Pontiac Grand Am

The Pontiac Grand Am began in 1973 as a midsize car on the GM A platform. It had two 3-year runs; 1973 to 1975 and 1978 to 1980, after which the A-body Grand Am was cancelled, and replaced by the Pontiac 6000 for 1982. From 1985 to 2006, all Pontiac Grand Ams were built in Lansing, Michigan.

1985

The Pontiac Grand Am was reintroduced as a compact car by GM in 1985 to replace the Phoenix. It was based on the N platform, along with its siblings the Buick Somerset and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais.

1992

In 1992, the GM N platform was redesigned, resulting in a newer looking Grand Am. The redesign was radical compared to the 1989 refresh of its midsize cousin, the Pontiac 6000, due to the fact that it no longer bore a resemblence to its X-body ancestors.

This generation was available with either a four or six-cylinder engine. The top engine choice was a 2.3L 16-valve High Output Quad-4 which produced 175hp (130kW) at 6200 RPM and 155ft·lbf (210N·m) at 5200 RPM. There were minor cosmetic changes in 1996, and the last year of this Grand Am was 1998.

1999

In 1999, the Grand Am was redesigned once again, with its only identical sibling being the Oldsmobile Alero. The very first 1999 Grand Am rolled off the assembly line on June 15, 1998. In 2002, the design was further refined by removing the ribbed body cladding for a "cleaner" appearance.

This generation of the Grand Am was sold in five variants, the SE, SE1, SE2, GT, and GT1. Each variant added various features such as power windows and locks, dual rear exhausts, a rear spoiler, a more powerful engine (3.4 L V6) than the Ecotec, or alloy wheels. Safety features as dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes were now standard throughout the line, as well as traction control (ETS). The Pontiac Grand Am enjoyed success as a compact sedan filling a niche as a comfortable, affordable, reliable, yet sporty car.

In the American market, when the Sunfire sedan was dropped for 2003, the Grand Am sedan was the only compact sedan in Pontiac's lineup.