Pontiac GTO

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The Pontiac GTO is an automobile produced by the US automobile company General Motors , which was launched in the summer of 1964 under the Pontiac brand . The name GTO stands for "Gran Turismo Omologato", a model name that was previously used by Ferrari for the 250 GTO . The GTO was initially a powerful variant of the Pontiac Tempest Le Mans. A year later, the GTO became an independent model, which was sold 95,000 times in 1966 alone due to its driving performance (200 km / h top speed) and its low price.

history

The GTO was developed by Pontiac engineer Russell Gee, an engine specialist, and Pontiac chief engineer John DeLorean . Shane Wiser was the first to think about the idea of ​​the GTO. In early 1963, General Motors management issued an edict prohibiting the divisions (Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac) from participating in motor racing. At the time, Pontiac's advertising and marketing approach was based heavily on performance, and racing was an important part of that strategy. Jim Wangers suggested a way to maintain the performance image that the Pontiac division had cultivated with a new focus on performance for the road. This included converting the redesigned Tempest (which should use a conventional front engine, front transmission and rear wheel drive) into a "Super Tempest" with the larger 389 in³ (6.5 L) Pontiac V8 engine from the full-size Pontiac Catalina and Bonneville instead of the standard 326 in³ (5.3 L) Tempest V8. By promoting the large-engined Tempest as a special high-performance model, they were able to appeal to the speed-oriented youth market (which was also recognized by Lee Iacocca of the Ford Motor Company , who was preparing the Ford Mustang at the time ). Technically speaking, the GTO was a violation of GM's policy, which restricted the A-Body platform for intermediates, i.e. the mid-range models, to a maximum displacement of 330 in³ (5.4 L). Since the GTO was an option package and not a standard model, one could assume that it fell into a political loophole. Pontiac CEO Elliot "Pete" Estes approved the new model, although sales director Frank Bridge, who didn't believe there would be a market, insisted on limiting initial production to no more than 5,000 cars.

The GTO ushered in the muscle car era.

Generations

1964

1964 Pontiac GTO hardtop, still with horizontal headlights
1964 Pontiac GTO hardtop, still with horizontal headlights

The first Pontiac GTO was an option package for the Pontiac LeMans, which cost 296 US dollars extra. This was available with the body variants two-door sedan, hardtop coupé and convertible. This first GTO version already had the largest engine that Pontiac was allowed to use in a mid-range vehicle at the time: a V8 engine with 6379 cm³ (389 in³) with an output of 242 imp. kW (325 bhp) at 4800 rpm with a Carter AFB quadruple carburettor and double exhaust, chrome-plated valve covers and air filter, a 7-blade radiator fan, a three-speed manual transmission with Hurst gearshift on the center tunnel, stronger springs and stabilizers, wider wheels with 7.50 x 14 "tires, air scoops on the bonnet and GTO emblems. The optional equipment included a four-speed manual transmission, a two-speed automatic transmission, the more powerful" Tri-Power "carburetor system with 260 imp. KW (348 bhp), Sintered metal drum brake pads, a limited slip differential, a high performance ride and handling package, and the usual range of performance and comfort accessories, with each option available, the GTO cost about $ 4,500 and weighed about 1,600 kg (3,500 pounds).

Most of the road tests used the more powerful four-speed tri-power engine. Car Life drove a GTO equipped in this way at 0-60 miles per hour (0-97 km / h) in 6.6 seconds through the standing quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at a top speed of 99 miles per hour (158 km / h) . Like most of the testers, they criticized the sluggish steering, especially without power assistance, and the inadequate drum brakes, which were identical to those of the normal Tempest.

Frank Bridge's sales forecast turned out to be wrong: the GTO package was sold with 10,000 vehicles before the beginning of the 1964 calendar year, and a total of 32,450 vehicles were produced in the first model year. The biggest advantage of this Pontiac series was the very high speed and the very favorable power-to-weight ratio , the biggest disadvantage was its poor maneuverability and the poor braking behavior of the rear wheels, which easily lost contact with the ground.

1965

1965 Pontiac GTO Cabriolet
1965 Pontiac GTO Cabriolet, now with stacked headlights

The Tempest line, including the GTO, was redesigned for the 1965 model year, increasing overall length by 3.1 inches (7.9 cm) while maintaining the same wheelbase and interior dimensions. It carried the distinctive, vertically stacked twin headlights from Pontiac. The total weight increased by approximately 45 kg (100 pounds). The dashboard design was changed, and an optional "rally instrument" with a more legible tachometer and oil pressure gauge was added.

