1969 Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO is an automobile that was manufactured by American automaker Pontiac from 1963 to 1974 for the 1964 to 1974 model years, and by GM’s subsidiary Holden in Australia for the 2004 to 2006 model years.
The first generation of the GTO is credited as popularizing the muscle car market segment in the 1960s. The Pontiac GTO is considered by some to have started the trend with all four domestic automakers offering a variety of competing models.
For the 1964 and 1965 model years, the GTO was an optional package on the intermediate-sized Pontiac Tempest. The 1964 GTO vehicle identification number (VIN) started with 82, while the 1965 GTO VIN started with 237. The GTO became a separate model from 1966 to 1971 (VIN 242…). It became an optional package again for the 1972 and 1973 intermediate LeMans. For 1974, the GTO was an optional trim package on the compact-sized Ventura.
The cabin of this GTO is in a beautiful Parchment, with the door panels also matching up with that. In contrast, the dashboard is in black as are the carpets, and there is wood grain veneer accents across the steering wheel as well as the interior controls. There is some equipment inside this cabin too.
Under the hood of this beautiful muscle car is a Ram Air IV 400ci V8 engine, originally rated at 370 hp when the car left the factory. It was also rated at 445 lb-ft of torque.
In the early 1960s, Pontiac’s development team along with John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee discovered a loophole in the GM A-body engine displacement rule that had previously limited the Pontiac Tempest. This legendary move created an iconic car and an ever revered segment in the American automotive marketplace.
