The Pontiac GTO History, Generations & Ultimate Guide

The origin and the history of the Pontiac GTO, the vehicle that became an icon for the muscle car set, is really a story of one man’s battle against the corporate establishment. That man, John Z. DeLorean, was, at the time, the chief engineer of Pontiac. What he wanted was to build a normally mild-mannered mid-sized sedan powered by a big V-8.

The GTO concept developed in early 1963 when DeLorean, along with members of his engineering staff, was experimenting with the Tempest, an economy Pontiac introduced the previous year. The car’s four-cylinder engine was inherently rough-running and vibration prone. As a cure for the car’s power deficiency, it was suggested that, since the Tempest’s four-cylinder shared the same engine mounts as the V8 it would be easy to install the big motor into the little car.

A prototype was cobbled together using a Tempest Lemans coupe as a testbed. It contained a 389 cubic inch V8 borrowed from Pontiac’s full-size Bonneville, as well as a four-barrel carburetor and heavy-duty four-speed manual transmission. The resulting transplant not only made the car quick but was also a blast to drive.

It was also DeLorean who named the car. The term GTO stood for Gran Turismo Omologato, or, in plain English, Grand Touring Homologated. The word “homologation” was used to describe a race car constructed from a variety of parts in sufficient quantities to be approved for production-class competition by the International Automobile Federation. (FIA)

Originally, the division’s skeptical sales department committed to just 5,000 GTO option packages for 1964. But as the word got out, dealer demand gobbled them all up within days of the official announcement. The ’64 GTO became a certified hit before it had even arrived at any Pontiac showrooms. So sensitive were the GTO’s creators to breaking the engine size rule that initially no mention was made of the car in any of Pontiac’s sales literature. News of its existence was communicated in a few automobile enthusiast publications only.

Every GTO optioned Tempest (base-priced at around $3,200) started with a 325-horsepower 389 V8, dual exhausts, floor-mounted Hurst three-speed manual transmission, heavy-duty suspension, front bucket seats, and chromed air cleaner, valve covers, and oil-filter cap. Buyers could also add a more powerful 348 horsepower version featuring three two-barrel carbs, as well as options such as a Hurst four-speed or GM-built two-speed automatic, limited-slip differential, extra heavy duty shocks, and a faster steering ratio.

By year’s end, total sales of Tempest Lemans hardtops, coupes, and convertibles equipped with the GTO option totaled a whopping 32, 450, a far cry from the original GM approved plan. For 1965, the GTO (or Goat, as it was now beginning to be called.) remained an option, but now featured attractive new front and rear-end styling, improvements to the engine and suspension, and new rally-style wheels. That year total GTO sales exceeded 75,000.

It wouldn’t be until 1966 and the arrival of the second-generation Tempest that the GTO would be marketed as a separate model. By then, other manufacturers were scrambling to create their own versions of the GTO in an attempt to cash in on Pontiac’s success. But, there was simply no substitute for the original. With a little planning, underhanded, inventiveness, and a lot of luck, the GTO created the madness for muscle cars that captured the imagination of a generation of drivers.

The GTO got progressively sleeker styling and became more luxurious, partly because many of its original buyers were getting a little older and wanted more comfort. Still, it remained one of the fastest muscle cars through 1971, when its 455-cubic-inch H.O. V-8 made it nearly as fast as the 1969-70 Ram Air IV GTOs with their 366-370-horsepower V-8s.

But then GM cut back a lot on performance in 1972, when muscle cars had pretty much gone out of style because of increasingly stringent federal safety and emissions regulations and rising insurance premiums. By 1974--its last model year--a GTO was just an option package with a 350-cubic-inch V-8 for the bland, compact Ventura coupe. Just 7,058 GTOs were sold that year.

In 2004, the Pontiac GTO was relaunched in the U.S. market in the form of a rebadged, third-generation Holden Monaro. The VZ Monaro-based GTO was Pontiac’s first captive import since the 1988–1993 Pontiac LeMans. The V2/VZ Monaro was a 2-door coupe variant of the Australian developed VT/VX Holden Commodore. Unfortunately, it didn't last long and after two years, the 2006 Pontiac GTO would be the last muscle car Pontiac would ever produce.

In early 2009, amid financial problems and restructuring efforts, GM announced it would discontinue manufacturing and marketing vehicles under the Pontiac brand by the end of 2010 and focus on four core brands in North America: Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. The last Pontiac badged cars were built in December 2009. Franchise agreements for Pontiac dealers expired on October 31, 2010.

