Detroit used to subscribe to the ‘Win on Sunday—Sell on Monday’ mantra, so they came up with cars like the Dodge Daytona and Ford Talladega to win on Sunday on the NASCAR tracks.
That trend continued in the mid-80s when GM built their legendary Aerocoupes to help win checkered flags.
Most car guys remember the Chevy versions of the Aerocoupe thanks to guys like Dale Earnhardt who became a legend with his Aero Monte Carlo–but Pontiac also had their 2+2 Grand Prix Aero Coupe.
Jerry Sutherland
Al Fontaine became a huge fan of the Pontiac Aerocoupes because he knew how rare they were back in 1986. He said they, “Only built 1225 of them and only 112 came to Canada”.
He remembered seeing the Aeros when he was a kid, and they blew him away. Al knew he’d own one at some point and last year his buddy told him there was one for sale at an auction. He already owned two Pontiac Aeros and his wife’s only comment was, “Two’s enough. Where are we going to put that?”
Al had the answer—right in his garage. This car came from Saskatchewan, Canada—a relatively dry area so it was in good shape. The factory 305 was still under the hood and the rest of the car is solid, so Al was happy to add it to his fleet of Pontiac Grand Prix Aerocoupe 2+2s.
He said he just “turned the key and it fired right up”. The Pontiac had new brakes, shocks and other things so he drove it away.
Al explained that all these Canadian cars were shipped to a shop in the States to fabricate the fastback. He also said they were “overpriced and underpowered” because they cost more than a Monte Carlo Aero and they had the lower-powered 305 V-8.
That’s the kind of information that will drive a car’s value down but only if you look at it from a 1986 point of view. The Aeros weren’t overwhelmed with buyers back then, but in 2024 they are a big draw for people.
Al’s been in a few debates with less knowledgeable car guys who insist Pontiac never built Aeros and Al just built a one-off custom. He explains that he has three of them but it’s still open for debate with some ‘experts’.
He has a few plans for his Grand Prix. Al acquired some NOS decals for the car, and he knows how rare those pieces are in the ‘86 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 world so they make a great addition to his car.
Al also wants to take his cars to more shows. He said, “It’s not about the trophies”—he just wants to show these cars to people who don’t know anything about 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix Aerocoupes.
That’s an admirable goal because not many car shows have any 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix Aerocoupes in the lineup and Al can bring three.
Call it a pure Pontiac education if Al shows up.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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