Just when you think you’ve heard of every 1970s personal luxury coupe custom creation that had grand plans for mass production and only ended up making a handful (or less) of them, another one pops up. This example is the first and only one I’ve seen, however, with actual solid walnut fender ends. Known as the Pontiac Gwynn Prix, this highly elaborate concoction was the brainchild of a fashion designer who felt like he had a real shot at making a better version of the Grand Prix – but this is the only one built. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace in Portsmouth, England for £15,995.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Paul for the find. Walnut-tipped fenders barely scratches the surface of all the tweaks a one Robert D. Gwynn decided to undertake in making his vision into a reality. The Gwynn Prix featured additional walnut adornments, such as the license plate frames, door handles, door panels, center console, and more. Take a look inside and you’ll find hand-tufted leather seats, along with custom inserts in the front seats. You can tell without working too hard to see the front and rear ends have been dramatically re-styled, and the paint is a hand-rubbed lacquer finish.
This period collage of photos shows a bit more clearly just how dramatic the walnut finishes appeared against the brown paint job. From above, if you squint, it almost looks a bit like a high-end yacht. The luxury touches didn’t stop with what’s already been mentioned, as it also came with a hand-stitched leather interior, cashmere headliner, and more walnut trim in the steering wheel! Under the hood was a 7.5L 455 V8 paired to an automatic transmission, and the seller claims it runs strong and fires up every time. Mileage is low at just 43,600.
So, what’s it doing in the UK? The Pontiac was still in the United States in 1993, when Bob Gwynn finally handed the keys over to a new owner – a one David Camm, purportedly of Mecum Auctions. He moved the car to Florida before taking it with him to the U.K. upon his relocation. It’s apparently still registered in his name, and the listing reads as if the seller is managing the sale on Camm’s behalf. This Gwynn Prix has made appearances on eBay and message boards, and now Facebook Marketplace – will the one-of-one model ever find a permanant home?
It’s been said before, and is being said again: “just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should!” That’s ALL I’m saying! :-)
The face only a mother would love. And to add, the bumperettes, especially the rear ones, kill it.
I think a mother would adopt this one –
no love here.
No mother would want this, cause its git of hubby’s mistress.
See three strikes on his taste of anything.
I will being saying a special prayer tonight, that this unholy abomination stays in Britain. I never want this ‘thing’ in the US ever again. Maybe pray for Kazakhstan…
While I rarely mock someones creation, I certainly couldn’t do a job this nice, perhaps 1 of 1 is a good thing. These were DeLorean’s babies and a beautiful design, probably spin in his grave if he saw this. I think it’s pretty cool regardless, just not $20g’s cool, is all.
I just barfed….
So this is what Clark Griswald tooled around in after Rusty and Audrey went off to collage…
When I saw Vacation as a kid I thought the family truckster was metallic pee, not realizing it was actually PEA, as in the veggie. So, going by that line of thought, this would be metallic….?
And I already thought Pontiacs were ugly…
Hmmmm? A designer I’ve never heard of and then I see one of his creations and I know why
The interior door handle (check ad) is icing on the cake!
Love Pontiacs but UGHLEE! No wonder it’s accumulated only 43600 miles; he’s too embarrassed to drive the thing much. Good luck getting anything near $20k for it.
Kill it with fire! Please. I owned a 74, and loved it. This “thing” needs to be burnt and crushed.
I owned a 77 GP SJ with every possible option including Hurst Hatches and snowflake wheels, the best looking Grand Prix ever. This is a disgrace. I will send you five gallons of gas and a Bic lighter. Put it out of its misery.
I’m praying for rust and termites…
I think I just threw up ,…car makes you barf better than eppicak
Thank GOD there’s only one!
One of one too many.
“The Durango 95 was purring real horror show, with a nice vibraty feeling all through your gutty wuts”.
“Barf Find” !
And, another Englishman learns the lesson: you STILL can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!
Rescue 911: Paging Chip Foose; where are you?
Looks like something from a horror movie, I presently own a 73 Grand Prix, which is in gorgeous condition, this could be its stepbrother for like 5 grand, I’d take it out at night
This isn’t a step brother. It’s a brother-in-law.
He should have just stuck with applying the lipstick. At least that would have eventually washed off on it’s own!
