The Pontiac GTO is considered by many the first true muscle car. Whereas other manufacturers were concentrating on their fullsize lines, Pontiac saw the potential for dropping a big block engine into an intermediate frame and marketing it at a budget price. Pontiac sneaked past the GM restriction on this combination by making the GTO an option on the Tempest model, creating the hottest performance machine yet.
GTO is the monogram for the most famous muscle car in high-performance automobile history – the Pontiac GTO. Also known as “The Legend” and “The Great One,” GTO is the car that started it all. Prior to 1964, performance cars were full-size hardtops and sedans with the largest displacement engines available. They were a little slow off the line, but once all that sheet metal and chrome got rolling, they pulled like a freight train. Hot rodders had known for years that you could go even faster if you put those big engines in smaller, lighter cars. This was the thinking for the new GTO.
Pontiac already had somewhat of a European racing theme in place with the Grand Prix and LeMans, so Chief Engineer John DeLorean appropriated the Italian racing designation Gran Turismo Omologato. The name was closely associated with Ferrari. In English it means, “Grand Touring Homologated.” The Pontiac GTO was a grand touring car homologated (or made) from different parts, specifically the 389 Bonneville engine. It is doubtful whether many GTO owners understood the name or could even pronounce it, but it projected an image of a powerful, exotic, high-performance car. All that really mattered was that the GTO was a great car and the name was very well received.
This 1968 Pontiac GTO is a powerful high-performance American beast. The exterior is white with a blue vinyl interior in good condition. Under the hood sits a 400 C.I. V-8 with a 3 speed automatic transmission. Factory options include pwr. brakes, pwr. steering, hideaway headlights and factory A/C, currently not working. This 68′ GTO is a solid example of a great American muscle car.
