Some automotive innovations create a wave within the industry and show incredible longevity. Others blaze brightly and briefly across the sky before disappearing into the pages of history. This 1974 Pontiac Grand Safari features an innovation that falls into the second category that improves its practicality. It is a tidy two-owner survivor perfectly suited to an enthusiast with a growing family. It needs a new home, so the owner has listed it here on Craigslist. Located in Aurora, Colorado, it can be yours by handing the seller $8,500. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Gunter K for spotting this wonderful wagon.
Since the first station wagon appeared on the market, manufacturers grappled with the questions of practicality and user-friendliness. The Grand Safari seemed to provide the ideal answer with its “clamshell” tailgate design which they marketed as the Glide-Away Tailgate. For those of us who are “vertically challenged” (short), loading luggage and groceries into a traditional station wagon can prove a chore as we stretch to reach beyond a traditional two-piece tailgate. Pontiac recognized this, and the clamshell was a brilliant feat of engineering. It was electrically operated by a switch on the dash or a key in the rear quarter panel. Kicking it into action allowed the top section to slide into the roof while the lower half slid below the floor. It worked a treat but was never adopted by other manufacturers. Its problems were two-fold. It was a heavy and complicated system that required careful engineering to work reliability. However, it was the cost that sounded the clamshell’s death knell. Manufacturers avoid standard features that add dollars to the sticker price, and this tailgate did that. Therefore, it remained a feature of the First Generation Grand Safari before disappearing from the 1977 model year. Our feature car is a two-owner survivor wearing Crestwood Brown paint. It presents extremely well for its age, with no significant panel or paint issues. It is also a remarkably solid beast. The seller identifies rust in the spare wheel well, although it sounds like the problem might respond well to patching. The rest of the underside and exterior are clean, while the trim and tinted glass are spotless.
The news remains pretty positive when we turn our attention to the wagon’s interior. The substantial crack on the dash pad is one of the few faults worth mentioning. It’s a whopper and is probably beyond repair. Locating a replacement may prove challenging, so if the buyer isn’t keen on a spot of DIY with a product like Polyvance, spending $50 on a cover would hide the problem from prying eyes. The cloth seat covers look nice, with no appreciable wear or damage. The carpet, dash, and other upholstered surfaces continue the theme, and the rear cargo area is surprisingly good for a family wagon. There aren’t loads of optional extras, but the vehicle features air conditioning, an aftermarket AM/FM radio/cassette player, and the versatility of third-row seating. For an enthusiast with a growing family, there’s room for the whole tribe and the family dog!
At 5,112lbs, the Grand Safari is a long way from being an automotive lightweight. Family wagons of this caliber could prove sluggish, but Pontiac did its best to inject some excitement into the driver’s world. Its engine bay houses a 455ci V8 producing 215hp. A three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes ensure an effortless cruising experience in a wagon capable of storming the ¼ mile in 18 seconds. That may not sound like a recipe for excitement, but it’s not bad for a classic capable of swallowing eight people (or nine if you believe the seller). For potential buyers, it is a turnkey proposition. The seller states that it runs and drives well, allowing its new owner to make the most of the remaining summer weather for a spot of family travel.
If you headed out into the new car market today with a fist full of cash seeking a new station wagon, you would return feeling disappointed. You might find something from one of the European or Japanese manufacturers, but none would possess the presence and versatility offered by this 1974 Pontiac Grand Safari. Its presentation is exceptional for its age, and the rust problems appear reasonably insignificant. For an enthusiast with a larger or growing family, it could be a strong candidate to park in their garage. The asking price makes it affordable, and I won’t be surprised if a buyer appears pretty quickly.
Cost wasn’t the only reason the clamshell was dropped for ’77, space utilization was part of it too. The gate dictated the rounded, sloping rear of the biggest-of-the-big ’71-76 wagons, and also needed pockets to slide into – the upper one constrained floor-to-ceiling height and the lower one went where the third row passengers’ feet would with a rear-facing wayback seat, which is why it faced forward in these.
A major design goal of the ’77 B-bodies was equal or better interior space with the reduced bulk, on the wagons that meant reverting to the industry-standard rear facing 3rd row and squaring up the back end.
I had a 72 Springfield green 9 passenger Safari wagon with wood grain sides and a 455 with a 2 barrel what a car it was huge but a pleasure to drive . My folks bought it new From Fisher Pontiac in Putnam CT. it was ordered as a Valentine’s day present from.my Father for my mother in 72 and it came in in time for the family to arrive in style for Easter Sunday Mass
This particular tailgate is manually operated.
They came in both power and manual.
Owners also complained about the time it took to retract the glass and tailgate. 8 seconds doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to thoroughly soak a load of groceries in the days of paper bags that didn’t stand up to water.
Pontiac Station Wagons – Was John Wayne’s Favorite – he had them Customized with Texas Long Horn’s etc. Big car for a Big man – he was 6 ” 4 :)
This wagon brings back some memories, as my sister’s boyfriend drove a 76 Catalina Safari. I thought the Grand Safari got the woodgrain while the Catalina Safari did not – so I’m surprised to not see woodgrain on this car, since it’s a Grand Safari. His car was 17 or 18 years old when he had it, and had 150,000 miles on it. It was old and worn out when I rode around in it, but it had a 455, so it was fast! I remember the rear window was stuck up in the roof, so when it rained, the cargo area got wet. The seat belts were stuck in the retractors, so when you rode in the front seat you couldn’t wear them. The passenger side rear floor was rusted through, so he put a board there so you had something to put your feet onto. We laughed about it’s various faults, and went a lot of places in it. That thing was built like a tank!
You mentioned trying to find a new station wagon, and there being a lack of choices now. We wanted to buy a new or near-new station wagon recently. I really didn’t want a European or Japanese wagon, so the one I could find made by a Big 3 manufacturer was the Buick Regal Tour-X wagon. It was only produced for the 2017 – 2019 model years. I figured a low mileage recent model year wagon would suit or purposes. Well, there are so few of these even around that we would have had to travel far and wide to test drive one to see if we liked it. So, unfortunately we abandoned the idea of getting a station wagon, and we wound up getting a minivan instead. :-(
Amazingly reminds me of neighbors cars as a teen, that would use this to pull a 26′ trailer camper. But nowadays, we need at least an F150 or larger for camper trailers half the weight! Go figure..