Pontiac GTO - Everything You Need To Know | Up to Speed

The Pontiac LeMans Gran Turismo Amala gato was a car that was here, and it's interesting to talk about it.

The GTO was a serious car with bucket seats, chrome valve covers, exhaust, and a floor-mounted three-speed shifter. It had a 389 engine up front that made 325 horsepower, which was a lot of noise coming out the back. So, it was fast, good-looking, and cost $25,000 - about $20,000 today.

The LeMans GTO inspired an entire generation of factory-built hot rods, sparking something called the muscle car era. Every American manufacturer started building cars to compete with the new Pontiac. The Mustang, Camaro, Charger were all born in the mid-60s as a response to the hot GTO.

In 1967, the GTO got bored out to 400 cubic inches, and an optional rocket launcher and flamethrower package was added. What happened next was that the GTO's first major overhaul came in 1968, with signature vertical headlights going sideways, and the body being styled more like a fastback. This made some people feel like it was missing something.

The DeLorean left Pontiac to head Chevrolet the next year, which meant there was a new face in charge of the GTO - Jim McDonald. Jim had previously designed conveyor belt systems for GM's factories, which meant he had an eye for optimization. However, what he didn't have an eye for was trends - unlike his contemporaries, Bunkie Knutson and John DeLorean, who were intently focused on them.

Maybe one trend that caught Jim's attention was a March 1968 episode of the Laugh-In variety show. Legendary comedian and musician Sammy Davis Jr. danced on stage, singing "Here Comes the Judge." The routine swept the nation with people imitating Sammy, and this caught Jim's eye - let's call it a judge. And so, the 1969 GTO was born - a stripped-out version of the original with rubber floor mats and a bitchin' Hurst shifter.

The original GTO received more facelifts through the early 70s, including more aggressive hood scoops and flared nostrils, but it was falling behind in the segment it created. By the time the oil crisis hit full force, the GTO was no longer its own model - again a package this time for the diminutive Pontiac Ventura compact car.

In 1974, that year would be the GTO's last until 2004. Pontiac found itself in the middle of a crisis with no identity of its own within GM, so they followed Bunkie Knutson's footsteps and decided to once again become GM's performance wing - and bring back the GTO.

However, developing a whole new car is expensive, and it didn't have the dough. But GM did have a platform to make it happen, which was in Australia - GM's Holden division had a 2-door sports car called the Monaro, "hey Paul, yeah come get this thing - you need GTO, but it doesn't look like a Pontiac, put your grill on it, you'll be fine." Are you sure? Yeah, do you want it or not. I mean, yeah, we want, but ok, do it, jeez God, so picky.

