When was the first muscle car introduced? Well, it depends on who you ask. Some say it all started with the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, while many agree that the muscle car era began in 1964 with cars like Pontiac GTO, Dodge 330, and Ford Thunderbolt. It all depends on how you define the muscle car, but the truth is the first V8 cars with more than 400 horsepower arrived in the early 1960s.
The 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS was among the first with a 425-horsepower rating, followed by the 1962 Dodge Dart 413 “Max Wedge” with 420 horses. In 1962, two years before it launched the iconic GTO, Pontiac created a beefed-up Grand Prix full-size with a 421 Super Duty engine under the hood.
A 6.9-liter V8 with four-barrel carburetors, the Super Duty mill was rated at 405 horsepower, and it was aimed at drag racers. A $2,250 option back in 1962, the 421 Super Duty was extremely expensive, accounting for almost 65% of the Grand Prix’s MSRP. As a result, Pontiac built only 16 of them. There’s no info on how many survived to this day, but we found one that’s been sitting for many years waiting for a second chance.
The car is not in great shape. It almost looks like a barn find, with only the lack of severe rust issues setting it apart from the bunch. The body has been prepared for some sort of restoration, and the paint has been sanded off. However, it’s not clear whether this car was black, as seen on the trunk, or red, a hue that pops up underneath the door panels.
What’s obvious is that it needs to have a few surface rust spots removed before it can receive a few new layers of paint. There’s some surface rust under the hood as well, while the trunk floor may need a bit more work to become usable. It also appears to be missing a few parts inside and out, but the seller says he still has “most trim, grilles, and door panels,” all of which are included in the sale.
Obviously, the biggest issue here is that both the engine and the transmission are missing. Sourcing them from a different Grand Prix car might be difficult since Pontiac built only 16 of them. However, the company also offered the 421 in the Catalina and 2+2, so it’s not an entirely impossible task (even though it remains an expensive one).
Of course, this Grand Prix is also a strong candidate for a restomod, but that would a rather underwhelming fate for an original Super Duty Poncho. Both routes will end up pretty expensive, but restoring it back to original specs would turn it into an expensive classic. Mint-condition Super Duty models are usually worth over $375,000.
The good news is that this unrestored, no-engine example may end up being a bargain. It may have something to do with the ad title saying it’s a plain 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix and the vague description, but the no-reserve bidding is at only $2,850 with four hours to go.
The car is being auctioned off by eBay seller “4allclassiccarparts,” but make sure you ask for more details before you bid. Apparently, the seller doesn’t have any documentation that proves this is an authentic Super Duty, so a VIN check is mandatory before pulling the trigger.