A Grand Duke: 1988 Pontiac Grand AM

A 1988 Pontiac Grand Am, heh? I remember the Grand Am’s introduction in ’73; it was to be another premium variation on GM’s famous A-body platform. It was even supposed to house the vaunted SD 455 CI engine, but that, unfortunately, never came to pass. So, by ’88, this citizen of New London, Minnesota, was what was now occupying the Grand Am slot – the one that Pontiac proclaimed in 1973 to have “The feel of the Grand Prix…the response of a GTO… the qualities you’ve admired in the desirable imports.” Hmmm… this one seems quite a bit removed from the original design, and maybe the intention too, of what the new Grand Am was supposed to be. But let’s be fair and see what this N-body front-wheel-driver brought to GM’s “Excitement” division. You’ll find this recently repainted Poncho listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,200, OBO. I have to thank Lothar…of the Hill People for bagging this scalp!

We don’t review many 38-year-old cars here on BF. And there’s a reason for that, as true barn finds are usually a much older breed. Also, some might argue that the late eighties are elusive of more memorable models – maybe a time more infused with forgettable marques and models. I’m not going to take sides – every generation has some items worthy of consideration. Pontiac, one of America’s most venerable brands, is defunct, and 38 years of age isn’t exactly the province of late-model cars and trucks. Anyway, what’s in a name? What does Grand Am really mean? Search me fish, every time I tried to define the name’s origin, I kept getting responses that alluded to simply a Pontiac model. Grand – Great? Am – America? That’s the best I can come up with. Anyway, this ’88 Grand Am hails from the third-gen (’85-’91) and is one of 235K produced that year – pretty popular! Body styles were two or four-door sedans with trim levels of standard, LE (our subject), and SE.

This one was originally silver, but the seller states, “Original paint was peeling on the hood, roof, and trunk, so I sanded it down and gave it a fresh coat of white paint.” What I can’t tell from the images is whether this Tin Indian is now wearing a roller job, a Maaco-quality application, or if this fella really knows his stuff. From what can be seen, it appears to be a thorough job, with full coverage (including the door lock cylinders). The seller adds, “98% rust-free.”

Sittin’ sideways up front is a 98 net HP, 2.5 liter, in-line four-cylinder engine known as the “Iron Duke.” A lot has been said about this Pontiac powerplant, i.e., “an agrarian implement”, “sounds and runs like a pea thrasher”, but maybe most importantly, “it’s reliable.” The seller claims that this 68K-mile example “Runs, drives, and looks like new. Everything works …” A three-speed automatic transaxle spins the front wheels.

The interior is GM all the way and could have come out of any other car they assembled 38 years ago. It has typical gray fabric upholstery, and it appears to be in fine shape. The instrument panel layout is simple but functional in a minimalist way. I really can’t detect any wear, and as a minor note, it looks like someone’s Starbucks got away from them and doused the passenger-side footwell – it’s really minor. The seller mentions “Ice cold A/C.”

Pontiac at one time proclaimed, “We build Excitement!“? Yeah, but maybe not in this case; this one’s basically a benign, sporty compact that appears to be in good shape. And that leads to my next thought: who would be the most likely target market for this 1988 Pontiac Grand Am LE?