Pontiac GTO First Generation (1964 - 1967)

The legendary 1964 Pontiac GTO kicked off the wild 1960s muscle car market with a roar and made Detroit the world center for affordable high-performance cars.

It can be argued that cars such as the light 1949 Oldsmobile with its new "Rocket V-8" or the 1955 Chrysler 300 Hemi V-8--first mass-produced 300-horsepower car--were the first American muscle cars.

Those autos were among cars such as the 1956 Plymouth Fury and 1961 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport with its mighty 409-cubic-inch V-8 that generated considerable interest in high performance models.

But the 1964 GTO is generally regarded as the first highly popular, widely available muscle car--the one that opened the door for a whole bunch of mid-1960s to early 1970s affordable American muscle cars. Nearly all domestic high-performance autos were called "super cars," or mainly "muscle cars," after the first GTO debuted.

Actually, conservative General Motors only grudgingly let its Pontiac division make the GTO, which turned out to be one of GM's great success stories.

GM had banned a Pontiac such as the GTO, partly because it feared such an auto would make it look bad to its conservative older customers and to the government, which had threatened to break up GM because of its market dominance.

But several top maverick Pontiac executives secretly developed the GTO--and then presented GM management with strong GTO dealer orders.

"GM thus was forced to allow the GTO to be built," said Jim Wangers, Pontiac's marketing and advertising guru in the 1960s, who now is an analyst with California's Automotive Marketing Consultants.

Wangers marketed the GTO with everything from a national hit record--appropriately titled "GTO"-- to GTO "driving shoes" from Thom McAn and men's "GTO cologne." . The record, performed by a group called Ronny and the Daytonas, still is played on oldies radio stations when running their list of top hit records of the 1960s.

Pontiac really needed the GTO to keep its lucrative performance image alive. It had transformed itself from a mediocre "old man's" car division in the late 1950s to a hot one, partly through successful race activities and sexy street cars.

However, GM suddenly banned racing in early 1963. And it also banned mid-size cars with big engines, such as the powerful Pontiac 389-cubic-inch V-8 that the GTO needed to be a successful hot car.

Pontiac chief engineer John DeLorean and fellow engineers Bill Collins and Russ Gee had found that the 389 V-8 easily fit in the newly styled mid-size Pontiac Tempest and turned it into a sizzling high-performance car. Just for fun at first, they transformed the Tempest into the car that became the GTO.

Pontiac found it could do without valuable racing publicity if it could offer a sexy, affordable performance car that would appeal to the growing number of young, performance-minded drivers.

Pontiac's adventuresome boss Elliott "Pete" Estes, who knew about the "389 Tempest" his engineers had developed, decided to get around GM's big-engine ban by providing a GTO option package for the Tempest.

Slick move. By offering the standard, cleanly styled Tempest coupe or convertible with a smaller, lower-horsepower engine, Pontiac wasn't violating GM's big-engine ban. But one also could order the car with the GTO option package, which contained the 389 V-8 with 325 horsepower and a three-speed Hurst manual floor shifter, sport suspension, wide wheels, GTO emblems, two chromed nonfunctional hood scoops and dual exhausts.

Options for the GTO included a four-speed manual transmission, tachometer and custom sports steering wheel. Importantly, there also was an extra-cost "Tri-Power" triple carburetor setup that only cost $115.78 and allowed 348 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds--fast by today's standards. It was a good idea to order the optional metallic brake linings for extra stopping power.

Pontiac dealers immediately knew that the "Tempest GTO" would have great appeal to younger customers. They thus promptly placed orders for some 5,000 Tempests with the GTO option, which was enough to guarantee that GM would let the car be built. It was primarily in business to make money and wasn't about to turn down any car that generated income.

GM felt that only about 5,000 GTOs would be sold in the 1964 model year, but 32,450 were snapped up. Far more could have been sold if there had been more production capacity for the car. But, as it was, the GTO the top-selling first-year model in Pontiac history.

And no wonder. Nearly any teen with a job could afford that first GTO, which stole its name from a limited-production Ferrari race car. By just adding the $295.90 GTO option package to a $2,556 Pontiac Tempest sport coupe, you got one of the coolest things around.

The GTO seemed too good to be true. Car and Driver magazine even said in a cover story that the car was virtually as good as a Ferrari GTO, which cost a fortune and was almost impossible to buy. Actually, the magazine never got a hold of a Ferrari GTO to test, so the Pontiac-Ferrari GTO test was faked. Moreover, the GTO turned out to be a highly modified production car. But never mind, the "test" was the talk of the industry for years and really helped put the GTO on the map.

