Muscle Car and Classic Car Fever

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The Pontiac GTO “GOAT” was instrumental in the popularity of muscle cars and America’s need for speed. It’s heydays were 1964-1974 with a brief modern reappearance on the market from 2004-2006.

The 1964 GTO was an optional package for the Pontiac LeMans and included a 389in V8 engine offering up 325 horsepower. This package also provided the distinguished GTO badge, scoops and wider wheels. Quarter mile times ranged from 12.8-14.8 seconds. 32,450 GTOs were sold in this first year.

1964 was also the year of the Bobcat for Pontiac 389s. Royal Pontiac of Michigan offered a performance kit for the GTO. The kit added another 30-50 horsepower to the engine. The GTO Bobcat was clocked at 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.

In 1965 the GTO changed. 100 pounds and 3.1 inches were added to the body, though maintained the stacked headlights. This year saw 0-60 in 5.8 seconds. The steering and breaking issues at high speeds were met with many critics. Despite this, the GTO was in high demand with 75,342 sold in 1965.

In 1966 the Pontiac GTO became its own beast, no longer a package option for the LeMans. The engine options remained the same, though “Ram Air” was first introduced, it was not a desirable option. 1966 saw the most sales of all GTO years with 96,946 manufactured.

The most noticeable changes in 1967 was the eight taillights and three different engine models; standard, economy and high output. The high output option produced 360 hp and 438 ft-lbf torque. The safety issue was addressed in 1967 with disc brakes, among others, becoming an option for the first time. Sales were still strong at 81,722.

1968 offered dramatic styling changes for the Pontiac GTO. The “Coke Bottle” body made its appearance. This has also been called fastback or pony styling. There were several other musclecars sporting the “pony” style in this era; including, the AMC Javelin, and Plymouth Barracuda. The engine options remained largely unchanged. This is also the first year shoulder safety belts were required on all US vehicles. The 1968 GTO quarter mile times are between 14.45 and 15.93 seconds.

In 1969 a new GTO package was available, “The Judge” which became a desirable muscle car. The name was adapted from a TV routine “Here Comes the Judge.” 6, 833 of these were sold with a total of 72,287 GTOs being sold in 1969.

The GTO saw more style changes in 1970 and the 455 engine was available. This engine had almost no increase in performance, but was easier to drive at low speeds. Due to a decrease in the popularity of muscle cars in general, only 40,149 new GTOs hit the road in 1970.

1971 was not the best year for the Pontiac GTO. The 455 four-speed transmissions ran the quarter mile in 13.4 seconds. This would be the last year for The Judge. 374 were sold before it was benched in February 1971. A sad 10,532 GTOs were sold that year.

A back-step for the GTO occurred in 1972 when it returned to its origins as a LeMans package. Horsepower decreased and only 5, 807-5,811 were sold. The downtrend continued for the GTO in 1973, with help from a gas crisis, only 4,806 were sold.

The last year for the GTO was 1974, when it was offered as an optional package for the Pontiac Ventura. Sales increased, though not nearly enough, to 7,058. Muscle car enthusiasts wouldn’t see their beloved GTO again until 1999.

1999 was a spark of excitement when a new GTO was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show. This modernized beauty sported the well-remembered curves and “Coke bottle” body. The buzz about a new GTO grew and the excitement was squashed in 2004.

Sure it was called a GTO, but if you saw one driving down the road, you’d have to read the emblems to tell what it was. The manufactures did pay special attention to the engine sounds. Online, hopeful GTO owners listened to the old engines and the new. The sounds were impressive. The 2005 GTO could boast impressive performance with 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.3 seconds. The lack of retro styling left many people craving a real muscle car. By the end of the resurgence in 2006, 40,808 new GTOs were produced.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 5:57 pm and is filed under Muscle Cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.