1978 · Pontiac · United States
1978 Pontiac LeMans: the downsized generation
The LeMans is downsized to a 108.1-inch wheelbase, with a 231 V6 standard, a 305 V8 the only LeMans V8 listed, and a Rally RTS handling package as its sporting option.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
This record's own dek states that the LeMans is downsized to a 108.1-inch wheelbase for 1978, with a 231 V6 standard, a 305 V8 the only LeMans V8 listed, and a Rally RTS handling package as its sporting option. This record's own overview states that Pontiac's 1978 prestige brochure lists the downsized Grand LeMans and LeMans as a coupe and a sedan beside the revived Grand Am, with the 3.8-liter 231 two-barrel V6 and a floor-shift three-speed manual standard, automatic mandatory in California and high-altitude counties, and a 5.0-liter 305 two-barrel V8 with automatic as the only V8 option, the 301 four-barrel and four-speed manual listed for the Grand Am only.
This record's own overview states that the LeMans rode on 185/75R14 fiberglass-belted radials with Radial Tuned Suspension, and that the Rally RTS handling package added 205/70R14 steel-belted radials, white sidewall or white letter, and large front and rear stabilizer bars. This record's own key facts state that the 1978 LeMans coupe measured 199.2 inches long on a 108.1-inch wheelbase, against 208.0 inches and 112.0 inches for the 1977 LeMans two-door, a comparison this record's own key facts draw with citations to both the 1978 and 1977 brochures.
This record's own production rows document five separately scoped catalogue body totals from 15,714 LeMans Safari wagons to 22,728 LeMans four-door sedans, with the Grand LeMans Safari production cell not recoverable from the source's own OCR, its price shown under prices instead. This record's own production notes document an extensive 2026-09-25 search for a combined LeMans-nameplate total that found none in the Standard Catalog of American Cars, automobile-catalog.com, or conceptcarz.com, naming a Pontiac Historic Services request or a period trade digest as the best remaining sources.1
This record's own prices section documents twelve catalogue price points across six body styles, from $4,405 for a V6 LeMans coupe to $5,415 for a V8 Grand LeMans Safari, a spread of $1,010 across the full range. This record's own engines section documents the standard 231 V6 and the 305 two-barrel V8, the only V8 listed for LeMans and Grand LeMans, alongside a transmissions section documenting the standard floor-shift three-speed manual not offered in California or high-altitude counties and an automatic mandatory there instead.1
Sixteen exterior colors are documented for the year without production counts, including Dark Charcoal and Burnished Gold, both specific two-tone-only colors, and three interior trims are documented from a standard LeMans cloth-and-vinyl bench to Grand LeMans loose-pillow velour, none of the sixteen colors carrying a production figure. This record's own identification section documents five specific two-tone order-code pairings, from Dark Charcoal over Platinum to Carmine over Claret.
This record's own specifications section documents the new 108.1-inch wheelbase, a 199.2-inch overall length for the coupe against 198.5 for the sedan, a 72.4-inch width, a 58.5-inch front and 57.8-inch rear track, a 16.4-cubic-foot trunk, a 17.5-gallon fuel tank, and standard 185/75R14 tires against 205/70R14 on Grand LeMans and with Rally RTS, and its performance and conflicts sections are both empty for the year, a documented gap rather than an assumption that no such data exists.
Fact sheet · 1978 · United States
The numbers
1978 Pontiac LeMans — The LeMans is downsized to a 108.1-inch wheelbase, with a 231 V6 standard, a 305 V8 the only LeMans V8 listed, and a Rally RTS handling package as its sporting option.
