Cars - Pontiac GTO

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	Cars - Pontiac GTO

The Pontiac GTO was an automobile built by Pontiac from 1964 to 1974. It is often considered the first true muscle car. From 1964 till 1973 it was closely related to the Pontiac Tempest, but for its final year it was based on the Pontiac Ventura. The nameplate was revived in 2004, based this time on the Australian Holden Monaro.

Origins

The GTO was the brainchild of McManus advertising agency executive Jim Wangers, an automotive enthusiast, and Pontiac chief engineer John De Lorean. Shane Wiser was the first to think of the idea of the GTO. In early 1963 General Motors management issued an edict banning divisions from involvement in auto racing. At the time Pontiac's advertising and marketing approach was heavily based on performance, and racing was an important component of that strategy. Wangers proposed a way to retain the performance image that the division had cultivated with a new focus on street performance. It involved transforming the upcoming, redesigned Tempest (which was set to revert to a conventional front-engine, front transmission, rear-wheel drive configuration) into a "Super Tempest" with the larger 389 in³ (6.4 L) Pontiac V8 engine from the full-sized Pontiac Catalina and Bonneville in place of the standard 326 in³ (5.3 L) Tempest V8. By promoting the big-engine Tempest as a special, high-performance model, they could appeal to the speed-minded youth market (which had also been recognized by Ford Motor Company's Lee Iacocca, who was at that time preparing the Ford Mustang).

The name, which was DeLorean's idea, was inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO, the highly successful race car. It is an acronym for Gran Turismo Omologato, Italian for homologated for racing in the GT class. The name was to draw howls of protest from outraged purists, who considered it close to sacrilege.

The GTO was technically a violation of GM policy limiting the A-body intermediate line to a maximum engine displacement of 330 in³ (5.4 L). Since the GTO was an option package, not standard equipment, it could be considered to fall into a loophole in the policy. Pontiac General Manager Elliot (Pete) Estes approved the new model, although sales manager Frank Bridge, who did not believe it would find a market, insisted on limiting initial production to no more than 5,000 cars. Had the model been a failure, Estes likely would have been reprimanded. As it turned out, it was a great success.

First generation

1964

The first Pontiac GTO was an option package for the Le Mans{not the Tempest}, available with the two-door sedan, hardtop coupe, and convertible body styles. For $296, it included the 389 in³ V8 (rated at rated at 325 hp @ 4800 rpm) with a single Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts, chromed valve covers and air cleaner, 7 blade declutching fan, a floor-shifted three-speed manual transmission with Hurst shifter, stiffer springs, larger diameter front sway bar, wider wheels with 7.50 x 14 redline tires, hood scoops, and GTO badges. Optional equipment included a four-speed manual transmission, two-speed automatic transmission, a more powerful "Tri-Power" engine with three two-barrel carburetors (rated at 348 hp), metallic drum brake brake linings, limited-slip differential, heavy-duty cooling, ride and handling package, and the usual array of power and convenience accessories. With every available option, the GTO cost about $4500 USD and weighed around 3500 lb.

Most contemporary road tests used the more powerful Tri-Power engine and four-speed. Car Life clocked a GTO so equipped at 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in 6.6 seconds, through the standing quarter mile in 14.8 seconds with a trap speed of 99 mph (158 km/h). Like most testers, they criticized the slow steering, particularly without power steering, and inadequate drum brakes, which were identical to those of the normal Tempest. Car and Driver incited storms of controversy when it printed that a GTO that had supposedly been tuned with the "Bobcat" kit offered by Royal Pontiac of Royal Oak, Michigan was clocked at a quarter-mile ET of 12.8 seconds and a trap speed of 112 mph (179 km/h) on racing slicks. Later reports strongly suggest that the C&D GTOs were not equipped with the 389, but with the 421 in³ (6.9 L) Super Duty engine that was optional in full-sized Pontiacs. Since the two engines were difficult to distinguish externally, the subterfuge was not immediately obvious. It could have been possible for the GTO to reach 165 mph without the speed limiters, but that hasn't been confirmed.

Frank Bridge's gloomy sales forecast proved inaccurate: the GTO package had sold 10,000 units before the beginning of the 1964 calendar year, and total sales were 32,450.

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Cars - Pontiac GTO

Origins

First generation

1964

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