The 389 engine had revised cylinder heads with newly shaped intake ports, which increased the fuel efficiency. The rated output was increased to 335 bhp (250 kW) at 5000 revolutions per minute for the base engine with quadruple carburetor; the tri-power motor had 360 bhp (268 kW) at 5200 revolutions per minute. The tri-power engine had slightly less maximum torque than the base engine, 574 Nm (424 ft-lbf) at 3600 rpm versus 584 Nm (431 ft-lbf) at 3200 rpm. The gearbox and axle ratio remained unchanged.

The redesigned GTO had a new hood scoop. The main criticism of the GTO continued to focus on its sluggish steering and mediocre brakes.

The sales of the GTO, supported by an impressive marketing and advertising campaign with songs and various merchandising items, more than doubled to 75,342 pieces, which caused many copycats in other GM departments as well as among the competitors.

1966

Pontiac's middle class was redesigned again for 1966,

Pontiac GTO, 1966

A more curvaceous styling with raised rear fender lines for a so-called Coke Bottle design and slightly "tunneled" taillights. The overall length grew only slightly to 206.4 inches (524 cm), still with a wheelbase of 115 inches (292 cm), while the width increased to 74.4 inches (189 cm). The rear track increased by an inch (2.5 cm). The total weight stayed about the same.

The GTO became an independent model series with its own radiator grille and taillights, available as a sports coupé with B-pillars , as a hardtop without B-pillars or as a convertible. Another premiere in the automotive industry: a plastic front grille replaced the metal or aluminum versions that were common in earlier years. New Strato bucket seats were introduced with higher and thinner backrests and contoured seat surfaces for added comfort, with adjustable headrests as a new option. The instrument panel has been redesigned, moving the ignition switch from the far left of the dashboard to the right side of the steering wheel. The four round instruments were continued and the dashboard of the GTO was highlighted by a decorative strip made of walnut veneer . The 1966 model year is considered by many to be the most iconic of all GTOs because it is a standalone model and because it was the last year Pontiac offered the 389 tri-power engine configuration.

1966 Pontiac GTO with the new taillights
1966 Pontiac GTO with the new taillights

The engine selection remained unchanged compared to the previous year. A new, rare engine option was offered: the XS engine option consisted of a factory Ram Air fitted with a new 744 high lift camshaft. It is believed that approximately 35 factory-installed Ram Air packages were built, although an estimated 300 Ram Air packages installed from dealers were ordered. On paper, the package said the package produced the same 360 ​​horsepower as the non-Ram Air tri-power car, though those numbers were believed to have been grossly underestimated in order to preserve GM mandates.

Sales rose to 96,946, the highest production figure of any GTO year. Although Pontiac had laboriously advertised the GTO as the GTO Tiger , it had become known in the youth market as a goat (see section Nicknames). Pontiac management attempted to use the new nickname in advertising but was turned down by management, dismayed by the disrespectful name.

1967

The styling remained essentially unchanged for 1967, but the GTO went through some significant mechanical changes.

Pontiac GTO, 1967

A corporate policy decision by GM now banned multiple carburetors for all cars with the exception of the Chevrolet Corvette, so the tri-power engine was deleted and replaced with a new engine equipped with Quadrajet quadruple carburetors. Chevrolet was allowed to keep the tri-power engine to maintain its image; the GTO really became a serious competitive problem for the company. To compensate for this, the 389 engine received a slightly larger cylinder bore (4.12 inches, 104.7 mm) for a total displacement of 400 in³ (6.6 l). Torque increased slightly, from 431 to 441 ft lbf (584 to 598 N m) for the base engine, from 424 to 438 ft lbf (575 to 594 N m) for the optional engine, but power remained the same .

Two new engines were offered. The first was an economical engine, also 400 in³ but with a twin carburetor, low compression ratio of 8.6: 1 and an output of 255 hp (190 kW) and a torque of 397 ft-lbf (538 Nm). Since it was only offered with an automatic system, it was not well received by GTO buyers. The second engine, which was offered at an additional cost of $ 263.30 over the stock high -performance engine ( Hi-Performance) , was the Ram-Air 360 . The package, which contained a functional hood (similar to the previous arrangement installed at the dealership), featured stiffer valve springs and a longer-opening camshaft. Nominal power and torque remained unchanged, although the engine was certainly more powerful than that of the standard 360 hp (268 kW) GTO. It was only available with a 3.90: 1 or 4.33: 1 differential gear, and its "hotter" camshaft made it much rougher when idling and less cooperative in partial load operation.

