The old rule of thumb for bicycles and their parts has always been and remains:

1) Strong
2) Light
3) Cheap
Pick any two of the above (you can never get all three)

The older bikes, I believe, finally offer all three of these desired traits because you can get strong, fairly lightweight components for very little money.

OK, forget about the old steel gas pipe Varsity, or the Murrays, or other old USA heavyweights.

By today's standards for strength and weight, I think that a lot of the old frames including the Gran Prix are excellent. They are lightweight and strong. They are also what skiers would call "Damp"; very smooth sweet ride. So, I don't care how they were priced back in the 80's or where they were pegged in the pecking order "back in the day". By today's standards, they are worthy. I will take hand lugged, double-butted chro-moly tubing any day over welded aluminum or most of the other materials being used today.