GTO Muscle Cars

The Pontiac GTO

 
GTO muscle cars hold a special place in the hearts of all performance car enthusiasts.

They are associated with that most classic of muscle cars, the Pontiac GTO, which has entered motor car history as the first ever true muscle car.

The term GTO, short for “Grand Turismo Omologato” was first introduced in the autumn of 1963 as an option for Pontiac's Le Mans Tempest.

For an extra $295 the GTO option provided a 389-cid V8 engine with special camshaft, specialised hydraulic lifters, as well 421-style cylinder heads.

A new chapter in the development of the muscle car was about to be written as the Pontiac Tempest GTO was set to be launched.

There were many cars before the launch of the Pontiac GTO that some would deem to be worthy of the muscle car tag.

But this model had those features which became to quintessential to what would eventually be deemed a 100 per cent, authentic muscle car.
 
The main feature of the Pontiac GTO of 1964 was that it was a mid-sized car powered by a big-block V8 engine, exemplifying the blend of size, style and affordability.

This was just the kind of thing the young American motorist, influenced by both the drag racing and the motor racing track, was looking for.

The Pontiac GTO was to be a success as muscle car aficionados flocked to buy it. By the end of 1964 over 32,000 GTO muscle cars had been sold.

“The Legend” as the Pontiac GTO became to be know, set the scene for the development of the muscle car over the next decade.

As well as its style and power, the GTO's affordability also made it popular among style and speed conscious young buyers. In 1965 the GTO convertible could be had for less than $3,100.

It was one thing for the Pontiac GTO to enjoy initial success, but for that to continue changes had to be made, especially if they were to appeal to their niche market. And those changes continued to come. The 1965 version introduced stacked headlights and functional ram air set ups became an option.

A year later when the Pontiac GTO became a model in its own right and not just part of the LeMans series, it adopted its curved “coke bottle” look. And by 1967 a new 400-cid engine was introduced.

The aim was to keep the Pontiac GTO to the forefront of the muscle car range, and during the heyday of the 1960s, it very much succeeded. By the 1970s the GTO began to lose many of its muscle car attributes, but by then muscle was falling out of fashion.

Despite that, GTO muscle cars will always be associated with the rise of the muscle car.

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