Emission control systems, including an air injection system, were only installed in GTOs sold in California.

The two-speed automatic was replaced by the three-stage turbo-hydramatic TH400, which was available with every engine. When the Strato bucket seats and console were ordered, the TH400 was further enhanced by the use of Hurst's two-way selector lever, which enabled automatic shifting in "drive mode" or manual selection via the gears. It was generally considered to be on par with the four-speed gearbox in most performance aspects. Meanwhile, the Tempest's inadequate drum brakes have been replaced with optional disc brakes on the front wheels (for $ 104.79, including a power upgrade), greatly improving both braking performance and fading stability.

Hot Rod Magazine tested a 1967 Ram Air GTO with turbo-hydramatic and 3.90 transmission and achieved a quarter mile time of 14.51 seconds at 158.99 km / h (98.79 mph). Car Life's similar car ran 0-60 mph (0-97 km / h) in 6.1 seconds and the quarter in 14.5 seconds at 102 mph (163 km / h) with a final drive ratio of 4.33. However, they criticized the Ram Air's behavior and tendency to overheat in traffic, as well as the ease with which a careless driver could exceed 5600 rpm in top gear (which put the car at a top speed of 171 km / h (107 mph) with an axle ratio of 4.33 limited). And it wasn't cheap either: for features and features that were very similar to those of the Tri-Power from 1965, the price was 4,422 US dollars, an increase of 20%.

Still, GTO sales remained high at 81,722.

Pontiac GTO, 1969

Later years

In mid-1974, the production of the Pontiac GTO was stopped due to the recent weak sales (1973: 7,058 vehicles sold).

At the end of 2003 a new GTO , based on the Holden Monaro , came onto the American market. The standard motorization was initially the Chevrolet LS1 V8, from 2005 the new LS2 V8 was available. Also new for 2005 were functional hood scoops (albeit no Ram Air system), optional 18-inch rims and a spoiler package.

The earlier models of the GTO were mainly intended for quarter mile races, while the new models were just as successfully used in the popular drift races.

Pontiac GTO, 1973

Nickname of the GTO

The GTO got some nicknames. The GTO received the most common “The Goat” because of its defiant personality, reduced to the bare essentials, and because of the three letters of its name.

The practice of automotive subcultures is to associate “personality traits” with vehicles that may be related to the acronyms of the car name. The “goat” is awarded to eat everything that grows, so the Pontiac GTO is awarded to “eat everything on the road” and to beat other cars in races.

The acronym for GOAT has also been changed to "Gas Oil And Tire", meaning that gas = petrol, Oil = oil and Tire = burning tires.

The GTO was also referred to as the "GeeTO Tiger". Pontiac teamed up with US Royal Tires in 1965 to promote the new Tiger Paw Tires line, an exclusive line of tires, and the GTOs only available on the new GTO models.

The GTO in the media

GTO in the film

GTO in music

Web links

Commons : Pontiac GTO  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ John Gunnell: Muscle car: mighty machines that ruled the road . Krause Publications, Iola, WI 2006, ISBN 0-89689-313-8 .
  2. ↑ John Gunnell: Standard guide to American muscle cars: a supercar source book, 1960-2000 . 3. Edition. Krause Pub, Iola, WI 2002, ISBN 0-87349-262-5 .
  3. ↑ a b c Pontiac GTO (1964). Retrieved July 10, 2020 .
  4. ^ A b John Gunnell: MUSCLE CARS FIELD GUIDE . Krause Publication, 2004, ISBN 0-87349-869-0 .
  5. ↑ Sönke Priebe: Horse Power - Legnaires US Cars . Ed .: DMAX. 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2017, ISBN 978-3-613-04001-4 , Pontiac GTO.
  6. ↑ Directory Index: Pontiac / 1964 Pontiac GTO Brochure. Retrieved July 10, 2020 .
  7. ^ Directory Index: Pontiac / 1965 Pontiac Performance Brochure. Retrieved July 10, 2020 .
  8. ↑ Directory Index: Pontiac / 1964 Pontiac GTO Brochure. Retrieved July 10, 2020 .
  9. ^ Directory Index: Pontiac / 1966 Pontiac Performance Brochure. Retrieved July 10, 2020 .
  10. ^ Directory Index: Pontiac / 1967 Pontiac Full Line Brochure-01. Retrieved July 10, 2020 .
  11. ↑ a b CYNTHIA CLARK: Why Is a GTO Called a Goat? In: https://itstillruns.com/ . Retrieved on May 16, 2020 (English).