Pontiac Grand Safari

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The Grand Safari was Pontiac's top-of-the-line full-size station wagon offered from 1971 to 1978. The Grand Safari used the grille and interior trim of the Bonneville and Grand Ville passenger car series, and most (but not all) examples were trimmed with woodgrain paneling on the sides and tailgate.

The 1971 to 1976 models, with a 127-inch wheelbase, length of about 19 feet and weight of about 5,000 pounds, were the largest station wagons Pontiac ever built. These wagons were unique in that they had a clamshell tailgate design (officially called the Glide-Away Tailgate), in which the power rear window went up into the roof, and the tailgate dropped down into the floor, either manually or with an electric motor. These wagons ran with V8 engines of either 400 or 455 cubic inches.

The 1977 Grand Safari was downsized considerably, with wheelbase cut to 116 inches, length to less than 18 feet and weight to just over 4,000 pounds. These wagons thus could run with smaller engines, either a standard 301 or optional 403 V8; a 350 V8 was additionally offered on 1978 models. Replacing the Glide-Away Tailgate was a three-way tailgate not unlike that used on Ford station wagons. In 1979, the Grand Safari's name was changed to Bonneville Safari.

References:

• Encyclopedia of American Cars by Publications International, ISBN: 0-7853-6275-4
• Standard Catalog of Pontiac 1926-1995 by Krause Publications, ISBN: 0-87341-369-5