Pontiac Car Club of Australia

GTO Historys

Pontiac GTO. The Greatest Muscle Car of All Time. DETROIT-GTO is the monogram for the most famous muscle car in high-performance automobile history the Pontiac GTO. Also known as "The Legend" and "The Great One." GTO is the car that started it all. Prior to 1964, performance cars were full size hardtops and sedans with the largest displacement engines available. They were a little slow off the line, but once all that sheet metal and chrome got rolling, they pulled like a freight train.Hot Rodders had know for years that you could go faster if you put those big engines in smaller lighter cars. Engine swaps were standard operating procedure for hot rodders, but that was backyard tinkering not corporate engineering.Factory Hot Rods The backyard boys were blown away in October of 1963 when the $295.90 GTO option, RPO 382, quietly joined the 1964 Pontiac Tempest/ LeMans option list. The heart of the GTO option package was a 325-horsepower 389 cubic-inch V8 with dual exhausts, a Carter AFB four barrel carburetor, a mild hydraulic camshaft and gobs of pavement grabbing torque. Other standard features included a manual 3-speed transmission with a Hurst shifter, a heavy-duty clutch, heavy duty suspension, US Royal redline tires, a 3:23:1 rear axle ratio, twin hood scoops, and an assortment of GTO emblems.Body Styles The GTO option was available on three LeMans bodies, the two door coupe, hardtop and convertible. More hardtops were produced than the combined total of the coupes and convertibles. Engines with the single four-barrel carburetor outsold the Tri-Power models by a margin of three to one.

Long Option List An extensive list of LeMans options allowed the potential GTO owner to build anything from a bare-bones muscle car to a loaded high-performance cruiser. Option choices included a four-speed transmission, a two-speed automatic, a 348-horsepower Tri-Power engine, Safe-T-Track differential, air-conditioning, power seat, power windows, tilt steering, tachometer, metallic brake linings, an AM/FM radio and a Verbra-Phonic rear speaker. In less time than it took to change spark plugs, a young performance enthusiast could check the appropriate LeMans order form boxes for a factory- built hot rod. The Pontiac GTO launched a whole new market segment.

Natural Swap Pontiac was on a sales roll, much of it due to its exciting performance image and desire not to stagnate. Pontiac's General Manger Pete Estes and Chief-Engineer John DeLorean wanted the new "64 Tempest/LeMans" line to sand out from the crowd. A full-size engine in the intermediate body would certainly do the trick. Since the 389 V8 used the same basic block and motor mounts as the already approved 326 V8, such a swap would be a natural. DeLorean and engineers, Bill Collins and Russ Gee, had experimented with a 389 in a prototype "64 Tempest coupe". DeLorean and his crew liked to spend Saturdays at the GM Proving Ground in Milford, Mich., experimenting with new ideas. The 389 four-speed Tempest was an immediate hit with engineers.5000 Orders Initial sales projections called for only 5000 units; however, the GTO was an immense hit with the public as well. The 1964 model run produced a total of 32450 units.

Naming the GTO Pontiac already had somewhat of a European racing theme in place with the Grand Prix and LeMans, so Chief Engineer John DeLorean appropriated the Italian racing designation Grand Turismo Omologato. The name was closely associated with Ferrari. In English it means "Grand Touring Homolagated." The Pontiac Gto was a grand touring car homologated (or model) from different parts, specifically the 389 Bonneville engine. It is doubtful whether many GTO owners understood the name or could even pronounce it, but it projected an image of a powerful, exotic, high-performance car. All that really mattered was that the GTO was a great car and the name was very well received.

Ferrari Vs GTO Initial promotion of the GTO option was somewhat low key. The GTO wasn't mentioned in the 1964 Pontiac full-line catalog. A GTO brochure didn't show up until after the first of the year and by then the car was already a success. Very favorable media coverage (especially the famous "Car and Driver" March 1964 Pontiac Vs Ferrari GTO duel) and great word-of-mouth advertising sold a lot of cars.

