This is a Pontiac GTO from the very first year of production, 1964, and importantly it was factory-fitted with both the 389/348 bhp Tri-Power code-76X V8 and the 4-speed manual transmission – making it highly collectible.
The GTO was the brainchild of John DeLorean – that’s the same John DeLorean that founded his own car company and developed the DeLorean DMC-12 of Back to the Future fame.
Fast Facts – The 1964 Pontiac GTO
- 1964 was the first production year of the Pontiac GTO, an iconic muscle car, featuring a 389/348 bhp Tri-Power V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission. It was developed by John DeLorean, who later founded the DeLorean Motor Company.
- General Motors banned motorsports involvement in 1963, leading Pontiac to focus on high-performance street cars. The GTO was developed as an option package for the Tempest, featuring a powerful 6.4 liter V8 and upgraded suspension for improved handling.
- The GTO name was inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO, standing for “Gran Turismo Omologato.” Despite not being intended for racing, Pontiac had the GTO homologated by the FIA in 1964.
- The featured 1964 Pontiac GTO is a restored convertible in Grenadier Red with a Black bucket seat interior, power steering, Vintage Air conditioning, and Redline tires. Set to be auctioned by Mecum on April 5th, it retains its factory-correct drivetrain and has 78,204 miles on the odometer.
The Origins Of The Pontiac GTO
In 1963 General Motors, parent company of Pontiac, banned all of their brands from any involvement in motorsports based on the negative press associated with deadly accidents, which were all too common at the time. As a result, Pontiac became more focused on street performance, so a new option package was developed based on the mid-sized Pontiac Tempest with a 6.4 liter V8 under the hood.
Period advertising for the Pontiac GTO talked up its performance credentials in no uncertain terms, and led to sales of 32,450 units in the first year – far more than the 5,000 that was expected by the brass at GM. Image courtesy of General Motors.
At this time the Ferrari 250 GTO was one of the most famous racing cars in the world. It would win the FIA’s International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1962, 1963, and 1964 as well as a slew of other top flight races on both sides of the Atlantic, and as far away as South Africa.
The team that was developing the new high-performance Pontiac, consisting of John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee, decided to name the option package the “GTO.”
Where Did The “GTO” Name Come From?
GTO stands for “Gran Turismo Omologato” in Italian, or “Grand Tourer Homologated” in English. The Ferrari was given this name as it had been certified by the FIA ( Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) for racing in the grand tourer class as a full production car with a minimum of 100 units made.
Unusually, as they had no intention of racing the Pontiac GTO in any capacity, Pontiac had the car officially homologated by the FIA in 1964, so it could theoretically have taken part in European sports car racing.
In the years since, some have suggested that this may have been done to give the Pontiac a claim to the GTO name, and potentially avert any legal challenges from Ferrari.
GTO Production Begins
For the first two years of production, 1964 and 1965, the GTO would be available as an option package on the intermediate-sized Pontiac Tempest. The GTO package included the fitment of a 389 cubic inch (6.4 liter) V8 rated at 325 bhp at 4,800 rpm with a single Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts.
The advertising slogan “For the man who wouldn’t mind riding a tiger if someone’d only put wheels on it” became famous in its own right. Image courtesy of General Motors.
The package also came with a manual transmission with a Hurst shifter, stiffer springs front and back, a larger diameter front sway bar for less body roll, wider wheels with 7.50×14 Redline tires on all four corners, dual hood scoops, and some dress up items, like GTO badging, chromed valve covers, and a chrome air cleaner.
There were a number of options buyers could select, these included the popular “Tri-Power” carburetion option which consisted of three two-barrel Rochester 2G carburetors increasing engine output from 325 bhp up to 348 bhp. Buyers could also opt for a limited-slip differential, metallic drum brake linings, and ride/handling packages.
The top brass at General Motors viewed the GTO project as a sideshow, anticipating sales of 5,000 units for the first year. As it turns out, they had wildly underestimated the popularity of the new high-performance car, 32,450 units would be sold – as a result all of GM’s competitors raced to develop their own “muscle cars.”
In 1966 the Pontiac GTO would become its own model line, establishing itself as one of the most memorable muscle cars of the era and a major icon in the history of American automotive manufacturing.
The 1964 Pontiac GTO Shown Here
The car you see here is a first year 1964 Pontiac GTO that was optioned with both the 389 cubic inch 348 bhp Tri-Power code-76X V8 engine and the Muncie 4-speed code-W wide ratio manual transmission.
It benefits from a detailed restoration and is finished in Grenadier Red code-V paint, it has a factory-correct Black bucket seat interior, a power-operated White convertible top, a center console, an original GTO steering wheel, and a restored engine turned dashboard.
This GTO benefits from a detailed restoration and is finished in Grenadier Red code-V paint, it has a factory-correct Black bucket seat interior, and a power-operated White convertible top.
It has the factory-correct 4-speed shifter, Vintage Air air-conditioning, high gloss chrome and stainless trim, power steering, a Saf-T-Trak rear differential, power brakes, optional PMD wheels, and Redline tires.
The car is now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum on the 5th of April with 78,204 miles on the odometer. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.