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
- The 1978 LeMans coupe measured 199.2 in long on a 108.1 in wheelbase, against 208.0 in and 112.0 in for the 1977 LeMans two-door.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeMans 2-door coupe (D27)1 LeMans · 2-door coupe (D27) · not stated Catalogue production total for the body style, all engines. Rows are separately scoped by body and must not be added into a series total unless a source states one. | 20,581 | not stated (catalogue production total), model-year | Reported |
| LeMans 4-door sedan (D19)1 LeMans · 4-door sedan (D19) · not stated Catalogue production total for the body style, all engines. Rows are separately scoped by body and must not be added into a series total unless a source states one. | 22,728 | not stated (catalogue production total), model-year | Reported |
| LeMans Safari wagon (D35)1 LeMans Safari · 4-door 2-seat wagon (D35) · not stated Catalogue production total for the body style, all engines. Rows are separately scoped by body and must not be added into a series total unless a source states one. | 15,714 | not stated (catalogue production total), model-year | Reported |
| Grand LeMans 2-door coupe (F27)1 Grand LeMans · 2-door coupe (F27) · not stated Catalogue production total for the body style, all engines. Rows are separately scoped by body and must not be added into a series total unless a source states one. | 18,433 | not stated (catalogue production total), model-year | Reported |
| Grand LeMans 4-door sedan (F19)1 Grand LeMans · 4-door sedan (F19) · not stated Catalogue production total for the body style, all engines. Rows are separately scoped by body and must not be added into a series total unless a source states one. | 21,252 | not stated (catalogue production total), model-year | Reported |
Production by body comes from the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999; no count of any sporting package (Rally RTS handling package) was found. Pontiac Historic Services, the 1978 Pontiac AMA/MVMA specifications and a 1978 Pontiac order guide would add engine, package and option detail.
The paint list is Pontiac's own 1978 colour page, filtered to colours the page makes available on the LeMans; the Grand Am is a separate subject.
Body-style rows from the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 are catalogue production totals of unstated accounting basis and do not identify sporting packages; they are separately scoped from any secondary totals already in this record and must not be combined with them.
The Grand LeMans Safari (F35) production cell was not recoverable from the OCR; its price is shown under prices.
A combined LeMans-nameplate total (LeMans + Grand LeMans, all bodies) for 1978 was searched for on 2026-09-25 and not found. The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999 (Flammang/Kowalke, 3rd ed.; archive.org item standardcatalogo0000flam_a4p7, searched inside) has no 'LeMans Total' phrase anywhere in the book; it prints only the per-body-style rows already used here. automobile-catalog.com's LeMans 5th-generation production page (same-lineage secondary compilation, not registered as a source here) lists only the same three LeMans-trim body rows already in this record (22,728 + 20,581 + 15,714), carries no Grand LeMans rows for 1978 at all, and states no total. conceptcarz.com groups model years 1978-1982 under one representative page (its 1979 entry, already cited elsewhere in this subject), with no separate 1978 page or total. Unresolved; best remaining sources are a Pontiac Historic Services production-report request or a period trade digest (Ward's Automotive Yearbook / Automotive News Almanac model-year production tables).
Re-checked 2026-09-29: the conceptcarz.com LeMans series table (https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/series.aspx?modelID=717) carries a production figure only for 1967, 1969-1973, 1975-1977 and 1979, so it has no 1978 row. No whole-year 1978 LeMans total was found in any other accessible source, and none is derived from the body rows here. A Pontiac Historic Services production report or a period trade table (Ward's Automotive Yearbook) would close it.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Factory price, LeMans 2-door coupe (D27), V-61 | $4,405 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, LeMans 2-door coupe (D27), V-81 | $4,555 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, LeMans 4-door sedan (D19), V-61 | $4,480 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, LeMans 4-door sedan (D19), V-81 | $4,630 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, LeMans Safari wagon (D35), V-61 | $4,937 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, LeMans Safari wagon (D35), V-81 | $5,086 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, Grand LeMans 2-door coupe (F27), V-61 | $4,777 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, Grand LeMans 2-door coupe (F27), V-81 | $4,927 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, Grand LeMans 4-door sedan (F19), V-61 | $4,881 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, Grand LeMans 4-door sedan (F19), V-81 | $5,031 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, Grand LeMans Safari wagon (F35), V-61 | $5,265 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
