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’ve had a 1975 Grandville convertible since December of 1982. I bought it from the original owners. It’s maroon with gold pinstripes, white morikide interior and white top. It has the 455, and I converted it to a 1974 factory dual exhaust system in 1985. The 1975 models came standard with radial tuned suspension which included front and rear sway bars and pliacel shock absorbers. I put bilsteins on it in 1983, along with Cibie halogen headlamps, direct bolt ins for the factory rectangular headlamps.
It is very agile and rides very smoothly. My 10 year old grandson commented “wow grandpa, this car is really smooth!”. The car had 62,000 miles when I bought it. It is up to 138,000 miles on it now.
Looking g to purchase a 1975
Grandville ASAP
Thanks for the article I have a 1975 Grandville convertible 455 fully loaded with every option available at 1975 love Pontiacs I am 53 years old my first car when i turned 16 was a 75 grand prix , over the years I’ve had a 1968 convertible Bonneville ,had a 85 four-door Bonneville, I have had several 83 and 85 Grand Prix, 80 turbo Trans Am ,you see where I’m going.
I WAS A PARKING VALET AT ONE OF OUR HIGH CLASS RESTAURANTS. I STARTED IN JANUARY OF ’71, MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. LOTS OF SNOW AND ICE IN OUR SLANTED PARKING LOT. THOSE BIG HEAVY TANKS WERE A PLEASURE TO DRIVE. THEY NEVER GOT STUCK AND WENT RIGHT WHERE I PUT THEM. THE CARS ALWAYS HAD PLUSH INTERIORS WITH A TOP OF THE LINE STEREO & 8-TRACK. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME KEEPING WARM IN THOSE BOATS. CADDYS, LINCOLNS, PONTIACS, 98S, CHEVYS, ONCE IN AWHILE A FOREIGN CAR CAME IN, BAD TRACTION, SMALLER COCKPIT, LITTLE IF ANY HEAT, GIVE ME A LAND YACHT ANY DAY.
I was never really a fan of big cars as a kid, but in looking back…I had a 75 Caprice that was a great road car, and my girlfriend (now wife) had a 73 Caprice that was a great (ummm) drive-in car. Neither was as nice as a Grand Ville but in looking back they were still great cars.
I remember in 1989 I bought a 75 4 door HT from a college student who had purchased it from one of his professors at UGA, It had been rear ended and I guess he just wanted to get rid of it. Anyway it was advertised in the local paper for $150, the ad stated it needed a new bumper, I went and looked at it and realized it was a pristine Grand Ville, I asked him “you want $150 for this?” he thought I meant it was overpriced I guess and immediately said Ok give me $100. I felt bad and gave him the $150 and drove it for a few years, it had the 400 4bbl, but rode like a cloud, a/c was ice cold, not a scratch on the car, still had the new car feel to it. The good old days!