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The heyday of the American muscle car was from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, when consumers were drawn to smaller models by the oil crisis and new regulations regarding emissions and fuel efficiency. The iconic Chevy Corvette, the equally iconic Ford Mustang, and the wildly popular Dodge Charger were all produced by Detroit’s Big Three manufacturers at the height of the muscle car era. Since the 1964 GTO was the first vehicle to wear the badge—a special edition Tempest LeMans—Pontiac is sometimes credited with starting the muscle car era.
The Big Three made a lot of money in the 1950s from stock car and drag racing. However, the 1956 Indianapolis 500 tragedy that killed Bill Vukovich and the catastrophic LeMans crash that killed 84 spectators two weeks later prompted the Automobile Manufacturers Association to ask its members to remove any references to racing and performance from their products and advertisements. Ford, Chrysler, and GTO all continued their semi-secret racing projects until GM faced criticism on insurance and safety grounds in February 1963 and issued a letter prohibiting any further aid to racing.
GTO focused on the consumer market for high-performance automobiles while Ford and Chrysler continued their full-bore racing efforts. John DeLorean, the engineer who founded the business and vehicle that became a star
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The GTO Took Its Name From A Ferrari
General Motors engineers had to dodge an AMA-inspired rule that required all cars to weigh ten pounds per cubic inch of displacement. Automobile catalogs list the ’64 GTO’s curb weight at 3,470 pounds, meaning GM’s 330-inch V8 was the largest engine it could install. DeLorean and his crew chose to make the 330 the GTO’s standard engine and offer the 389 as an option to get around this restriction. Ferrari used the name “Gran Turismo Omologato” to identify models accepted by the FIA for homologation.
DeLorean and his team took the moniker because they believed it gave Pontiac’s new beast a unique and fearsome pedigree. The LeMans GTO package added $295.90, bringing the total sticker price to $2,776 (or just under $28,000 in 2024 currency).
For customers who wanted maximum acceleration, a dealer-installed 4:33.1 option and Pontiac’s Safe-T-Track limited slip differential were offered. Standard rear-end gear ratios ranged from 3.08:1 to 3.90:1. Hemmings claims that Pontiac sold 32,450 GTOs in 1964 and that the vehicles are still in high demand today; A black 1964 GTO convertible recently fetched more than $107,000.
The GTO Paved The Way For The Mustang And Firebird
Two carburetion packages were available for the 1964 GTO. The standard model had a Carter 4-barrel gasoline system that allowed the 389 to produce 325 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque. The torque peak was increased from 3,200 to 3,600 rpm with an optional Tri-Power system using three Rochester 2-barrels, increasing output to 358 horsepower.
John DeLorean’s 1964 GTO and his ban on GM’s bans paved the way for the Mustang, another iconic vehicle of the era, to be introduced at the World’s Fair that same year. By 1967, the initial generation of the GTO contributed to Pontiac’s resurgence as one of GM’s more recognizable brands. In 1967, Pontiac’s Firebird succeeded the first-generation GTO by selling more cars than 250,000 units in its first three years.
Because the first-generation GTO was so successful, GM removed engine capacity restrictions before releasing the second-generation GTO in 1968. The now standalone model was enhanced with the Judge Performance Package the following year. With a Hurst shifter, larger tires and a Ram Air III intake, this boosted the 400-cubic-inch V8’s power to 366 horsepower.
For 1970, a 455-cubic-inch high-output V8 engine was introduced; Its 500 lb-ft of torque can remove dental fillings, but its horsepower drops to 360. Production of the muscle car was halted due to new pollution restrictions soon to come into effect, but in its absence the era would never have begun. 1964 GTO.
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