This is so funny! This is a “true” one of one, not like the marti report does for fords.
WOW LOL LOL LOL
Would buying this mess count as getting wood?
My first thought is since this car is low mileage, could it possibly be returned to it’s original state? Strip off all of the molested parts and replace them with OE parts? It’s probably too far gone… Maybe it could donate a few parts to restore other cars? This is hideous!
Well, nice attempt but the English have an odd sense of what is a cool custom
clark griswold would not even drive this . it’s that ugly. hope it stay’s over seas forever.
I love the way the wood was blended into the fenders. All the joinery is outstanding. Keep all the wood and throw the rest away. Wait. The seats would look great in a posh restaurant.
Wood and sheet steel have different rates of expansion. Eventually the wooden end caps will cause the clear top coats to crack along the wood/metal lines.
In all honesty, wood anybody give a sheet? (AHAHAHA!)
SOLD!
(Probably to Stevie Wonder)
Yes no lie it really Sold.
With some Luck, we will Never see it on American Roads…
Yes, sold to someone who doesn’t care what others think. A mature, self confident adult in other words.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Corvette tail lites? Eldorado quarter panels?
I guess it came with a scissors jack.
If the goal was to create a unique personal luxury car, At least check the power window box when ordering. LMAO
My bad, I just blew up the pics and realize it does have power windows and locks.
I love it!!
Now this is a pimp mobile!!
Reminds me of the Les Dunham’s Cadillacs
http://dunhamcoach.com/home.htm
Add this to the pile of Neo-Classical Nightmares and I have seen many! I looked at my calendar thinking it was April Fools Day and you guys were kidding! Some of these retro ideas worked, but most did not and this one just plain bad!
Les Dunham was the king of PIMP-MOBILES often copied, but he did make an impact, like his wide body Corvettes!
And it comes with 2 pairs of defibrillators!
Ooh Superfly, your gonna make your fortune by and by
Put it back in the barn!
Is there no “safe spaces”. There should be ‘rooom’ enough for different opinions and take on things, and still have respect. This Grand Prix is strange and odd looking for sure. But then again, what is odd looking? Everything produced by corporations is marketed for an audience and jammed down the sales pipeline to the consumer. Do we ever get a vote except where and when we consume and even then (Covid 19)? The herd will except what is offered by the corporations, and buy it, use it, and discard it eventually unless it is saved. This Grand Prix might be an “in your face” statement to the corporate world if you care to look at it that way (maybe the creator did just that). There are people (individuals) who can create shapes made out of things just as corporations do except not on a mass production scale($), and sometimes we can be thankful for that due to their oddity because we only see ‘one’ in a ‘sea’ of mass produced things so everyone looks alike in ways.
IN fact, I owned one of those oddities once. It was called a Ford Durango conversion from a Ford Fairmont done in 1981. Supposedly 212 of them were produced by National Coach Works before the plug was pulled. And yes the Ford Durango was done on a more larger scale; they even had promos at some select Ford dealerships from what I understand.
The Ford Durango was a good looking car…can’t say the same about this monstrosity.
Having owned a ’73 Prix this is some hot mess lol. Not against modifications but ooohhh boy!
This is what happens when you mate a Bentley with a Yugo.
A “Yugley”?
Lol, all these car designers on here.
Show me what you got…
The over rated junk Teslas are not allowed
Well, Jack. Apparently you’ve never driven one. Are you trying to redefine the word junk?
I’ve driven a Tesla, they are junk, ride like garbage, narrow seats, the only car built today that rides similar to one of these Grand Prixs is an S560 Mercedes, so to get a beautiful quiet riding car now, it’ll cost you 117,000, and before you say who am I to judge, I own a 73 Grand Prix SJ 455 with every conceivable power option, and I own a 2018 E43 Mercedes, the Grand Prix rides 10 times better than my E class, or that Tesla trash
Jack, I’m terribly sorry to hear about your back problems. Hope it heals quickly after the surgery. Yeah, agreed, my excavator rides a lot better than your E class. Probably just as fast too.
Cheers
Involuntary Euthanasia is the only option this Frankenstein’s runabout needs to finish it. (For good‼️)😱
Fred Gwynne maybe….
if you hit a pedestrian they sue you because of the splinters