There are so many things to love and hate about General Motors, but what everyone can easily agree on is that they did the world a great favor with the introduction of the Pontiac brand. It all started in 1926 when the Pontiac Six rolled off the assembly line and into a sea of positive receptions.
Everyone knew that since Pontiac survived the Depression years, it meant the automaker was unlike any other brand. Since then, Pontiac has been virtually unstoppable. Today, even though GM laid Pontiac to rest in 2009, the brand is still fondly remembered by fans worldwide for the many iconic car models it gave the industry and how it was pivotal in shaping the muscle car segment.
Today, we’d like to honor Pontiac’s legacy by taking a deep dive into one of its most celebrated and globally admired models: the Pontiac GTO. Here are 15 surprising facts about that legendary car.
15. The first GTO was an outlaw
hemmings.com
A group of brilliant engineers at Pontiac went against the GM rules by working on the GTO prototype, which had a 389 cubic inch V8. Back then, GM didn’t allow engines over 330 cubic inches to be put in midsize cars. This bold step proved to be one of the best decisions these guys have ever made.
14. The first GTO was actually just a Tempest with a bigger engine
hemmings.com
Back in 1964, all Pontiac engines were the same fit regardless of differences in displacement. This allowed the Pontiac engineers to fit that big V8 inside the then-new 1964 Tempest, officially turning it into the first GTO model. The GTO made its first appearance as a trim option with the Tempest.
13. An overshadowed Tempest
hemmings.com
Upon its release, and with a very effective marketing campaign, the standard Tempest model was largely overshadowed by its GTO option. Sales took off fast, and pretty soon Pontiac realized that they had something special on their hands. The car captivated interest, and prompted other automakers to join in on the fun.
12. John DeLorean led the GTO team
hagerty.com
John DeLorean, infamous owner of DeLorean Motor Company, worked in Pontiac Motor Division and actually led the team that developed the first GTO. DMC may have not added too much to the world, but we are definitely glad DeLorean took the time to develop the GTO with his team.
11. Pontiac or Ferrari?
auctiontime.com
When the GTO first came out, lots of people were quick to point out that Ferrari also had a car named Ferrari GTO, which stood for Gran Turismo Omologato. Ferrari didn’t have a copyright, though, which is why Pontiac wasn't shaken by the complaints. The name even stayed the same over the years.
10. Pontiac GTO stands for...
hemmings.com
When the whole debacle about the Ferrari GTO vs Pontiac GTO came to light, fans didn’t like being in the midst of this discussion that took away from the car’s value. Some creative fans of the GTO decided to declare that the Pontiac GTO stands for "Grand Tempest Option." Has a nice ring to it, right?
9. Dream big
webeautos.com
Upon the approval of the Pontiac GTO as a trim of the Tempest, a sales executive at General Motors was quite the downer to the Pontiac team. Frank Bridge said he didn't believe the GTO would sell more than 5,000 units and suggested a limited production run. Boy, was he wrong.
8. Corvette who?
turbosquid.com
One of the many things that brought the Pontiac GTO into attention is the fact that it achieved what was thought to be impossible: it was faster than the Corvette. A tri-power option on the GTO allowed it to go a quarter mile in 14.1 seconds, compared to the Corvette’s 14.2.
7. Way off base
commons.wikimedia.org
Frank Bridges insisted on the 5,000 unit production run, but 1964 was the GTO’s year, and it sold quite a lot more than 5,000. Everyone’s expectations were blown through the roof when the GTO sold over 32,000 cars in the first year alone, easily making it one of the best-selling Pontiacs ever.
6. Something for everyone
topspeed.com
Pontiac knew it had to go all out on its GTO offering. Instead of offering a regular coupe, Pontiac offered the GTO as a coupe, hardtop, and convertible. Whatever the shape, the GTO looked fresh and handsome. This appealed to a lot of people’s tastes and needs and was in favor of the GTOs marketing efforts.
5. Start of an era
classicautomall.com
Not counting the 1949 Oldsmobile, which took the world by storm with its V8 engine, the Pontiac GTO kick-started the muscle car industry and prompted other manufacturers to up their game to match up with the GTO's. Not all of them succeeded, but this competition initiated the start of the muscle era.
4. Meet the Engine
mecum.com
The 1964 GTO was a rule breaker, but every detail about this awesome car is totally worth it. The 1964 GTO came with a 6.3-liter V8 engine with 325 horsepower, and an optional tri-power configuration that gives 348 horsepower and a top speed of 104 mph. It was also available with manual or automatic transmission.
3. Simultaneous legends
mecum.com
The year was 1964, and it looked like magic was happening all around. When the Pontiac GTO was making waves with its mind blowing success in the first year of release, the iconic Ford Mustang was in the last stages of development, getting ready to come out and dazzle car enthusiasts everywhere.
2. So long, Tempest
classicautomall.com
It was time for the GTO to become its own car. In 1966, two years after the GTO’s legendary debut as a Tempest trim option, the Tempest and GTO nameplates went their separate ways. The 1966 Pontiac GTO stood strongly on its own with a solid reputation and high sales numbers.
1. Goodbyes and Revivals
reddit.com
The GTO had a healthy production run of 10 years until the 1970s came and took the GTO with them. Because it wasn't as fuel efficient as other cars, the GTO didn’t sell well. Later, in 2004, there was an attempt to bring back the GTO, but it ended quickly in 2006 upon receiving mostly negative reactions.
