For 1969, Pontiac sought to make a bold redesign of its full-size personal luxury car. This all-new third-generation Grand Prix would abandon its full-size roots for the G-body platform, creating a sleek luxury coupe that seemed equal parts sophistication and muscle. Buyers seemed to like what they saw, as sales exploded from under 32,000 units in 1968 to 112,486 in 1969 alone. More than half a century later, you can bid on this Fair Lawn, New Jersey example sent in by BarnFinds reader Curvette here on eBay. The high bid is currently $8,520, but the reserve has not been met.
The Grand Prix was now 3 inches shorter than before, but I’ve always thought the 3rd generation Grand Prix appears longer and lower. Even base units conveyed a refined, driver-focused alternative to both muscle cars and traditional luxury coupes, despite being a good blend of both. This one-year Pontiac-exclusive G-body platform led the way for Chevrolet’s use of the same platform for its 1970 Monte Carlo.
This Grand Prix’s mirror-like red paint perfectly highlights the endless hood, flowing into a sharp V-nose grille flanked by dual headlamps. The seller tells us it’s “100% clean and rust-free.” Flush “pop-open” door handles, concealed windshield wipers, integrated radio antenna, gleaming chrome bumpers, and factory Rally II wheels wrapped in fresh white-letter tires create a silhouette that doesn’t feel a half-century old.
Opening the door reveals Pontiac’s Command Seat” cockpit, one of the most driver-centric interiors of the 1960s. Black bucket seats embrace the front seaT occupants, while a full-length center console and wraparound dashboard angle every control—Rally gauges, woodgrain accents, and climate knobs—directly toward the driver. This restored interior doesn’t feel overdone and well matches the exterior condition.
Beneath that massive hood sits a Pontiac 400 cubic-inch V8 – one of 2 displacements available for 1969 – which sends power to the rear wheels from a 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission. With only 87,706 miles and the seller’s claim of needing “nothing but a good time,” I’d expect this Grand Prix to be ideal for effortless highway cruising..
This 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix embodies 1960s excitement: bold styling, innovative design, and genuine American V8 power wrapped in luxurious comfort. I’d be happy to take this one on some spirited drives and be proud to show it on cruise nights. It looks to be a good balance of cleanliness, originality, and ready-to-go-ness.
Sharp.
Hidden headlights? Where did that come from?
Good catch, bw! I was reading an article on a 71 Charger and didn’t have my head in the right place.
Updated now.
It’s concealed windshield wipers not headlights
First one to have the antenna in the windshield. Remember the tv commercials?
I didn’t see that. I did see ‘concealed wipers’ though. Nice car. A friend’s dad had one in green. It was an awesome machine to us high schoolers.
We were all out of the house by then and my mother decided it was time for a new car and not have to worry about kids in it. This is exactly the same car she went out and bought for herself. She enjoyed the power and loved taken on the younger guys at stop lights, it was a quick car.
fully restored. i would have to question that statement because it does not look restored under the hood and i see rust stains running down inside the trunk coming from the roof. yes, it was restored but to what quality?
These big cars are in need of the biggest engines in the line up and need every inch they can get and all the torque available in the biggest engine made that year if you want them to do the job that’s expected from something that looks like the Gran Prix. Don’t get me wrong here, the 400 Pontiac was a fantastic engine it’s just that IMHO I think it belongs in a Firebird that weighs a half a ton less where the added ponies and torque of a 428 isn’t needed. If you’re gonna be a Bear……..Be a Grizzly!
THIS car was a cruiser . . . . . The SJ came with a 428. A 4 speed manual transmission was availabe, of which only 302 were made, with 116 being the high performance, 390 HP variant. Overall, around 11,000 SJ’s were sold in 1969. . . . . . ALL of them with the 428. Many of them with the HI-PO engine.
Nice car. These cars took up a lot of room but they looked good and ran good. Not going to have any problem finding it in a parking lot.
My model j had a variable pitch stator w/ a switch below the dash. Im crying again.
Also . . . we didn’t consider these cars to be big in 1969 . . . . . The Bonneville, on the other hand . . . . .
The platform was used on the 70-72 GPs also