How Much Horsepower Does A 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix Have & How Many Were Made?

Big cars perform best with powerful engines, and in 1968 the best way to extract power from under a car's hood was to add cubic inches. Pontiac did just that for the final years of the second-generation Grand Prix by increasing the displacement of its 389 and 421-cubic-inch V8s. 1968 represents one of the best Pontiac Grand Prix years for a few reasons. It was the last to use General Motors' B-body platform with a 121-inch wheelbase, had a unique style unlike the 1967 or 1969 Grand Prix (although it carried over the hidden headlights that Pontiac introduced the previous year), and offered a choice between a 400 cubic-inch or 428 cubic-inch Pontiac V8s.

Horsepower ratings for the 400 cubic-inch V8 equipped with a two-barrel carburetor weren't necessarily awe-inspiring, only delivering around 265 ponies to push the 4,000+ pound hardtop coupe around. Opting for the four-barrel carburetor atop the Pontiac 400 increased power to 350 horsepower, inspiring a little more awe. Performance worthy of standing among its muscle car era peers came with the four-barrel 428 cubic-inch Pontiac V8, delivering 375 horsepower or up to 390 hp with the High Output version. While the advertised horsepower ratings may or may not be accurate, the HO 428 is generally considered one of the most powerful engines from Pontiac.

[Featured image by Rleach012013 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

Automotive experts tend to agree that Pontiac built 31,711 Grand Prix for the 1968 model year. The automaker's decision to offer a single body style, the two-door hardtop coupe, by eliminating the previous year's convertible option, makes its production numbers easier to track than some other models from that period.

While the scarcity of a 1967 Grand Prix convertible drives its price higher than the 1968 hardtop's value, today's prices hint at the '68's desirability as a collector car. Hemmings indicates the original MSRP of a "decently optioned" 1968 Grand Prix with factory air-conditioning and a hood-mounted tachometer listed for $3,697. In 2018, Hemmings estimated the model's value ranged between $5,000 on the low end up to $20,000 for examples in excellent condition.

The reviewers at Hagerty further break down the values. More recent estimated market values range from $8,700 for a 265-horsepower 1968 Grand Prix in Fair condition to $58,300 for the best condition examples equipped with the 390-hp Pontiac 428 V8.