The Pontiac GTO is responsible for the muscle car era - getting baby boomers interested in driving and setting the pace for the automotive industry for an entire decade and beyond. It's without a doubt one of the most important American cars of all time.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enit's the car that saved Pontiac from the grave and introduced baby boomers to the open road this three letter legend hailed the beginning of the muscle car era forever changing the course of American automotive history I'm not lying when I say it's one of the most important cars of all time cue the Lightning's this is everything you need to know to get up to speed on the Pontiac GTO aka the date it's the mid 50s the war's over jobs are plentiful and people are having babies Oh things are looking good people everywhere are optimistic everywhere except for Claudia the brand had been in GM's lineup for 30 years since its founding in 1926 Pontiac was created to fill the price gap between the entry-level Chevy and the fancier Oakland brand back then Pontiac was a hit there was no other company making a car that nice and that affordable but decades had passed since then and now honey I had a reputation for being a brand mom's car they were nice but being nice wasn't enough anymore everyone was making nice stuff now the clock was ticking for the company for a smaller brain like Pontiac they needed to do something different to sell cars bunkie Knutson was a strapping young lad and son of GM boss big bill Knutson bunkie joined the family business and was soon running GM's Detroit diesel engine division apparently probably he did a good job because his promotion was to be the new head of Pontiac he was tasked with saving the failing brand from the clutches of death and secure the Knutson family name no bunkie knew something that other automakers hadn't realized yet young people dictated what was cool and what was cool cells so bunkie took his grandma cars to the racetrack not just any race track but the raddest gathering of horsepower on the East Coast Daytona speed week but this was 1957 they told a Speed Week was just a big oval cut in the dirt wasn't any stay or nothing it was a different time in motorsport it was basically a big party where the only rule was to win and win they did Pontiac driver cotton Owens God names were so freaking cold back then cotton Owens cord Pontiacs first big dub in the boring Grammer car but since they proved they were faster than everyone else Pontiac wasn't looking so boring anymores winning Daytona wasn't enough for bunkie he got back home to Detroit and immediately started planning his next move for the brand he wanted to put together a super group of Engineers and execs to make Pontiacs next great car he recruited peeved Estes and Jim Wangers then finally bunkie recruited one of the most brilliant men in all of Detroit John Z DeLorean and the boys got to work but before the team could make any headway GM put a stop to all motorsport activity within their brands it's the early 60s in racing was very dangerous drivers died all the time GM Ford and Chrysler didn't want any bad publicity from racing world and they were a little worried that all the racing injuries would inspire Washington to write up some new safety legislation which would cost the company money so GM said everybody absolutely no racing this was a huge step back the Pontiac teams whole plan was based on being GM's performance wing if they weren't allowed to race then they might as well give up bunkie and his team were like okay and they stopped making fast cars the end JK come on then Pontiac boys weren't gonna let a little thing like rules or official company policy get in the way of building a badass car all they had to do was find a loophole jams official mandate was that no engine bigger than three hundred and thirty cubic inches could go into their midsize cars but they never said anything about their small cars the dream team decided to put their B eights from the big cars then stuff them into the smaller pontiac tempest these tempest LeMans were Pontiacs high-performance chariots but the best was yet to come because the boys hadn't even used their biggest engine yet in 1964 Pontiac bolted their gigantic 389 v8 into the LeMans its LeMans because it's American not lamothe 24 hours at lamothe Pontiac LeMans this firebreather changed the car's character so much that it needed its own name something fancy something to clue people into its racing character something European a few years before Ferrari had used an alphanumeric designation for their ylim all winning 250 and Pontiac would borrow it the Pontiac LeMans Gran Turismo Amala gato the GTO was here the GTO came with bucket seats to keep your butt planted chrome valve covers and exhaust and a floor-mounted three-speed shifter this thing was serious the 389 up front made 325 horsepower and one the noise out back so it was fast good-looking and cost twenty-five hundred bucks the equivalent of about twenty grand today the LeMans GTO inspired an entire generation of factory built hot rods sparking a little thing called the muscle car era every American manufacturer started building cars to compete with the new Pontiac the Mustang the Camaro the charger they all started their lives in the mid 60's as a response to the hot tempest in the GTO second year of production it was restyled with signature vertical headlights and in 1966 the GTO became its own model instead of an options package 1967 saw the 389 get bored out to 400 cubic inches as well as an optional rocket launcher and flamethrower package what