Back in the late 1960s, Pontiac introduced the Grand Prix SJ to meet the growing demand for personal luxury cars with real performance credentials. Fitted with a potent 428 cubic-inch V8 and offered with a four-speed manual gearbox, the model combined muscle car strength with upscale comfort. Only a few hundred were produced with a manual transmission, making it a rare machine.
In a new episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the legendary presenter climbs behind the wheel of a well-preserved example. Nicknamed the «banker’s hot rod,» the car wears its original brown paint with a vinyl roof and comes...