars as “Bulgemobiles”, after Bruce McCall’s feature cartoons in “National Lampoon” magazine. As true now, as then…
I am a Pontiac fan and while this was a better car than many of the 70’s it was one of the worst eras for Pontiac.
This car was heavy and oversized to the point it did not benefit by it. The styling and bumpers were just poorly done. Better than the unibody Chryslers and less rust than a LTD but still not great.
The car that got this right was the 77 Bonneville Coupe. My boss had a Jade Green one that was the right size and shape. It also still had the Pontiac 400 in it.
He popped on a set of Cadillac wire caps and it looked really sharp
It reminds me of my Dad’s ’70-something Grand Prix he had. it was white and the interior was red. That interior looks like some mother-in-laws couch in the 70’s.
Very nice! I drove a 1971 Chrysler Newport 2-dr. for 25 years. Just love these big 2-dr. cars. Mighty fine ride!
My Dad sold Pontiac’s at Plaza Pontiac in Tucker Georgia in the early to mid ’70’s. He had a 1972 Grandville 4 door with the 455. I remember driving the Grandville and noticing how much better the ride was then my ’65 LeMans. It would almost make you fall asleep. My Mom had the 1972 Luxury LeMans that also had the 455. He was “leasing” these cars since he was a salesman. Plaza Pontiac is where I bought my 1967 LeMans Convertible in 1973 and still have it today. It was stolen in 1977 and found in 1980!! They found it in Eufaula Alabama. That was where many stolen cars went since Alabama had little to no laws about registering cars. My Dad died in 1987 and I still miss him to this day.
An interesting thing about those 4 square headlights…
My dad worked for Pontiac, mostly in sales and marketing. One of the perks of the job was ordering whatever car he wanted every few months and drive it for a few thousand miles. Then Pontiac would ship it to a dealership, where it would be sold as an ‘GM Executive’s Car’ at a discounted price. When the square headlights were first becoming available late in 1974 and early 1975, one of the options on the Bonneville and Grand Ville’s order sheets was something called, “Rectangular Headlight Delete”. My dad explained to me that not everyone at GM Corporate was convinced they were good looking, so if a customer didn’t want the ‘new look’, they had the option to use the same headlights from the Catalina.
Going through dad’s order form folio was something I looked forward to doing each fall when the new models were available for order.
My Mom had a 72 Grand Ville 4 door with a 455, and that’s what I drove in high school. Once, when she got 4 new tires, I took her out to see what she could do. With the second hand on my watch, I clocked 0-60 in 8 seconds flat, and a top speed of 110mph.
I had a 71 Bonneville 4 door hardtop with the 455. I got the same results when I put it to the test
I’m a Canuck so we didn’t get the Grand Villes up here. I’m normally a Ford (actually Mercury) guy but I’ve always been a lover of Pontiacs, too. I’m also a lover of BIG and BIGGER cars, especially if they are now orphans. I’ve never seen a Pontiac Grand Ville but that is gorgeous, especially the interior and the nearly full-width tail lights.
Wonder where I could find one down there to bring up here? If successful, I’d have two yacht orphans.
Boy, do I miss Pontiac… probably the most daring of the whole GM lineup.
Great article, and photos too, Thomas. This was truly the final era of the “Nimitz-Class” cars.
Wasn’t one of these the “bad guy’s” car in the fantastic car-chase from the movie “The Seven Ups”?
Buddy Russo/Roy Scheider drove a Pontiac Ventura. The great Bill Hickman was the bad-guy pro stunt driver.
My own “BroughamNess” spanned, (in order of my ownership of:) 1970 and 1967 Coupe de Ville’s; a 1957 Sedan de Ville; and currently, a 2002 De Ville.
Keep up the great work!
Correct, in the movie. 73 Grand Ville. Beautiful dark blue. Had the Corning lamps. A couple other Pontiac’s in. That movie, Grand Ville wagon, a black full size Pontiac. Not sure the model. A 73 as well. My first car was 76 Grand LeMans. White, Firethorn buckets and Firethorn landau top. Worked after school to pay for it. It was beautiful. Grand Prix dash. AM FM 8 track. Factory. Rally ll. 350 V-8. Listed for 5979.00. It was a demo, 3,500 miles.
I would much rather have a big Olds or Buick from that year, with their better styling. The Pontiac was not bad, though – and better than the big Chevrolet.
I hated that velour upholstery; it tried its best always to twist one’s clothes around them, while entering or exiting. Morrokide was the way to go here!