Why The 1991 Pontiac Grand Am Was Way Cooler Than You Remember
The early 1990s were far from a banner era for US automakers, with burgeoning fuel economy standards and the increased popularity of Japanese imports taking a bite out of the Big Three's market share year after year. As muscle cars gave way to leaner, more family-friendly models, automakers were forced to find a balance between performance and practicality, fun and frugality.
One car that struck that balance almost perfectly was the 1991 Pontiac Grand Am, but the Grand Am was largely forgotten when General Motors discontinued the Pontiac brand in 2009. The 1991 Grand Am, in particular, deserved better than to be relegated to the scrap heap of automotive history.
While many Grand Ams were equipped with the 2.5 liter Iron Duke engine, some lucky owners got the DOHC 2.3L Quad 4, which could put out 180hp, push the sporty-looking beast from 0-60 in just 7.2 seconds, and wind it up to a top speed of 137 mph while delivering a combined fuel economy of 27 mpg.
The Grand Am also featured some cutting-edge audio technology
While most Grand Ams came with a three-speed automatic, a five-speed manual transmission was also available, turning the Grand Am into a sporty, fun-to-drive road machine. Murilee Martin of Autoblog even found one such specimen in a junkyard in California. However, sadly, it appeared to no longer be in running condition, with more than 228,000 miles on the odometer. "The Quad 4 ran a little rough and uncivilized, and it had its share of reliability problems, but you could rev the p— out of it and it made good power," she wrote.
"In 1991, this engine was rated at 180 hp. That made this 2,592-pound sedan pretty quick." Along with its adrenaline-producing drivetrain, the 1991 Grand Am also came with an AC Delco CD changer equipped with a 7-band graphic equalizer, which was remarkable audio technology long before Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While Pontiac has long since stopped making vehicles of any kind, let alone the Grand Am, the 1991 model is still prized by auto collectors; one sold last year for $16,500.