Pontiac GTO - One of The Original Muscle Cars
Pontiac GTO – One of the Original Muscle Cars. My earliest exposure to American cars was restricted to the occasional one I would see on the road. And the rest was in Movies and on TV. They were a mystery to me and I was awed by every one I saw. Of the ones I saw on TV/Movies, one stood out. And this was the Pontiac GTO.
Thapson
The Pontiac GTO
The reason the Pontiac GTO stood out for me was its unique facia. That headlight placement, and the menacing looking grill design was a sure giveaway. Seen in the rear-view mirror, it seemed to say “get outa my way!” And why not? It was one of the earliest muscle cars on US roads. In fact, it’s said that the Pontiac GTO set the trend of Muscle Cars which was taken up by the rest of the “big three” in the US. Let’s check out its origins.
Brief History of the GTO
The Pontiac GTO (Grand Tourismo Omolgato: Italian for “grand tourer”) as a muscle car was the brainchild of a group of engineers, lead by John DeLorean, at GM who wanted to create more powerful options for the speed-seeking younger buyer. While GM had placed a ban on larger engines on their cars, these engineers realized such a ban could be sidestepped offering one as an option instead.
This option was initially offered in 1964 for buyers of the then regular Pontiac LeMans. This included a bigger engine, improved carburettor, exhaust system, valve covers, manual transmission, etc. All these were aimed to up the performance considerably for the “hot rod” enthusiast. There was a controversy regarding this upgrade, as something similar, called a “Bobcat,” was already being offered by a dealer in Michigan.
I don’t want to dwell on the technical history or details of the GTO. That could become wordy, and is better left to other experts in the field. But the groundwork for the latest muscle car, the GTO, had thus been laid for release in 1966.
Birth of the GTO
In 1966, the first GTO was offered as a new model in the Pontiac stable. This is where the Pontiac GTO assumed the look, I like best. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, as they’re better than my rambling. And I’ll still be unable to do justice to what I consider a pure classic. Oh heck, let me add my two cents anyway.
What I Love the Most
It’s the front grill work I find the most fascinating and which stood out on all those TV shows and movies. The headlight placement is also a sure giveaway that this car means business. Simultaneously, the rear profile is also cutting edge for the time, slim-in the middle, and “widened” edges. The side profile returns a stretched streamlined look with an elongated trunk and recessed rear window. The GTO only comes in a two-door format, with an option for hardtop of convertible available as well. This design was to evolve over the years.
Evolution of the Pontiac GTO
Improvements and upgrades continued including the engine, interior, and transmission. By the late 60s the GTO had rounder edges, a fastback profile, and optional hidden headlights. It won the Motor Trend “Car of the Year Award” in 1968. Competition fired up between GM/Pontiac and the other two “big” US auto manufacturers. In 1969, Pontiac released a “low cost” version of the GTO called “The Judge” – derived from popular culture of that era. The Judge was designed to fend off competition from the similarly priced Plymouth Road Runner.
My Favorite Still Remains…
My favorite remains the 1966-67 model for its looks. As its design evolved, it seemed to lose that coolness for me. Oh, it definitely had that edgy, sporty muscle car look but it’s a personal thing. Maybe because it’s “purity” was diluted by the competitors. Hope that makes sense. It was revived for a bit in the mid-2000s, just prior to the Pontiac brand being sadly retired.
Check out the cool commercial for the ’67 GTO below with actor Paul Richards. The “ultimate driving machine” – did you hear that BMW?
YouTube / US Auto Industry
Pontiac GTO in Popular Culture
Here are just some instances of my favorite ’66-’67 Pontiac GTOs as seen in popular culture (source: imcdb.org):
And that brings me to my Rare and/or Quirky car of the moment. This time I’m looking at the:
“Copper Electric Runabout”
During the 70s energy crisis, and awareness of cutting down air pollution, various carmakers started looking into electric cars. One of them was, of all entities, the American Copper Development Association.
They came out with various designs in electric vehicles spanning the mid-70s. Their Electric Runabout 1979 was the most “normal” looking of electric cars at the time. To understand “normal,” you would need to compare it with the other similar offerings at the time.
Examples of Their Concepts
This was a very small car by American standards with unique design features including a plastic body, sunroof, hatchback, large windows, and a slanted fascia for pedestrian safety.
Using a bunch of 6 Volt batteries, it was designed to run over 120 Kms on a single charge, with running costs measurable within a few cents per Kilometer.
Not Mass Produced Despite Good Design
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, this car never went into full commercial production. The most likely reason could be that the country was probably not ready to adapt to it. It’s quirky, small size, low power, and “untested” technology likely deterred people away. Like others around the time, this car faded away into memory.
Still, it was a brave attempt to wean us away from fossil fuels, and if successful, would likely have ushered in the electric car revolution earlier. I guess other technologies had to improve further to make these cars more feasible. The result is the boom we have currently – although still not as widespread and affordable as one would like.
This was a quick look at a muscle car I love and a car that never made it despite it’s revolutionary design.
Until next time, remember to check your car battery and change it, if weak, before the winter sets in and you find yourself unable to start your car on the coldest day.
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