Great interview. Loved the design pictures. Could see one of them on the street yet today, if only. Still have my 1994 Grand Am SE 4Dr. 3100V6. Runs fine.
Pontiac really hit it out of the park with the Grand Ams of the nineties, they were dependable attractive cars!!! Thanks Adam for sharing another interesting video!!! 👍👍🙂
@@SoldierPoet my 91 Pontiac Grand AM coupe was awesome! Drove it 220,000 miles. Sat outside it's entire life and held up great. One repaint because the white paint started to flake off. Interior and headliner never replaced. 3 speed trans overhauled at 215,000 miles. Sold it to a friend who drove it another 60,000 and then passed it on to a friend.
I have a 2004 5th generation Pontiac Grand am still going strong. A few panels needed a repaint but it still has the original motor the original transmission it’s clean and no rust
That part about Grand Am customers, they were more outgoing and receptive to change. You'll see Grand Ams parked at many entertainment venues. My respect to Mr Manoogian for his great work at Pontiac.
Again, I really enjoyed listening to John explaining his various drawings and the thought process behind them. Lots of fun, and very interesting! Thank you again, Adam.
I'm so glad someone still makes video content that's consistent, not over the top, and straight to point, about cars many folks could care less about. Quality work.
I bought a 93 Grand Am GT off the show room floor in the aqua green color with the matching green wheels and with the 3.3 V-6 and I still own it today 30 yrs later and it just turned 73K miles. I bought it as a run around town car with a long road trip now and then. It's always been garaged and looks brand new. I love this car and she gets a lot of attention and thumbs up. What a great interview and could listen to John talk all day. Thanks for making this video.
Always _BRILLIANT_ to watch and listen to the both of u, no matter the _steel_ "protagonist" (or antagonist lol). I can't get enough, absolutely super fun to "listen in". 👌
John Manoogian’s comments about what the buyer was looking for in the Grand Am as opposed to the Grand Prix or Bonneville was spot on. I purchased a 4 door Grand Am new in 1994 at age 32, married with 6 kids. I really wanted a car that gave me a youthful feeling. The styling really appealed to me, much more than the other sedans Pontiac offered - and was more appealing than my other car - aChrysler minivan. I do regret not spending the extra $250 for the GT package. At the time I thought it was too over the top. Great memories. John is a great interview - I really enjoy listening to him.
I so, so, so enjoyed this, Adam. GREAT WORK. I owned a '90 Grand Prix SE, an '89 Grand Am, and a brand new '95 GA GT. I also had three of his Allante's. Brought back a lot of fun memories and I so enjoyed this casual conversation. Beautiful!
This is peripheral to the main topics here (and then only barely) but in this video John made enough references to the C pillar that it jogged my memory about certain broadcast team members for the major collector car auctions who seem to think that the absence of a B pillar on a coupe somehow means that the B label "migrates" back one position and the C pillar gets renamed the B pillar. I've always believed that the letter-labels are fixed and there is certainly enough common usage examples in this fashion (such as this interview) to validate it...all the more reason why I'm stunned when commentators on the auction block says otherwise. Thanks for all of your work and great contributions, Adam.
Excellent topic for debate!!!! On the forum for my F150, we call it a B pillar, since there are only two. I think, to qualify for a C pillar, a car or truck cab must first have a quarter window. So that means that something like a 'single cab' truck or a C3 Corvette or a '65-'68 Mustang fastback has only A and B pillars. If there is side glass for the rear seat, then there is a B pillar, or at least a B pillar position, and the rears would still be termed C pillars. A station wagon could have D pillars. There was a large Nunnery near where I grew up, and they had a Checker EIGHT door wagon! Four doors on each side of a wagon makes the rear pillars the G pillars!!!
Thanks to John and Adam. When I was a teen in the 80s and 90s we had magazines at best. To be able to hear this man speak about his designs is a treat.
Love seeing John's vellum renderings - those Ad markers really smelled! 🥴 It would be interesting in a future interview to hear John's opinion on the demise of Pontiac, if it was marketing decisions, questionable styling, GM lack of focus or something else? He obviously understood the spirit of the brand so well!
One of the best interviews. I absolutely love hearing these innovative visionaries speak! The raw passion and joy that comes from them when they speak about the past. Is just amazing! I find the history and stories they have so unbelievably fascinating! Thank You Adam for taking the time to interview, film and edit these pieces of content!
