1972 · Pontiac · United States
1972 Pontiac Grand Prix: A Carryover Year, Now Rated in Net Horsepower
A carryover year with the SJ still offered; production recovered to 91,961.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
This record's own dek describes 1972 as a carryover year with the SJ still offered, production recovered to 91,961. This record's own overview states that the Grand Prix received high-intensity single headlights, cross-hatched grilles and new tail lamps, that the SJ option remained available, that MuscleCarClub.com gives production of 91,961, and that this was the first Grand Prix year rated only in net horsepower, with no sourced rating table found for the standard engine.1
This record's own keyFacts section states that the SJ's 455 was rated 250 hp and 375 lb-ft net for 1972, against 325 hp gross in 1971, a comparison this record's own text states outright as the reason for the drop; it also states that Pontiac's 1972 brochure listed the 400 four-barrel as standard and the 455 four-barrel as the only available engine, both with Turbo Hydra-matic standard, and gives a factory price of $4,472 and a shipping weight of 3,898 lb for the hardtop. This record's own engines section carries these same two entries, the SJ's 455 four-barrel at 250 hp and 375 lb-ft net, 8.2:1 compression, and the standard 400 four-barrel at 8.2:1 compression with no rating recorded. This record's own transmissions section lists a single entry, Turbo Hydra-matic, standard with both engines.2,3,4
This record's own production section carries a single row, the 91,961 total, sourced to both MuscleCarClub.com and the Standard Catalog of Pontiac, with a note that the two sources share one lineage since MuscleCarClub credits the same book; this record's own production notes state plainly that no breakdown by SJ option, engine, transmission, paint or trim was found in any source reached for the year. This record's own options section is empty for the year, and this record's own paint table lists fifteen colors drawn from the 1972 full-line brochure and the 1972 prestige brochure together.1,4
This record's own interiors section carries two entries: front bucket seats with console and floor shift or a notch-back bench with pull-down center armrest, trimmed in cloth-and-Morrokide or all-Morrokide perforated vinyl; and a standard-equipment entry describing foam-padded front and rear seats, nylon-blend loop-pile carpeting and carpeted lower door panels, a Custom Cushion steering wheel, an electric clock, and teakwood-grain vinyl instrument panel trim.
This record's own specifications section gives an 118.0-inch wheelbase, 213.6-inch overall length, 76.4-inch overall width, 62.0-inch front tread, 60.0-inch rear tread, 52.0-inch overall height, and a 3,898-pound shipping weight for the hardtop coupe, plus interior dimensions of 42.4-inch maximum effective front leg room, 31.6-inch minimum effective rear leg room, 37.5-inch front head room and 36.5-inch rear head room with the seat depressed. It also gives standard axle ratios of 3.08:1 for the 400 (3.23 available) and 3.07:1 for the 455 (3.31 available), and G78-14 blackwall standard tires.4
This record's own performance and conflicts sections are both empty for the year, leaving no period road test and no disputed figure on record for the 1972 Grand Prix. This record's own identification section gives the Grand Prix as series 2K, body style K57, noting the reading comes from OCR of the Standard Catalog table showing "2K 2K57," the same table this record's own production and price rows are drawn from.4
Fact sheet · 1972 · United States
The numbers
1972 Pontiac Grand Prix and SJ — A carryover year with the SJ still offered; production recovered to 91,961.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
- 1972 Grand Prix production: 91,961.1
- The SJ's 455 was rated 250 hp and 375 lb-ft net for 1972, against 325 hp gross in 1971.2,3
- Pontiac's 1972 brochure listed the 400 4-bbl V-8 as standard and the 455 4-bbl as the only available engine, both with Turbo Hydra-matic as standard equipment.