Hit Record: A tremendous amount of free advertising came about when a Top-40 song was written about the GTO, John Wilkin penned the song "GTO" and a group of Nashville session musicians recorded it under the name "Ronny and the Daytona's." The song went as high as NO.4 on the charts during its 17 week stay. Over a million singles and 500 000 albums were sold. The refrain,"three deuces and a four-speed and a 389," played repeatedly to the GTO's key customer group.'65 Improvements: GTO competitors, both outside and inside GM, were caught off guard by the car's tremendous success. While everyone else scrambled to market GTO clones, the mildly restyled '65 GTO was an even bigger hit than the '64 model. Even though there was a UAW strike at the start of the model year, 75,352 GTO's were sold in 1965. The headlights were now vertical (like the full-size Pontiacs) and a single hood scoop replaced the dual '64 scoops. Improved camshafts and intake manifolds boosted horsepower ratings to 325 for the four-barrel equipped 389 and 360HP for the Tri-Power topped engine. The hansom Rally 1 wheels were introduced as an option.Ram Air Package: A big boost to the rapidly growing GTO legend was the August 1965 release of an over-the counter dealer-or customer-installed cold air induction kit for Tri-Power cars. The kit made the hood scoop functional and gave birth to Ram Air. The Ram Air package continued as a dealer-installed option in 1966. A few factory built Ram Air GTO's were built and known as the XS package after the engine block code.Sales Record: Several strong competitors had joined the GTO by 1966, but that didn't stop the GTO from selling almost a 100,000 cars. The final tally was an astonishing 96,946 units. Pretty impressive for a car that insiders doubted would sell 5,000 two years earlier. The GTO was by now so highly regarded inside GM that it was made a separate model line in 1966. The A-body intermediate platform was redesigned and Pontiac's Coke bottle shape was born.Last Tri-Power: Even though the body was restyled, the '66 lineup included the same three body styles as before. The engine choices were again the 325-horsepower four-barrel version and the potent 360-horsepower Tri-Power equipped 389 V8. Over 19,000 Tri-Power '66 GTO's were sold, but they were the last multi-carbed Pontiacs.

400 Cubic Inches: Appearance-wise the 1967 GTO was very similar to the 1966 model. The cars were on a two-year styling cycle. Mechanically there was a lot to talk about. Engine displacement was increased to 400 cubic inches. The front fender emblem retained the original 6.5 litre designation. The GTO was the first American car to denote engine displacement in liters. There were four 400-cubic inch engines.

Car of the Year: An extensive restyling distinguished the 1968 GTO from the previous models. Most notable was the new Endura color-keyed front bumper. The GTO was the first GM car to use the flexible polyurethane covering that allowed minor dents to pop out without any permenate damage. Optional hidden headlights combined with Endura nose made for a very hansom car. The stunning styling, powerful performance, solid engineering and excellent market timing were all factors that helped the GTO garner the coveted Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

400 Cubic Inches (continued): The standard engine was the 325-horsepower Rochester Quadra-jet four-barrel. A not very popular, no-cost option was the low compression 255-horsepower two-barrel for customers who wanted the GTO image with the better fuel economy. Only 2,967 lower performance engines were sold in '67. The first optional engine was the 360-horsepower HO which added a hotter camshaft, open element air filter, and improved exhaust manifolds. The top engine was also rated at 360-horsepower, but it included the Ram Air package which was shipped in the trunk for dealer or owner installation.Dual Gate Shifter: A new three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission replaced the two-speed automatic from previous years. The Hurst Dual Gate shifter made the automatic transmission quite attractive. Depending on which gate was selected, the transmission could be shifted manually or automatically. The base transmission was still the three-speed manual with a Hurst shifter. The two optional four-speeds were the wide ratio M20 and the close ratio M21. Power front disc brakes were another new '67 option. Sales were slightly lower than the record 1966 numbers,but still very strong at 81,722 units.Car of the Year: An extensive restyling distinguished the 1968 GTO from the previous models. Most notable was the new Endura color-keyed front bumper. The GTO was the first GM car to use the flexible polyurethane covering that allowed minor dents to pop out without any permenate damage. Optional hidden headlights combined with Endura nose made for a very hansom car. The stunning styling, powerful performance, solid engineering and excellent market timing were all factors that helped the GTO garner the coveted Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