the GTOs first major overhaul came in 1968 the vertical headlights went sideways and the body was styled to a more fastback fashion feeling is missing fulfilled DeLorean left Pontiac the next year to head Chevrolet which meant there was a new face in charge of the GTO a guy named Jim McDonald Jim had previously designed conveyor belt systems for GM's factories which meant he had an eye for optimization what he didn't have an eye for was the youth unlike daddy his contemporaries bunkie Knutson and John DeLorean were intently focused on trends but McDonald not so much well maybe one trend in a march 1968 episode of the laugh-in variety show legendary comedian and musician Sammy Davis jr. dances on stage singing here comes the judge borrowed from the vaudeville act pigmeat Markham God these guys names are so sick the routine sweeps the nation with people imitating Sammy any chance they could Jim McDonald saw this and said hey these kids they like this Judge thing let's call a call a judge of something and so the 1969 GTO judge was born it was a stripped out version of the goat with rubber floor mats and a bitchin Hurst shifter it was no-nonsense like a judge the original GTO received more facelifts through the early 70s including more aggressive hood scoops and flared nostrils but the GTO was falling behind in the segment it had created and by the time the oil crisis hit full force the GTO was no longer its own model but again a package this time for the diminutive diminutive diminutive this time for the diminutive 1974 pontiac ventura compact and that year would be the GTOs last until 2004 pontiac found itself in the middle of a crisis with no identity of its own within GM so they follow it in bunkies footsteps and decided to once again become GM's performance wing and bring back the GTO but developing a whole new car is expensive and Crimea didn't have the dough but GM did have a platform to make it happen they just had to go to Australia to get it GM's Holden division had a 2-door sports car called the Monaro hey Paul yeah come get this thing you need GTO but it doesn't look like a Pontiac put your grill on it you'll be fine are you sure yeah do you want or not I mean yeah we want but ok do it jeez God so picky so yeah it was good it's cool but it only lasted three years not really a Pontiac I don't really have much to say besides that the Pontiac GTO is responsible for the muscle car era it got baby boomers interested in driving and set the pace for the automotive industry for an entire decade and beyond it is without a doubt one of the most important American cars of all time cue lightning can I get an eagle out a monster-truck I thought bikini babe anthem America we put out cool stuff every damn day so hit that yellow subscribe button right here you want to know more about John DeLorean check out this episode of up to speed follow me on Instagram and Twitter at James from free follow donut on instagram at tonal media I love youit's the car that saved Pontiac from the grave and introduced baby boomers to the open road this three letter legend hailed the beginning of the muscle car era forever changing the course of American automotive history I'm not lying when I say it's one of the most important cars of all time cue the Lightning's this is everything you need to know to get up to speed on the Pontiac GTO aka the date it's the mid 50s the war's over jobs are plentiful and people are having babies Oh things are looking good people everywhere are optimistic everywhere except for Claudia the brand had been in GM's lineup for 30 years since its founding in 1926 Pontiac was created to fill the price gap between the entry-level Chevy and the fancier Oakland brand back then Pontiac was a hit there was no other company making a car that nice and that affordable but decades had passed since then and now honey I had a reputation for being a brand mom's car they were nice but being nice wasn't enough anymore everyone was making nice stuff now the clock was ticking for the company for a smaller brain like Pontiac they needed to do something different to sell cars bunkie Knutson was a strapping young lad and son of GM boss big bill Knutson bunkie joined the family business and was soon running GM's Detroit diesel engine division apparently probably he did a good job because his promotion was to be the new head of Pontiac he was tasked with saving the failing brand from the clutches of death and secure the Knutson family name no bunkie knew something that other automakers hadn't realized yet young people dictated what was cool and what was cool cells so bunkie took his grandma cars to the racetrack not just any race track but the raddest gathering of horsepower on the East Coast Daytona speed week but this was 1957 they told a Speed Week was just a big oval cut in the dirt wasn't any stay or nothing it was a different time in motorsport it was basically a big party where the only rule was to win and win they did Pontiac driver cotton Owens God names were so freaking cold back then cotton Owens cord Pontiacs first big dub in the boring Grammer car but since they proved they were faster than everyone else Pontiac wasn't looking so boring anymores winning Daytona wasn't enough for bunkie he got back home to Detroit and immediately started planning his next move for the brand he wanted to put together a super group of Engineers and execs to make Pontiacs next great car he recruited peeved Estes and Jim Wangers then finally bunkie recruited one of the most brilliant men in all of Detroit John Z DeLorean and the boys got to work but before the team could make any headway