Two of my uncle's were grand Am and Grand Prix owners several times over . These guys loved the style and Street presence of the spoilers and ground effects. They always bought the most powerful engines and the nice trim levels. They were both professional guys and liked to dress sharp and their car's matched up with their attitudes and expectations. GM absolutely nailed those designs!
Thank you Adam for your guest John Manoogian. I enjoyed him talking about Pontiac expression and how it was done. I enjoyed the sketches as well. It indeed Pontiac's bread and butter. Those sketches looked great. I see why and how it out sold Oldsmobile a Buick at the time. They did indeed do their homework.
I can listen to John talk about this stuff for hours on end! Incredible and fascinating information and stories and history, and he conveys it so fluidly.
Great insight. My friend still has a 2000 GTP w/low miles that still holds-up now. Nice design, quick, and very comfortable. Love the interviews with John.
I love some of John's sweet renderings. The black one at 10:00 is particularly nice. Some of the wheels on some of the sketches gave me a craving for waffles for some reason...
There are many '92 Grand Am commercials on RU-vid, with Patrick Stewart narrating which is pretty neat. This car seemed to start at $11,999 and for the era seems like a good value for the design and content you were getting. No wonder they sold well. Great job Mr. Manoogian!
Exuberance. That's the word that comes to mind while looking at John's drawings and listening to his voice. These cars are from 30 years ago, and yet makes them seem fresh as tomorrow. PS:. I love his expression "Mandatory Tradition.". Marvelous. All traditions are mandatory, but he actually said so!
Really appreciate this very engaging dialogue, given that I’ve finally narrowed down the older vehicle I want to put in my garage, out of the thousands of vehicles I want, to either an early 90’s Grand Am GT or Bonnevile SSEi. Thank you!
As a customer supremely frustrated with the current lack of variety in GM’s contemporary lineup (and lack of actual sedans), I really miss Pontiac. I was a “Pro-Rib” Pontiac owner. I think it was a great styling element at the time, and the 90s era Pontiacs really standout against their bland Chevrolet cousins (cough cough Lumina?). I enjoyed the wild wheel designs,often painted body color. My aunt had a ‘94 Grand Am with “triangular” alloy wheels, very unique. I made more college road trips in my ‘98 Bonneville than I can remember. I wish their was still room for personal expression and different tastes within GM’s product portfolio.
I was raised in a Mercedes household but in 1995 I was in my 20s and I had a rental 1995 Pontiac Bonneville for 2 weeks. That car was the most comfortable, well-appointed car I had ever driven and I was so impressed with it. Even to this day, I would buy a good example, if I came across one.
Thank you Adam and John, another great interview. It is great to listen to the enthusiasm that John still has for his work, you can tell he really enjoys sharing his history. The very first sketch of the interview actually reminds me of the 95-99 Buick Riviera
Thanks for mentioning the Renault Fuego. I liked the looks of that car. I never had a chance to drive one, though. Apparently it was just all looks: tout chapeau et pas de bétail
Well hello gentlemen! I love all of your videos, especially when it involves the men that played an important role in the evolution of some pretty spectacular vehicles, and also some real turd mobiles like the Cadillac Cimarron (anything J body, really). I traded in my 1988 BMW 535 in for a slightly used 1992 Pontiac Grand Am sedan, white with a gray interior, fully loaded including a sunroof. It had the quad four engine that had plenty of power and good handling on the twisty foothill roads of Cave Creek Arizona. I kept the car until the second ignition switch started smoking, then caught on fire when I was trying to start the car! I sold the Grand Am and bought a 1985 light yellow Cadillac Seville with the dreaded 4100 shit-box engine. A stunningly beautiful car with the light yellow pillow tufted leather seats, great big power sunroof and no transmission hump! I wish that I still had the Caddy so I could outfit it to all-electric. It would need a damn large battery pack to move it down the road, but it'd be a great car to to bring into the 21st century with the classic Bustle-back look and style. Sorry to go off the subject, but I know you have an '84 Seville with a healthy engine that you love so I thought I'd also crow about having that same love of those wonderful cars! Thanks again for all of the interesting vehicles and personalities that you share with us here, it's deeply appreciated.
These interviews and your channel are gold. History that needs to be recorded. You are always a classy and down-to-earth Host. I really like that shirt, where can I get one for myself? It would look great on me when I'm out driving my '71 Fury III sedan!