More Power: More horsepower was on tap for the exciting new '68 body. All engines displaced 400 cubic inches. The standard engine rose to 350 horsepower from 325 horsepower, the no-cost economy two-barrel engine gained 10 horsepower for a 265 horsepower rating: the optional HO engine stayed at 360 horsepower until March of '68 when the Ram Air II option was introduced with a 366 horsepower rating. That was probably conservative considering the high-performance equipment which included 10.75:1 forged pistons, forged steel crankshaft, new cylinder heads with round exhaust ports, free-flowing exhaust manifolds, a high lift camshaft with the corresponding high-performance valvetrain components, and a revised distributor curve. The Ram Air II put 445lb-ft of stump pulling torque to the pavement via the mandatory limited-slip Safe-T-Track rear end with 4.33:1 gears.

Hood Mounted Tachometers: The coupe body style was dropped for '68. Sales were predominately for hardtops which sold 77,704 units compared to the 9,980 convertibles. Optional hood-mounted tachometers were continued from 1967. The Ram Air cars had 5500-rpm redlines compared to the standard 5200-rpm limit. The external tachs helped the GTO project a powerful performance car image.Ram Air IV: GTO engines got even more exciting in 1969 with the introduction of the Ram Air III and Ram Air IV. Considerably under rated at 370 horsepower, the Ram Air IV was the epitome of GTO engines. The Ram Air IV engine used many of the high-performance part introduced on the Ram Air II along with the cold air induction system that came with the Ram Air III. Both RA III and RA IV used driver-controlled flapper doors on the twin hood scoopes. As powerful as the RA IV was, it still used hydraulic lifters and was far more tractable in traffic than competitors "solid lifter engines." The RA IV didn't overheat or foul spark plugs. It was only available with either a 3.90:1 or 4.33:1 limited-slip differential.

The Judge: A late addition to the 1969 lineup was the GTO Judge. The original intent of The Judge (although it's commonly referred to as the GTO Judge or simply Judge; the fender decals said "The Judge") was to combat the upstart low-priced muscle cars like the Plymouth Road Runner.

ET Calling: Pontiacs answer to the Road Runner was called "ET" or "E/T" which stood for the drag racing term "elapsed time." The car was to be based on a stripped down, bench seat, LeMans coupe with a flat hood and Rally II wheels without the trim rings. The engine was a Pontiac 350 with cylinder heads from the 400 HO engine. Tests of the prototype E/T against 383 powered Road Runners proved that the budget GTO could outrun the Plymouths.

Most Expensive GTO: As strong as the 350 was, it wasn't a 400 and DeLorean was adamant about GTO's being powered by 400 cubic inch engines. He quickly killed the 350 E/T project and requested a car that was up to GTO standards. Ironically, the car turned out to be the most expensive GTO, not the least expensive. The Judge option was available on hardtop and convertible bodies. There weren't any GTO coupes. About the only E/T parts that remained were the Rally II wheels without trim rings.

Wild Names: DeLoreans is credited with naming The Judge. His inspiration was the hit NBC-TV show " Laugh In" which had a recurring bit with the tag line "Here come de Judge Here come de Judge." In retrospect, it may seem odd to name a car after a bit on a comedy show but "Laugh In" was very hip with a huge audience of young viewers-- the exact people DeLorean wanted to reach. This was an era when car companies named model after cartoon characters, came up with names like Boss, Eliminator, Grabber, Rebel, Demon and Swinger and painted them outrageous colors such as Panther Pink, Go Mango, Sublime, Banana Yellow and Plum Crazy. In that light, The Judge wasn't out of place.

