Pontiac was at the top of its game going into the 1970s. The ’64 GTO had been a huge success. The ’67 Firebird was incredibly popular. The restyled ’69 Grand Prix was a smash hit. And the midyear ’69 introductions of the GTO Judge and Firebird Trans Am let customers and competitors know that Pontiac was serious about its image.
The styling of Pontiac’s ’73 Grand Prix is simply stunning, even in Desert Sand- a color we consider obscure today.
Metallic exterior colors were wildly popular within the industry at that time. Non-metallic whites and reds were also quite popular. And creamy and/or bright yellows were color palette mainstays. What did Pontiac do to draw consumer attention toward its boldly-styled Firebird 400 and GTO Judge during 1969? It purposefully selected a non-metallic impact color named Carousel Red to make its super cars stand out in a crowd. And it worked! How unmistakable is a bright orange ’69 Judge?!
As Pontiac’s General Manager, John DeLorean sought to keep his division’s vehicles in the consumer’s eye. He accomplished that with eye-popping exterior colors like Carousel Red. Here, a bright-orange '69 Judge lives as an everyday vehicle.
Then came the 1970s. Pontiac remained on trend with vehicle performance and exciting styling. The second-generation Firebird introduced in 1970 retains a cult-like following. Popular were the boat-tail Grand Prix that debuted for ’71 and the restyled full-size models. And then Bill Porter and his team in Pontiac Studio went a step beyond and somehow improved upon a masterpiece to produce the ’73 Grand Prix!
Also in the the early 1970s GM moved toward earth-toned exterior colors for its divisions. Just think of all the silver, gold, green, and brown Pontiacs, Chevys, Buicks, and Olds vehicles produced in that era. If your mind is like mine, it instantly drifts toward metallic colors of those days. We simply don’t always think of the non-metallic colors that GM offered back then.
When I think of the quintessential early-70s Pontiac, a family scene like this, complete with a ’71 LeMans 4-door in a metallic earth-toned exterior color accented by a vinyl top comes to mind.
There was code-61 Sandalwood for ’71. Then code-50 Brittany Beige and code-62 Spice Beige for 1972. Although 1973’s code-48 Brewster Green is quite popular today, particularly with Firebird enthusiasts, as attractive as we find it, it wasn’t overly popular with other models and dropped after that year. There was also code-81 Mesa Tan and code-56 Desert Sand for ’73. And the list went on each succeeding year.
Overlooking these colors isn’t because we don’t like them today. It’s more closely related to the fact that they weren’t as impactful as their metallic counterparts when new and/or vehicles in these colors aren’t often the subject of modern restorations. No matter the case, with Pontiac hovering at or near the county’s third largest automaker at that time, we cannot deny the fact that thousands and thousands of Pontiacs were produced in these colors.
The sharp shapes and angles lend the ’73-77 Grand Prix a unique appearance that others sought to copy.
As a Grand Prix enthusiast with particular interest in ’73-75 models, I happened across some vintage photos in my collection that piqued my interest. They depict what appears to be a very new ’73 Grand Prix J. As I spent a moment to really look them over, I first noticed the unusual exterior color—Desert Sand. I had seen other GM vehicles in that color over the years, but it wasn't ever fresh and really lacked luster.
Based on my past experience with Desert Sand, I wondered why anyone would choose such muted exterior color for the timeless shape of Pontiac’s ’73 G-body. When combined with my subliminally preconceived notion about the unpopularity of non-metallic earth tones, “How much better this would this car have looked if it were Admiralty Blue, Florentine Red, or even one of the greens or golds,” I thought.
The split-grille front treatment accented by thin chrome bumper gives the ’73 Grand Prix a look of its own.
Then I caught myself. Rather than take that perspective, I decided to make an attempt at better understanding what the images truly represented. When considering the overall composition of the photos, they were taken by a person skillful with camera. And the subject, a classy ’73 Grand Prix J in a fresh coat of Desert Sand accented by a black vinyl roof and black interior, copious amounts of chrome, and sporty Rally II wheels, was a vehicle whose owner was quite proud of!
While Desert Sand wouldn’t have been my first exterior color choice that year, I have a new found appreciation for the hue in a factory-fresh state.
With this new approach, what was once an odd color combination started making more sense to me. I realized not every ’73 Grand Prix was delivered in the various color combinations that constitute my personal choices that year. And while Desert Sand would probably be one of my last choices, I have a better appreciation and respect for the person whose it was. After all, these photos clearly reflect the proudness of someone who felt that code-56 Desert Sand was the best choice for their new Grand Prix!
Do you own a popular Pontiac in an obscure color? I’d love to hear about it, or better yet, see a picture of it!