Hey Adam: Love the art work! It'd be great to have an episode devoted to Pontiac's advertising art work from the early to mid 1960s - those were such compelling and sexy ads.
Gm Australia used the rib theme on the commodore during the 80s other Pontiac themes back to the 60s with Leo Prenoe from the us in charge and other Americans.great video thanks🇳🇿
I always enjoy your videos Adam, but the conversations with Manoogian and his insider insights are particularly interesting. Best to you both and Happy Thanksgiving!!
Another really interesting discussion with John, and thanks again for being so generous with your time and sharing this history. Some of these sketches are so progressive that they could pass for new vehicles in 2022, particularly the red proposal @5:46. That fender to door surfacing is very close to several recent Ford products. Look forward to future stories, perhaps on the second generation Cadillac CTS? Was John involved with the first generation CTS at all, and the original Art & Science theme?
I know John probably mentioned it in his previous videos but why do artists make the wheels so freaking big??? I mean i understand it's a rendering but honestly the real car would NEVER have wheels that are that huge. In my opinion, if i was viewing those drawings as someone who was in a position to accept or deny those ideas, those "wacky wheels, as John stated, would drive me crazy.
Love these interviews with John he’s a terrific guy! Can’t wait for more! Did he do any work for Buick? Looking forward to more! Thanks Adam!!! I Almost had one of these brand new in 1992 but I changed my mind… still kick myself for not getting one! Always loved them! Pontiac was a great brand!
It was an awesome design can imagine if they build it the same way of the drawing will become amazing those big tires the curves it looks very futuristic. Always thinking if they still making Pontiac they can become the most beautiful cars on the market
For a lot of buyers, this era Grand Am was what the pony cars were in the late 60's -- expressive style over affordable mechanicals that could be optioned to be what you wanted. By this point, the Firebird was essentially a pure performance car with the former Esprit-type buyers buying cars like the GA.
These were quite decent cars. They sold a ton of them, they were probably pretty reliable. and they stayed on the roads for a decent amount of time - unlike the Daewoo LeMans, which you just about never saw, ten or fifteen years after they stopped producing them. And I mistyped my comment on yesterday's LeMans video, referring to it as a POS. I should've called it a turd. They were capable of lasting a long time, but no one wanted to keep them around.
John is such a cool guy. I love listening to him discuss his designs. Such a talented guy. I remember one of the car magazines, probably C&D, mocking the ribbed sides by describing them as “ribbed for her pleasure”. 😊 It’s a shame these were saddled with pushrod V6s and an excess of switches on the dash.
I had a 1993 4dr Grand Am (I think it was an SE) V6 when I was in college in the late 90s. It was a hot car then. One strange thing about the Grand Am in 1993 at least was that rear defrosters were optional. Mine did not have one.
I did own a 1992 GrandAm Gt V6 at the time, it was a bold design for 1992, it came out at the same time as the Buick Skylark on the same platform. Fog lights were standard on any models, and was quite roomy. I really appreciated the ride it gave and the look for the time, but weak transmission and subpar fit and finish made it the last Gm I owned.
Interesting the comparison with BMW. Their looks really crossed with the 2008-2010 Pontiac G8. This was a great car top to bottom and in looks it matched or outclassed the BMW. I remember when I got my 2008 G8, I got a lot of complements from the "younger" generation who would have the appeal toward owning a BMW. If I would have known that Pontiac was going away in 2010 I probably would have kept my G8 to this day.
The first new car I bought was a 94 Grand Am 2 door v6. In the first week , had to take it back, they never sealed the back window and the trunk filled with water. I insisted on all new carpets. A few months in, the transmission would not downshift and I had to fight with the manager to get it fixed. The car had no rigidity to it and felt like it was falling apart. The AC would cut out from time to time. Then the transmission went again. They said unless I could prove it wasn't working right, they were not going to fix it. I took the car over to Honda and traded it in on a Civic EX. The Grand Am was pure garbage junk. Great looks but pure crap.
Thank you for having him on again! I miss having cars with sports car styling on practical daily drivers. This is the mistake of keeping Buick and killing Pontiac.
BMW recently unveiled their brand new M2 Coupe and the 90s Grand Am is the car that immediately sprung to mind. That being said, I really do like the new BMW’s looks.