Stunning Color: The initial Judge color was eye-catchingly wild. Called Carousel Red, it was actually more of an orange. The shade was exclusive to the Judge for the GTO line but the same color was available on Camaro's as Hugger Orange. About 2,000 Judges were painted Carousel Red. After February, Judges could be ordered in any GTO color but approximately 80% were Carousel Red. Besides the wild color, stripes, pop-art graphics and hood scoop's, Judges came with a massive 60 inch wide rear spoiler or wing.

Judge Sales Success: Judge engine choices were limited to the standard Ram Air III or the optional Ram Air IV. Four-speeds and Turbo Hydromatic transmission were available. The Judge was most frequently ordered in hardtop form although it could be had as a convertible. Despite a late start , The Judge accounted for 6,833 sales out of the '69 GTO total of 72,287 cars. Judge convertibles are very rare as only 108 were produced in 1969.

More Inches More Torque: The Judge was designed to help boost 1969 GTO sales. It was continued in 1970. Sales figures slid to 3, 635 Judge hardtops and 162 Convertibles. Total 1970 sales of 40,149 units were down from '69. The '70 GTO was mildly facelifted and mechanically they were as strong as ever. The economy two-barrel 400 engine was dropped, but a 360 horsepower 455-cubic inch with an amazing 500 lbs.-ft of torque was added. Extra beefy 12-bolt rear ends were mandatory when the 455 was ordered. The 455 wasn't offered on The Judge until late in the model year so only 14 hardtops and three convertible Judges were built with the 455.

Lower Compression: Increased competition, insurance surcharges and tougher emission standards hit the muscle car market hard in 1971. The GTO suffered along with all the other muscle cars. Adding to the lackluster sales was the corporate decision to drop compression ratios so all GM engines would be compatible with the new low-lead fuel. The standard GTO 400 cubic inch V8 compression ratio was dropped to 8.2:1 from 1970's 10.25:1 which was itself down from 10.75:1 in 1969.

The Last Judge: The Judge option barely made it into 1971. Production was halted in January after 357 hardtops and 17 convertibles were built. All 71 Judges were 455 powered and today they are some of the rarest, most desirable GTO's as far as collectors are concerned. 1971 was also the last year of any GTO convertibles. Including the 17 Judges, a mere 678 GTO convertibles were produced. Poor sales in '71 have translated to high collector interest today.Option Status Again: A new LeMans/GTO body was supposed to have been ready for '72 but a strike put it back a year. So, the previous body was restyled and used again. Since the GTO had been relegated to option status on the LeMans, it was available as both a hardtop and a two door, pillared coupe. The GTO coupe production was very limited accounting for only 134 cars out of the years 5,807 total. The 455 HO engine was still available and 10 coupes received it. Five more coupes were fitted with the standard 455 V8. A Ram Air system was available with the 455 HO engine which was rated 300 net horsepower. Customers could still get a big block, Ram Air, four-speed GTO.Last True GTO?: Many enthusiasts feel that 1972 was the last of the true GTO's. It came back in 1973 as a LeMans option. The LeMans received a new body for the '73. The styling, especially the rear quarter panels and rear quarter windows, was noticeably different from the direction of the previous Pontiac A-bodies. The GTO option was offered on the LeMans coupe and the sport coupe. The sport coupe had louvers instead of rear quarter windows. Big Engines Remain: The two GTO engines remained, the 400 and 455 V8's, but horsepower was down to 230 and 250 respectively. Compression had been dropped again to 8.1:1. The automatic transmission was the only one allowed with the 455 but the 400 could be ordered with a three or four-speed manual transmission plus the automatic. All LeMans options were available on the GTO. The two door coupe accounted for 494 sales and the sport coupe attracted 4,312 customers for a total of 4,806 1973 GTO's.

New Platform: Another body style change marked the 1974 GTO. The GTO option was shifted to the Pontiac Ventura platform for what turned out to be the GTO's final year. The sole engine for the '74 GTO was a 350 V8 with a 7.6:1 compression ratio and 200 horsepower. A four-speed manual transmission was still optional. A rearward facing "shaker" hood scoop like the Trans Am scoop allowed cold air into the Quadra-Jet four barrel carburetor under full acceleration.