Wangers, a former Pontiac drag racing champion, recalled in his book "Glory Days--When Horsepower And Passion Ruled Detroit," that he knew there "would never be a Ferrari put in an actual comparison test against our Pontiac" when he heard Car and Driver had commissioned a special oil painting for its cover. It showed a Ferrari GTO and Pontiac GTO engaged in fierce competition on a road course.

Predictably, GTO sales more than doubled for the 1965 model year, with 75,352 built.. For 1966, the car became a separate Pontiac GTO line--no longer a Tempest with a GTO option package.

Pontiac GTO Second Generation (1968 - 1972)

Pontiac gave the GTO a total makeover. The vehicle was now constructed on an A-body platform. The semi-fastback styling made this version of the GTO even more curvaceous. Pontiac also shortened the wheelbase and the total vehicle length while the weight increased.

Chrome was largely dropped from the second generation GTO. One of the most notable differences was the change to a new rubber bumper, dubbed the Endura, from an older chrome one. This rubber bumper gave the vehicle's front a much cleaner, sleeker appearance and is one of the most identifiable features of a second generation Pontiac. An optional hidden headlight feature was also quite popular among buyers.

Along with the design changes, the standard 400-cubic-inch V-8 engine reached 350 horsepower, 15 more horsepower than the standard option offered the previous year. An alternate engine package came with 360 horsepower. In the middle of 1968, the Pontiac GTO also offered a Ram Air II package, which came with an 041 cam, round port exhaust and freer-breathing cylinder heads.

There weren't many major changes to the standard 1969 model. Some minor modifications included revisions to the grille and taillights, as well as the removal of the vent windows. Additionally, this model kept the standard engine from 1968 but added two new optional ones: a Ram Air III, rated at 366 horsepower, and a Ram Air IV, rated at 370 horsepower.

Though there weren't any huge changes to the standard model, Pontiac released an optional package, a Pontiac GTO Judge, which was a major advancement in the car's history. Pontiac created the Judge to enable buyers to receive the very best in street performance. The car featured a Hurst shifter, a rear spoiler, attractive decals and wider tires to provide it with a more performance-driven look. It also ran on the Ram Air III, still offering 366 horsepower to drivers.

In 1970, the Pontiac GTO received more aggressive body lines and quad headlamps. Pontiac also upgraded the car's suspension by lowering the amount of body lean while turning and reducing understeer. The base engine didn't change for this model, with the Ram Air III and Ram Air IV still the optional engines offered. One big addition to the vehicle's performance options was the inclusion of an optional 455 HO engine. This engine was rated at 360 horsepower, with 500 pounds-feet of torque.

The Judge returned as an option, with the Ram III engine standard and the Ram IV an upgrade. Later in the model year, buyers could select the 455 HO engine. Besides the engines offered, the Judge also featured slightly new styling, with striping moving to the upper wheel well brows.

In 1971, the Pontiac GTO went through some styling changes. This GTO featured horizontal bumper bars, wire mesh grilles, a hood with dual scoops placed on the leading edge and headlamps placed more closely together. Due to the growing demand for more vehicle regulations, GM instituted new policies that attempted to prepare their cars for no-lead gasoline. As a result, the GTO had to reduce its compression ratios.

These changes made it so the GTO no longer offered Ram Air engines. The standard 400-cubic-inch V-8 engine remained, but the horsepower dropped, with the GTO only offering 255 horsepower. Buyers could still upgrade to two different 455 engines, with one offering 260 horsepower and the other 310 horsepower.

1971 also saw the last year the Judge was offered as an option for the GTO. The GTO's overall sales continued to drop, with only 10,532 total sold that year. The Judge's production numbers were also quite paltry, with Pontiac only producing 17 convertibles and 357 hardtops.

Due to slowing sales, the 1972 Pontiac GTO was pulled from the lineup as a stand-alone model. Again, Pontiac only offered it as an option package for the Pontiac LeMans and the LeMans Sport. This vehicle didn't provide any notable changes, quietly ending the second generation of GTOs. This relegation back to an option package and the lack of any major changes was a further signal that the muscle car was losing its appeal to customers.

Pontiac GTO Third Generation (1973)

The third generation Pontiac GTO would only last for a single year in 1973. Like the 1972 model, the GTO was only offered as an option to the LeMans or LeMans Sport Coupe.

This generation was marked by a redesign to the A-body and fresh styling. Unlike previous models offering multiple body styles, Pontiac only sold the 1973 GTO as a two-door hardtop coupe. This hardtop featured "Colonnade" styling, which added a roof pillar and kept the frameless door windows. The rear side windows came in a triangular shape and couldn't be opened.