- Factory price $4,472 and shipping weight 3,898 lb for the 1972 Grand Prix hardtop.4
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix 2-door hardtop coupe1,4 Grand Prix · 2-door hardtop coupe · not stated by source Standard Catalog lineage; the Standard Catalog of Pontiac (2002) gives the same figure and is the book MuscleCarClub credits, so the two sources are one lineage. | 91,961 | built, model-year | Reported |
The only production figure found is the Standard Catalog total. No breakdown by SJ option, engine, transmission, paint or trim was found in any source reached.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix 2-door hardtop coupe4 | $4,472 | factory price as listed by the Standard Catalog, 1972 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 455 4-bbl (SJ)2 455 cu in · 4-barrel | 250 hp, 375 lb-ft (SAE net) | SJ | Not yet sourced |
| 400 4-bbl V-8 400 cu in · 4-barrel, 8.2:1 compression | standard | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Turbo Hydra-matic | standard with both engines | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
|
Cameo White | Not yet sourced |
|
Brittany Beige | Not yet sourced |
|
Shadow Gold | Not yet sourced |
|
Brasilia Gold | Not yet sourced |
|
Springfield Green | Not yet sourced |
|
Wilderness Green | Not yet sourced |
|
Adriatic Blue | Not yet sourced |
|
Revere Silver | Not yet sourced |
|
Cardinal Red | Not yet sourced |
|
Starlight Black | Not yet sourced |
|
Quezal Gold | Not yet sourced |
|
Lucerne Blue | Not yet sourced |
|
Anaconda Gold | Not yet sourced |
|
Monarch Yellow | Not yet sourced |
|
Sundance Orange | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Interiors
| Code | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
|
Front bucket seats with console and floor shift, or notch-back bench seat with pull-down centre armrest; trim in cloth-and-Morrokide (vertically ribbed cord) or all-Morrokide (new perforated vinyl) | Not yet sourced |
|
Standard: foam-padded front and rear seats, nylon-blend loop-pile carpeting and carpeted lower door panels, Custom Cushion steering wheel, electric clock, instrument panel trim of teakwood-grain vinyl | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping weight4 | 3,898 lb | Grand Prix hardtop |
| Wheelbase | 118 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Overall length | 213.6 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Overall width | 76.4 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Front tread | 62 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Rear tread | 60 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Overall height | 52 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Front leg room (maximum effective) | 42.4 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Rear leg room (minimum effective) | 31.6 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Front head room (seat depressed) | 37.5 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Rear head room (seat depressed) | 36.5 in | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
| Standard axle ratio, 400 4-bbl | 3.08 (3.23 available) :1 | Grand Prix |
| Standard axle ratio, 455 4-bbl | 3.07 (3.31 available) :1 | Grand Prix |
| Standard tyres | G78-14 blackwall | Grand Prix hardtop coupe |
Identification
- Series and body
- Series 2K, body style K57 (two-door hardtop), as read from the Standard Catalog table (OCR shows "2K 2K57").4
Identification
Read a 1972 Pontiac VIN
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Same model year
Also in 1972
- AMC AMX The first year of SAE net ratings and Chrysler-built TorqueFlite automatics. Javelin AMX production rose to 3,220, and the 304 V8 became available.
- AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX The first V8 Gremlin: the 304 (150 hp SAE net) in AMC's subcompact. Gremlin X production is not published in any source found.
- AMC Javelin The base model was dropped, so every non-AMX Javelin was an SST. This was the first year of the Pierre Cardin interior and of Chrysler-built automatics.
- Buick Riviera Net ratings only for 1972: 250 hp standard, 260 GS per ROA; 2,171 of 33,728 were GS.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX The last A-body GS year before the Colonnade Century; the GSX package, now in many colours, was invoiced on only 44 cars, most of them outside the lower 48 states.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The last Z15 Chevelle SS of the first generation: net-rated engines, an LS5 454 at 270 net hp, and 5,333 SS 454s.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova The source engine table switches to net ratings; SS and Rally Nova offered. Enthusiast-compiled production: 349,733 cars; Super Sport 12,309.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS Last year of the Chevelle-bodied El Camino SS; 50,359 V8 Malibu El Caminos were built, and the SS share is not separately published.
- Dodge Challenger Hardtop only, with a new grille: the R/T gave way to the Challenger Rallye package, and the most powerful engine listed was the 340 four-barrel.
- Dodge Charger The R/T and Super Bee were dropped; the new Rallye package became the performance Charger, and the 440 Six Pack was cancelled after a handful of cars.
- Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon The Demon's second and final year under that name: 8,773 Demon 340s, with small Canadian and Swiss-market 340 runs counted separately.
- Ford Maverick Grabber The dual-scoop-hood Grabber in its second year as a model; Classic Industries counts 35,347.
- Ford Ranchero GT The Ranchero GT continued on the 1972-76 Ranchero; 12,620 GTs were built, per reference-site counts in the Standard Catalog lineage.
- Ford Thunderbird First year of the sixth-generation Thunderbird; only the whole-line production total was found.
- Ford Torino The new body-on-frame Torino sold 496,645 in 1972; the performance models were the Gran Torino Sport SportsRoof (60,794) and hardtop (31,239), with the 351 Cobra Jet and a Rallye Equipment Group on the option list.
- Mercury Cougar Net ratings arrived, the 429 was gone, and the 351 Cobra Jet became the performance Cougar engine, fitted to 3,560 cars.
- Mercury Montego GT The first year of the fastback-only Montego GT on the new split-wheelbase intermediate, with the Cyclone name reduced to a performance option that only a few dozen buyers took.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The 4-4-2 became a Cutlass option again, engines were rated in SAE net (W-30: 300 hp), and a Hurst/Olds paced the Indianapolis 500.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda Hardtops only, single headlamps, four round taillamps, and a 340 four-barrel as the top engine: the 'Cuda carried it as standard.
- Plymouth Duster 340 and 360 In the first net-rating year the Duster 340's 8.5:1 340 was rated 240 net hp with electronic ignition, the Twister became order code A51, and output rose to 15,681 in both compilations.
- Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite For 1972 the GTX existed only as the 440 four-barrel option on the Road Runner hardtop; Mueller's Muscle Car Source Book counts 672 of them.
- Plymouth Road Runner The hardtop-only Road Runner took a 400 four-barrel as its advertised standard engine, and production fell again.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am A strike-shortened year: 29,951 Firebirds and 1,286 Trans Ams, every one a 455 HO.
- Pontiac GTO The GTO goes back to being an option on the LeMans, with net ratings only; 5,807 were built.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The GTO becomes a LeMans option, and the LeMans gets WW4 and WW5 performance packages.