"Pontiac GTO": the history of the pioneer

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Back in 1964, the public was presented with a car that was destined to go down in the history of the automotive industry. "Pontiac GTO JUDGE" was a slightly modernized version of the usual coupe, which was equipped with a powerful engine. According to the author of the idea, he expected that the car would sell a maximum of five thousand copies, but the reality turned out to be much more pleasant. Just think - the idea of fine customization of the car by installing a more powerful engine on it was the beginning of an entire era. It was the dawn of muscle car popularity.

Pontiac Tempest became the prototype of the new series. Manufacturers initially did everything to emphasize that this is not a family car. The model was equipped with a 6.4 liter engine that could produce 350 horses, in addition, wide sports tires, a dual exhaust system and an improved steering system were installed on the stock version. The model made a splash - over 32,000 cars were sold in the first year. Literally everyone wanted to own this road monster.

A year later, an updated version was released, which developed the ideas embodied in the ancestor of the series. The then-popular Autocar magazine tested the new Pontiac GTO model - the dynamic performance surprised even the worldly gurus of the auto industry - the car accelerated to one hundred miles per hour in 18 seconds. The renewal of the lineup was a good decision - sales increased from 32,000 to 100,000 cars a year.

Variants

At one time, the Pontiac GTO was constantly improved. In a world of constant competition, there is only one way to survive - to constantly keep your finger on the pulse in order to be able to offer the consumer the best possible. Muscle cars were updated once a year in order to take into account all the wishes of customers. The Pontiac GTO was constantly changing, but always kept its essence - it was still the same two-seat coupe with a bright design and a warm heart. But besides this option, there were others.

• Cabriolet. Another successful find of the company. It was she who became the reason for the high popularity of open-top cars. In this model, everyone could find something for themselves. Tall natures could enjoy the movement coupled with the wind of freedom, and speed lovers received increased performance, because the engine was the same as in the coupe, but there was no roof, so the ratio of "horsepower per ton" was different.
• Four-seater sedan. This option was intended for those who could not afford an expensive sports coupe.
• Coupe. A dream car that has won the hearts of millions of motorists.

The end of an era

The 1969 Pontiac GTO was the last classic model to enjoy outstanding popularity, followed by a downward trend. The fact is that in 1971, the era of love for the environment began in America, and the government introduced quotas for car exhaust. Such a monster as a muscle car was now subject to large pen alties, which means it became extremely unprofitable. It was the end of the 1969 Pontiac GTO series. The price of buying a car remained the same, but the pleasure of driving it began to cost prohibitively.

Thirty years passed before the manufacturer decided to revive the legend. In 2004, a new line of Pontiacs was released. What is her place in history, only time will tell.