The '60s and '70s were quite the golden age for muscle cars. It was a period when automakers went all-in with the brute to create some of the iconic muscles that have rolled on the streets. It was also a period of lesser risks and more fun, which is why the now-unfortunately-unknown Pontiac was a revolutionary automaker. So much so that it stood up against the likes of the Ferrari 250 GTO, which was considered the most elusive car to come out of Italy at the time. The peeps at Michigan were quite ferocious back in the day and they did this feat of taking on Ferrari with the Pontiac GTO.
This car can be debated as to have started what we in 2020 define a muscle car to be. A big, brawny V8 up front, under a long hood, and an iconic form factor that will never go wrong to this day. The most impressive feat that overshadowed all this was the then sticker price that started off with an MSRP of $2,900. Pontiac saw a rebellious movement by a bunch of out-of-the-box thinkers who barged into General Motors and was lead by John Z. Delorean. It gave way to the Pontiac GTO that became an instant hit with the bold move paving the way for a revolution of muscle cars.
The Pontiac GTO was a bold move in American history and is what started the muscle revolution. The GOAT would eat up anything thrown its way and didn't even spare the likes of Ferrari 250 GTO. Carefree and fun, it was!
A Rogue Team From GM Wanted To Take The Fight To Ferrari
The 60s was a time of "drag-strip" rebellion and GM as a corporation witnessed it first-handed. The marque had a very orthodox approach towards making cars. They were all confined to a tried and tested template that was churning in quite impressive numbers. But a group of young engineers wanted to think out of the box. Well, the inspiration came in from Pontiac's success on the drag strips. Speed has always been an addiction for us and Pontiac's success spread like wild-fire.
Performance suddenly became a very credible marketing tool that GM was actually quite hesitant to invest in. But the group of engineers led by John Z. Delorean had a brilliant idea to woo in both the corporate heads and the newer generation that was hungry for performance. Instead of making a new car from scratch, they pitched in a performance package for the already-popular two-door Tempest.
The Tempest Started A Revolution
And that's how a humble yet smart approach paved way for one of the most sought-after muscle cars of all times. In fact, people have praised the original Pontiac GTO that sprouted out of the performance package from the Tempest, as the first true blue muscle car. It started off as a performance package for a mere $295, that packed a 396 cu. in. V8 motor with 325 horses.
But this form was still not received quite well by the Pontiac Sales managers who were keen on selling the standard Tempest and thought of the GTO package as something that will lose traction soon. But there were gravely mistaken as the maximum estimate of 5,000 units per year was surpassed to about 32,000 units which made it quite clear of the instant success the GTO had become.
"The First True Muscle Car" Was Stuffed With 396 Cu. In. Of Detroit Muscle
A lightweight body, RWD layout, and a big chunky V8 still remain the root formula for a muscle car. And it's mesmerizing to say that all of it started as a performance package in a humble Pontiac Tempest. The under $300 package not only gave you a rumbling V8, but also a manual transmission, and dual exhausts to tally its added performance.
The standard crate pumped out 325 hp and could be pushed to 348 hp with the famous tri-power setup. A 2-Speed manual came in as standard but it was the optional 4-Speed manual that was commonly ordered for a wider performance appeal. Apart from these, it also came with a 2-Speed Automatic and in a convertible form for a laid back driving experience.
Lighter Body, Bigger Engine, And RWD Was A Recipe For Sheer Fun
The GTO-treated Tempest could do 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds and quarter-mile came up in 14.8 seconds. It has a top speed of 99 mph which was quite impressive for a kitted car and that weighed in at 3,500 pounds. The only downsides were it's sluggish and quite heavy steering and dull drum brakes.
These were the cons of using a base car that was never built for speed. But the one formula that they got right—being used even now—was creating a fun-to-drive muscle car. It managed to tickle the right spots of the newer generation who were done with the cruising era and wanted some adrenaline-pumping fun! The first generation, despite being very crude inception, paved way for the much more refined and restyled Pontiac GTO from 1965, that had stacked headlights.
Pontiac Might Have Withered Away, But "GTO" Lives On
It is quite appalling to see bold automakers like the Pontiac going extinct. But it wasn't a sudden death, as the automaker was plagued by staying in the shadows of GM. It couldn't think out of the box thereafter, and thus the once trendsetter withered away. But the "GTO" nameplate lives on as the first true muscle car in American history.
It brought about a transition in the automotive space back then when no one else was bold enough to try new paths. John Z. Delorean gave us one very special car and it is boldly the best muscle car from the 60s.
Sources: Caranddriver.com, Wikipedia.com, Hagerty.com, Danjedlicka.com, Drivingline.com, Motor-junkie.com, Topgear.com