The 1973 GTO also had changes to the hood, with the new National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ducts placed in its center. Another design change came from 1973 federal laws that stated cars must have bumpers that could withstand impacts of 5 miles per hour without any damage to the body. As a result of these government safety regulations, Pontiac had to remove the Endura bumper from the GTO. In its place, they installed heavy chrome bumpers on the front and rear.

Other changes were made to the car to assist with emissions control. For example, Pontiac lowered the rear axle ratios to control the number of pollutants the car released from its exhausts. Additionally, they removed the HO exhaust manifolds, chrome air-cleaner lids, chrome rocker-arm covers and aluminum intake. In place of these parts, the team at Pontiac added an air-intake hose attached to a black air cleaner. Overall, these design changes weren't well-received by the automotive public.

Performance-wise, the GTO drove exceptionally well — partially a result of the revised suspension geometry. The suspension upgrades improved handling and gave the car more grip. Pontiac also increased the springs' stiffness and the anti-roll bars' thickness.

The horsepower continued to drop, however, with the standard 400-cubic-inch V-8 engine only offering 230 horsepower. This GTO still came with a three- and four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic. For those who wanted more horsepower, they could go to the 455 V-8 engine, which offered 250 horsepower. Unfortunately, the 455 HO engine wouldn't make an appearance in this generation.

Overall, the GTO didn't generate the sales Pontiac was hoping for. They would end up only selling 4,262 standard GTOs and 544 models of the 455 engine GTO.

Pontiac GTO Fourth Generation (1974)

Like the third generation Pontiac GTO, the fourth generation was short-lived, lasting only for one year in 1974. Instead of using an A-body platform, Pontiac shifted to GM's X-body platform for a more compact body style. This GTO wasn't offered as an option for the LeMans — it was an option for the Pontiac Venture instead. The GTO could be found in two body styles — a two-door coupe and a two-door hatchback coupe.

This more compact GTO was outfitted with a 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine, which pumped out 200 horsepower. The engine had burbling dual exhausts and a four-barrel carburetor. There were no other engine options available for buyers to select from. Despite the lowered horsepower, the vehicle was lighter than previous models, allowing it to go relatively fast. This automobile could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 9.3 seconds.

Some notable additions to this GTO were the inclusion of a blackout grille, dual sport mirrors and Rally II wheels. Pontiac also added a shaker hood to it, which was a functional feature and added a bit of noise to the car. When the driver accelerated particularly hard, a flap would open up on the shaker's back, allowing the carburetor to take in cooler air. The vehicle also received an upgraded F41 Special Performance Suspension, which helped it have even better handling than its predecessors.

The fourth generation would sell more than the 1973 GTO, with 7,058 buyers. However, this uptick in sales wouldn't save the GTO, with Pontiac choosing to shelve it for 30 years after 1974

Pontiac GTO Fifth Generation (2004 - 2006)

In 2004, the Pontiac GTO was relaunched in the U.S. market in the form of a rebadged, third-generation Holden Monaro. The VZ Monaro-based GTO was Pontiac’s first captive import since the 1988–1993 Pontiac LeMans. The V2/VZ Monaro was a 2-door coupe variant of the Australian developed VT/VX Holden Commodore. The Commodore had, in turn, been developed by enlarging the European designed 1994 Opel Omega B, which was marketed in its original form in the U.S. from 1997 to 2001 as the Cadillac Catera. The Monaro was also exported to the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Monaro and to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Lumina SS.

The revival was prompted by former GM North America Chairman Bob Lutz, who had the idea of importing a Holden Commodore-based vehicle after reading a Car and Driver review of the Holden Commodore SS, published circa 2000. Car and Driver praised the performance of the V8 powered, rear-wheel-drive Holden Commodore SS, but noted that even though it was one of the best vehicles that GM offered at the time, it could not be purchased in the United States. The idea of importing a rear-wheel-drive Holden as a GM North American performance offering gradually transformed into importing the Monaro. Lutz, as well as other GM executives, later drove a Holden Monaro while on a business trip in Australia, which convinced them that importing the car could be a profitable venture.

