PONTIAC GTO 1964-67

1964-67 Pontiac GTO

I n the early ‘60s, designers from each of the major vehicle manufacturers were searching for a way to entice more newly licensed baby boomers into their showrooms. In 1964, Pontiac found just that when designer John Z. Delorean (yes, that Delorean) equipped the company’s mid-sized Tempest platform with a 389ci V8.

Marketed as an option package for the Tempest, the venerable GTO—alternately known as The Legend, The Great One or simply as a Goat—was born in 1964 sporting dual exhaust, manual three- and four-speed transmissions with a Hurst Shifter, a bolstered clutch to handle the staggering 428 ft-lbs. of torque and off-the-lot output of 325-348 hp, with dual hood scoops to boot.

While the ’64 was a success (selling 32,500 units,) the Tempest GTO truly came into its own for the 1965 model year. Cosmetically, the dual hood scoops were dropped in favor of a single scoop and the GTO’s headlights were set into their trademark stacked configuration.

The engine was modified to crank out 335-360 hp and 431 ft.-lbs. of torque. The car’s impressive zero-to-60 time on the street and quarter-mile runs on the drag strip are legendary, and fueled a muscle car war among American manufacturers that lasted until the early 70s gas crisis.

Many consider the GTO to be the first true muscle car. Folks like Joe Bennett, who describes his Nightwatch Blue 1965 Pontiac GTO, the third GTO he has owned, as a time capsule.