1964 GTO on the Pontiac home plant assembly line in Pontiac, MI.

[Lakota]

The 1964 GTO was created by engineers Russ Gee and Bill Collins. John DeLorean, as Chief Engineer, loved the idea, but GM corporate policy prevented using an engine this large in an intermediate sized car. DeLorean knew that the committee responsible for approving new models would veto the GTO due to its 389 cid engine, so he proposed the GTO as an option on the LeMans model. This bypassed the committee entirely, but he had to sell the idea to Pontiac. Pontiac's General Manager, Pete Estes, along with Pontiac Sales Manager Frank Bridge, would be the two men that DeLorean met with to pitch the GTO. Frank Bridge worked with Zone Managers and maintained dealer relations. His job was simply to sell cars. He disliked the idea of the GTO calling it a teenager's hot rod. DeLorean wanted Bridge to commit to selling 5,000 units so the GTO could be pre-sold before GM found out about it. Bridge objected and told DeLorean he would be lucky to sell 500 units, but if DeLorean could get dealers to take 5,000 orders, he would approve. In a matter of days, more than 5,000 orders had been placed. DeLorean and Estes were confident that once GM found out the GTO, it would be too embarrassing to cancel it because dealers already sold them.
For the first few months of production Pontiac maintained a very low profile and did not advertise the GTO. In fact they kept the GTO option out of their Tempest/LeMans brochure entirely, but they did supply dealers with ordering information. As late as November 1963, two months into production, Pontiac's advertising man Jim Wangers still feared that someone at GM would discover the rule breaking GTO option and immediately cancel the car. As word got around, GTO sales grew. When GM fully understood what had happened, they could have immediately shut down the GTO, but Pete Estes, Pontiac's general manager, put his career on the line by keeping the GTO away from GM top brass until it was too late. Estes deserves a lot of credit for the GTO.
By year end over 32,000 1964 GTOs had been sold and the muscle car era was born. - MCN

[GTOguy]

Great write-up. I'll add that before the GTO, with the introduction of the full frame rear solid axle A body platform, Delorean had engineering put a 389 and a 4 speed transmission with a Hurst shifter in his company '64 LeMans, and he'd loan it to people and had a hard time getting it back, it was so much fun.
The Pontiac GTO was the first American produced car to come from the factory with a Hurst shifter. And until the 1967 model year, manual transmission GTO's outnumbered the automatics.

[Dan47]

Best looking car ever, to date, when they stacked the headlights in 1965. I hope to own another before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

[Aerovette]

What does this mean?

The 1964 GTO was created by engineers Russ Gee and Bill Collins. John DeLorean, as Chief Engineer, loved the idea, but GM corporate policy prevented using an engine this large in an intermediate sized car. DeLorean knew that the committee responsible for approving new models would veto the GTO due to its 389 cid engine, so he proposed the GTO as an option on the LeMans model.

Was it going to be a stand alone car? What platform? I thought it was always going to be based on a LeMans.

[StudleyJames]

Originally Posted by aerovette

What does this mean?



Was it going to be a stand alone car? What platform? I thought it was always going to be based on a LeMans.

It was basically based on the Tempest

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by StudleyJames

It was basically based on the Tempest

LeMans = Tempest

Unless it is referring to '63

[StudleyJames]

Originally Posted by aerovette

LeMans = Tempest

Unless it is referring to '63

Most knowledgeable enthusiasts reacted negatively when Pontiac announced that their new Tempest sports model was to be called the GTO.

The Tempest uses different body trim including tail lights. The LeMans and GTO have the same interior except for emblems. This is do to the fact that in 1964 (and 1965) the GTO was an option package on the LEmans. Convertible GTOs were available in '64.

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

Great write-up. I'll add that before the GTO, with the introduction of the full frame rear solid axle A body platform, Delorean had engineering put a 389 and a 4 speed transmission with a Hurst shifter in his company '64 LeMans, and he'd loan it to people and had a hard time getting it back, it was so much fun.
The Pontiac GTO was the first American produced car to come from the factory with a Hurst shifter. And until the 1967 model year, manual transmission GTO's outnumbered the automatics.

Oh yeah. Like we're supposed to believe you know anything about GTOs. lol smh

[6 Shooter]

YouTube (Short URL)

[Anjdog2003]

When cars had chrome, after that meh.

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by Anjdog2003

When cars had chrome, after that meh.

Chrome, steel bumpers, steel dashboards, one vacuum line, and the owner's manual told you how to set the valve lash and didn't warn you not to drink the battery acid.

[6 Shooter]

Yep, chrome and distributors, those were the good old days…

https://www.motortrend.com/news/mick...ontiac-tempest

https://www.motortrend.com/features/pontiac-muscle-cars

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by StudleyJames

Most knowledgeable enthusiasts reacted negatively when Pontiac announced that their new Tempest sports model was to be called the GTO.

The Tempest uses different body trim including tail lights. The LeMans and GTO have the same interior except for emblems. This is do to the fact that in 1964 (and 1965) the GTO was an option package on the LEmans. Convertible GTOs were available in '64.

The article reads differently for me. I would say it is almost like saying the Cobra would never be allowed by Ford so they made it an option package on a Mustang.

I don't understand how an option package is a way around the approval process.

[AUTOHOLIC]

I have always laughed when people say that the GTO was the first muscle car. They seem to forget that Dodge/Plymouth was putting full size engines in intermediate size cars in the EARLY 60s. If you wanted to get serious you could order a factory built 13-1 compression 413 as well. Mopars RULED in those days.

See the link below for more info.

https://www.enginelabs.com/news/the-...par-max-wedge/