From Pagodas and Pontoons to Coke Bottles and Colonnades, distinctive car styling themes often earn some pretty interesting nicknames.
And one of our personal favorites is “Boat Tail”, a term that refers to a sleek, tapered rear end.
Perhaps the most popular Boat Tail example comes from the classic Auburn speedsters of the prewar era, like-a so:
For many gearheads though, a close second to those drool-worthy Auburns is the 1971-73 Buick Riviera.
With styling chief Bill Mitchell at the helm (yes, the man who brought us the C2 Corvette), the 1970 Riviera bowed with a striking Boat Tail rear end—and if you look long enough, you can probably see a little Sting Ray influence there too.
Want to learn more about the C2 Corvette styling? We talked to the guy that penned it: A Conversation with Automotive Icon Peter Brock
…But here’s the thing, Buick wasn’t the only one cribbing Auburn’s notes on Boat Tail styling.
In fact, back in 1963 (yup, the same year that the C2 Corvette debuted), Pontiac released its own flavor of the tapered rear end on its XP-765—a concept car that was poised to influence the next generation Grand Prix.
And if we’re being honest, you could’ve told us this was a preproduction AMC Marlin and we would’ve probably believed you.
At any rate, the XP-765 quietly faded away as the Grand Prix entered its second generation (1965-68) wearing more traditional Pontiac three-box styling.
It wasn’t until John DeLorean got the taste for a new personal luxury coupe that the Grand Prix would start veering away from its full size B-body origin and shrink down to the sporty new A-body.
We’ve talked about the 3rd-gen. Grand Prix before, and there was already a lot to like about DeLorean’s performance influence—but it’s the Grand Prix’s mid-cycle 1971 styling refresh that brings us to today’s Lot Shots Vehicle Feature.
The first thing you’ll notice is, when compared to the 1969-70 models, the Grand Prix got a mild facelift that included an integrated bumper and switch from quad to dual headlights.
But the party really gets going out back, where we see that the Grand Prix’s previously squared off rear deck has been reshaped with distinctive tapered sheetmetal that quietly echoes the 1963 XP-765 concept.
Sure, it’s not as pronounced as the concept and it certainly doesn’t demand the attention of the aforementioned Riviera, but the classic Boat Tail look is unmistakable to the trained eye.
So when this classic Pontiac rumbled into the Summit Racing Retail Store outside Akron, Ohio a while back, we grabbed our camera to take some pics.
It’s impeccably clean and the color-matched Torq-Thrust wheels are a nice touch.
The interior is spotless and the shifter tells us that it’s one of the TH400-equipped cars. While we couldn’t find the owner to confirm what’s under the hood, for 1971 your engine options were a pair of 400s making either 350 or 370 horsepower.
Heavy-footed drivers could also opt for the fearsome 428 that cranked out close to 400 hp.
Though the third-gen. Grand Prix itself didn’t last too long, the Boat Tail look must’ve been popular around the Pontiac styling department, as it carried over into the Colonnade era with the 1973 Grand Prix redesign.
In fact, there was still evidence of the tapered rear decklid as the Grand Prix closed out its rear-wheel drive era as a GM G-body coupe in the mid-1980s—enduring well after the Buick Riviera had abandoned the Boat Tail in 1974, by the way.
So the next time you hear folks raving about the iconic Boat Tail Auburns or the jaw-dropping looks of the Buick Rivieras, take a moment to tell them about this interesting subchapter in Pontiac design language.
…OK, that hypothetical conversation will probably never happen, but at least you’ll be armed with some insight if it does!
Comments