GM put a stop to all motorsport activity within their brands it's the early 60s in racing was very dangerous drivers died all the time GM Ford and Chrysler didn't want any bad publicity from racing world and they were a little worried that all the racing injuries would inspire Washington to write up some new safety legislation which would cost the company money so GM said everybody absolutely no racing this was a huge step back the Pontiac teams whole plan was based on being GM's performance wing if they weren't allowed to race then they might as well give up bunkie and his team were like okay and they stopped making fast cars the end JK come on then Pontiac boys weren't gonna let a little thing like rules or official company policy get in the way of building a badass car all they had to do was find a loophole jams official mandate was that no engine bigger than three hundred and thirty cubic inches could go into their midsize cars but they never said anything about their small cars the dream team decided to put their B eights from the big cars then stuff them into the smaller pontiac tempest these tempest LeMans were Pontiacs high-performance chariots but the best was yet to come because the boys hadn't even used their biggest engine yet in 1964 Pontiac bolted their gigantic 389 v8 into the LeMans its LeMans because it's American not lamothe 24 hours at lamothe Pontiac LeMans this firebreather changed the car's character so much that it needed its own name something fancy something to clue people into its racing character something European a few years before Ferrari had used an alphanumeric designation for their ylim all winning 250 and Pontiac would borrow it the Pontiac LeMans Gran Turismo Amala gato the GTO was here the GTO came with bucket seats to keep your butt planted chrome valve covers and exhaust and a floor-mounted three-speed shifter this thing was serious the 389 up front made 325 horsepower and one the noise out back so it was fast good-looking and cost twenty-five hundred bucks the equivalent of about twenty grand today the LeMans GTO inspired an entire generation of factory built hot rods sparking a little thing called the muscle car era every American manufacturer started building cars to compete with the new Pontiac the Mustang the Camaro the charger they all started their lives in the mid 60's as a response to the hot tempest in the GTO second year of production it was restyled with signature vertical headlights and in 1966 the GTO became its own model instead of an options package 1967 saw the 389 get bored out to 400 cubic inches as well as an optional rocket launcher and flamethrower package what the GTOs first major overhaul came in 1968 the vertical headlights went sideways and the body was styled to a more fastback fashion feeling is missing fulfilled DeLorean left Pontiac the next year to head Chevrolet which meant there was a new face in charge of the GTO a guy named Jim McDonald Jim had previously designed conveyor belt systems for GM's factories which meant he had an eye for optimization what he didn't have an eye for was the youth unlike daddy his contemporaries bunkie Knutson and John DeLorean were intently focused on trends but McDonald not so much well maybe one trend in a march 1968 episode of the laugh-in variety show legendary comedian and musician Sammy Davis jr. dances on stage singing here comes the judge borrowed from the vaudeville act pigmeat Markham God these guys names are so sick the routine sweeps the nation with people imitating Sammy any chance they could Jim McDonald saw this and said hey these kids they like this Judge thing let's call a call a judge of something and so the 1969 GTO judge was born it was a stripped out version of the goat with rubber floor mats and a bitchin Hurst shifter it was no-nonsense like a judge the original GTO received more facelifts through the early 70s including more aggressive hood scoops and flared nostrils but the GTO was falling behind in the segment it had created and by the time the oil crisis hit full force the GTO was no longer its own model but again a package this time for the diminutive diminutive diminutive this time for the diminutive 1974 pontiac ventura compact and that year would be the GTOs last until 2004 pontiac found itself in the middle of a crisis with no identity of its own within GM so they follow it in bunkies footsteps and decided to once again become GM's performance wing and bring back the GTO but developing a whole new car is expensive and Crimea didn't have the dough but GM did have a platform to make it happen they just had to go to Australia to get it GM's Holden division had a 2-door sports car called the Monaro hey Paul yeah come get this thing you need GTO but it doesn't look like a Pontiac put your grill on it you'll be fine are you sure yeah do you want or not I mean yeah we want but ok do it jeez God so picky so yeah it was good it's cool but it only lasted three years not really a Pontiac I don't really have much to say besides that the Pontiac GTO is responsible for the muscle car era it got baby boomers interested in driving and set the pace for the automotive industry for an entire decade and beyond it is without a doubt one of the most important American cars of all time cue lightning can I get an eagle out a monster-truck I thought bikini babe anthem America we put out cool stuff every damn day so hit that yellow subscribe button right here you want to know more about John DeLorean check out this episode of up to speed follow me on Instagram and Twitter at James from free follow donut on instagram at tonal media I love you