| Factory price, Grand LeMans Safari wagon (F35), V-81 | $5,415 | factory price (catalogue column), base car before options; catalogue price note: figure left of the slash for the V-6, right for the V-8, 1978 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8-litre (231) V6, 2-bbl 231 cu in · two-barrel | standard, Grand LeMans and LeMans | Not yet sourced | |
| 5.0-litre (305) V8, 2-bbl 305 cu in · two-barrel | optional, Grand LeMans, LeMans and Grand Am; mandatory base engine on Grand Am in California | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3-speed manual, floor shift | standard on Grand LeMans and LeMans; not in California or high-altitude counties | Not yet sourced |
| Automatic | optional; mandatory in California and high-altitude counties | Not yet sourced |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rally RTS handling package (205/70R14 steel-belted radials, large front and rear stabilizer bars) | — | Not yet sourced |
W50RPO |
Appearance option, specific two-tone colors with accent stripes | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Rally gauge cluster with tachometer and trip odometer (also with clock) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Bucket seats; sporty console with bucket seats and automatic | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Safe-T-Track rear axle | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Cast aluminum wheels; Rally wheels with trim rings; wire wheel covers | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Power glass or metal sunroof | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Accent stripes | — | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
11 |
Cameo White | Not yet sourced |
15 |
Platinum | Not yet sourced |
16 |
Dark Charcoal (specific two-tone lower colour with 15 Platinum only) | Not yet sourced |
19 |
Starlight Black | Not yet sourced |
21 |
Dresden Blue | Not yet sourced |
22 |
Glacier Blue | Not yet sourced |
29 |
Nautilus Blue | Not yet sourced |
44 |
Seafoam Green | Not yet sourced |
45 |
Mayfair Green | Not yet sourced |
56 |
Burnished Gold (specific two-tone and accent colour only) | Not yet sourced |
61 |
Desert Sand | Not yet sourced |
63 |
Laredo Brown | Not yet sourced |
67 |
Ember Mist | Not yet sourced |
69 |
Chesterfield Brown | Not yet sourced |
77 |
Carmine | Not yet sourced |
79 |
Claret | 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 |
|---|---|---|
|
LeMans standard: full-width front seat in cloth and vinyl, fully upholstered door panels, regal walnut vinyl instrument-panel applique, deluxe cushion steering wheel | Not yet sourced |
|
Grand LeMans: loose-pillow notchback velour seats with fold-down armrest; all-vinyl at no extra cost; luxury cushion steering wheel | Not yet sourced |
|
Optional bucket seats and 60/40 split front seat | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 108.1 in | coupe and sedan (2745 mm) |
| Overall length | 199.2 in | coupe (sedan 198.5) |
| Overall width | 72.4 in | coupe and sedan |
| Track, front/rear | 58.5/57.8 in | coupe and sedan |
| Trunk capacity | 16.4 cu ft | coupe and sedan |
| Fuel tank | 17.5 US gal | Grand LeMans and LeMans (66 litres) |
| Standard tires | 185/75R14 GM-specification fiberglass-belted radial | LeMans (205/70R14 steel-belted on Grand LeMans and with Rally RTS) |
Identification
- Specific two-tone order codes (W50)
- 16L/15U Dark Charcoal over Platinum; 29L/22U Nautilus Blue over Glacier Blue; 45L/44U Mayfair Green over Seafoam Green; 56L/61U Burnished Gold over Desert Sand; 77L/79U Carmine over Claret.
Identification
Read a 1978 Pontiac VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1978
- AMC AMX For one year the AMX was a Concord-based hatchback with the 258 six or 304 V8. Only an approximate production figure has been found.
- Buick Regal Turbo, Grand National and GNX The downsized Regal introduced Buick's production turbo V-6 in the Sport Coupe, and 1978 was the best turbo Regal sales year until 1987.
- Buick Riviera Buick's 75th-anniversary LXXV edition was about one in seven of 20,535 Rivieras.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova No SS in the source production table; Rally package offered. Enthusiast-compiled production: 288,109 cars.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS RPO Z15 El Camino Super Sport trim on the fifth-generation El Camino; no production count from a verifiable source was found.
- Ford Ranchero GT No sourced 1978 Ranchero GT production figure was found; only the Squire sibling (908) is reported outside forum posts.
- Ford Thunderbird Record Thunderbird production; the Diamond Jubilee Edition marked Ford's 75th year.
- Mercury Cougar Outside the muscle focus: 213,270 Cougars for 1978 per Wikipedia's table.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds An appearance and handling option in this period; no Hurst/Olds was offered and no production figure was found.
- Plymouth Road Runner The Volare Road Runner package required a V-8, and output collapsed.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am Gold joins black: 93,341 Trans Ams, 8,666 Solar Gold Special Editions, and a 220 hp W72 whose count nobody agrees on.
- Pontiac Grand Prix A downsized A-body Grand Prix with V6 and 301/305 V8 power.