Lutz had to convince GM executive hierarchy to import the car and overcome a corporate culture that promoted regional autonomy between GM North America and its overseas divisions. This resulted in an “unnecessarily long gestation period,” as Lutz put it, and at a much higher cost than anticipated. The Monaro design was introduced in 2001 but appeared “dated” in 2004 when it was released in the United States. It was also originally planned to sell for about $25,000, but by the time it was launched in the U.S., the Australian dollar’s growth against the U.S. dollar had inflated the price of the car too well over $34,000. Both of these elements played a role in the car’s lukewarm acceptance by the general public. The GTO was assembled by GM’s Holden subsidiary at Elizabeth. It was equipped with the 5.7 liter LS1 V8 engine for the 2004 model year, the same engine found in the concurrent model year Chevrolet Corvette, with a choice of a 6-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic.

Changes from the Australian-built Monaro included bracing additions to the body to meet U.S. crash standards, a “corporate Pontiac” front fascia, new badging, “GTO” stitching on the front seats and a revised exhaust system. GM Engineers benchmarked the sound of the 1964 GTO held in the Pontiac historical collection, as well as other LS1-powered vehicles while working with the exhaust vendor to tune the system. The effort was made to make the new GTO invoke the same sound as the original while still meeting the noise threshold required by some states.

The 2004 GTO exhaust was a true dual system that followed the original Monaro exhaust routing, thus both tailpipes exited on the driver side of the vehicle. General Motors claimed performance of 5.3 seconds to 60 and a 13.8 second quarter mile time, which was closely verified by several magazine tests.

Initially, in 2004, the car was offered in several colors: Barbados Blue Metallic, Cosmos Purple Metallic, Quicksilver Metallic, Phantom Black Metallic, Impulse Blue Metallic, Torrid Red, and Yellow Jacket.

The hood scoops that originally were slated for production in 2005 were pushed into production as part of an over-the-counter Sport Appearance Package. The 2004 Sport Appearance Package also included a taller and more angular rear spoiler, as well as deeper inset grilles.

Closing out the 2004 model year was the W40 package featuring an exclusive paint color called Pulse Red, red GTO embroidery on the seats, and a grey-colored gauge cluster. The last 794 of the 2004 model year GTOs were built with the W40 package.

The 2005 model year continued with standard hood scoops, split rear exhaust with a revised rear fascia, and late in the year, optional 18 inch (45.7 cm) wheels. The major change for 2005 was the replacement of the LS1 engine with the LS2 engine. This 5,967 cc (364.1 cu in) engine increased power and torque in the GTO to 400 hp (300 kW) with 400 lb·ft (542 N·m) torque.

Other changes included larger front rotors and caliper hardware from the Corvette, and the drivetrain was strengthened with the addition of a driveshaft with larger “giubo’s” and a larger differential flange, as well as revised half-shafts. Dashboard gauge graphics were revised. The optional dealer-installed Sport Appearance Package became available and differed visually by having a different lower rear fascia, aftermarket mufflers with quad chrome exhaust tips, revised spoiler, and front lower fascia extension, recessed grilles, and revised rocker panels.

This package was available from GM as an accessory in red, silver, black, or primer for other color cars. Production was 11,069 due in part to a shortened model year. Barbados Blue and Cosmos Purple were dropped this year, but Cyclone Grey and Midnight Blue Metallic were added. Customers also had the option to order their GTO without hood scoops (RPO code BZJ), though only 24 were produced this way. There was a 17-inch chrome wheel option. Only 17 GTOs had the chrome wheel option because this option was not offered until May 2005 and the 2005 production run ended in June. GM claimed the car capable of 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.7 seconds and a 13.0-second quarter mile at 105 mph (169 km/h) (automatic transmission).

For 2006, two additional colors were added, Spice Red Metallic and Brazen Orange Metallic, while Midnight Blue Metallic and Yellow Jacket were dropped. Changes for 2006 included revised blacked-out tail lamps, illuminated steering wheel radio controls, faster-moving power seat motors, and an interior power door lock switch.

The climate control button for the A/C also had the word “Defog” added to it for the 2006 model year. Along with the 2005 model, the 2006 GTO was equipped with the 400 hp (300 kW), 6.0 L engine. On February 21, 2006, Buick-Pontiac-GMC General Manager John Larson announced to dealers that GM would halt imports of the GTO in September, making 2006 the last model year for the new GTO. The explanation was the inability to meet new airbag deployment standards for 2007. The final production numbers of the 2006 Pontiac GTO are 13,948 cars, an increase from 11,069 from the previous model year.

The last Pontiac GTO, which was also the very last Monaro-based coupe produced, came off the assembly line in Australia on June 14, 2006. Total production for all three years was 40,808 vehicles. This generation GTO was only intended as limited production runs for those 3 years from the beginning of the program.