John DeLorean – Pulpaddict

1964 GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR

1964 was all about the birth of the big-engined midsize car with youth market appeal, showcased by the 1964 Pontiac GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR.

Pontiac called it “A Device For Shrinking Time & Distance.” Enthusiast automotive writers and magazine editors called it a “Supercar”. The “Musclecar” descriptor came later. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers to see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac – not Ford, Chevy, or Plymouth – essentially created the option that ignited the Supercar Revolution and an almost cult-like movement. The Pontiac GTO’s extensive performance, comfort, and convenience “menu” was the envy of the industry. It was the Supercar for all seasons – and reasons.

Gee revealed that since 326 and 389 engines shared the same motor mounts, a 389 could be shoehorned into a Tempest in about a half-hour. With NASCAR in mind, Russ Gee’s team built a ’63 Tempest 389 prototype with a three-inch longer wheelbase – 115 vs. 112 inches. It worked, and it was fast. But DeLorean couldn’t find any support for stock car racing at Pontiac. All efforts shifted to creating a product that would appeal to performance enthusiasts, preferably young ones. That proved to be a far better route, resulting in their effort becoming the 1964 GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR.

During the discussion of a unique 389-engined Tempest, Jim Wangers, above, right, who was a successful Pontiac drag racer and account executive at Pontiac’s advertising agency, McManus, John & Adams, got involved. He also had a relationship with Ace Wilson, owner of Royal Pontiac. Wangers presented youth-market-targeted GTO concepts to Pete Estes. Estes passed them along to DeLorea,n and the 389 Tempest GTO program was greenlighted. Ferrari originally used the model designation GTO – Grand Turismo Omologato – for its 250 GTO. It means that the vehicle meets the standard specifications for racing in the Grand Touring category.

STREET MUSCLE Magazine’s Jim Campisano blogs about what really made the GTO so special and successful:

The story of how the 1964 Pontiac GTO came to be is well known, as is its impact on the performance car market. What is less discussed is what made the GTO so special. Why did teenagers, 20-somethings, and even 50-year-olds get weak in the knees for a midsize GM car?

Part of it was timing. People were ready for something different. Cars had been getting bigger and bigger, and not everyone wanted the hassle of a full-size automobile. Younger people, especially the first crop of baby boomers who were getting their licenses at the time, didn’t want the same old machines their parents drove. They wanted something smaller, faster, sportier. The 1964 Pontiac GTO filled that niche. Heck, it created it.

Continue reading 1964 GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR @ https://www.streetmusclemag.com/features/car-features/1964-pontiac-gto-what-made-the-great-one-so-special/

’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION

There were bigger-engined and more powerful performance cars from the competition, but the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION!

Pontiac called it “A device for shrinking time and distance.” Magazine writers and editors called it a “Supercar”. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers to see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac – not Ford, Chevy, or Plymouth – essentially created the option that ignited the Supercar Revolution, and an almost cult-like movement. The GTO’s extensive performance, comfort, and convenience “menu” was the envy of the industry. Enthusiasts would eventually nickname the GTO the GOAT. It was the Supercar for all seasons – and reasons.

During the discussion of a unique 389-engined Tempest, Jim Wangers, who was a successful Pontiac drag racer and account executive at Pontiac’s advertising agency, McManus, John & Adams, got involved. He also had a relationship with Ace Wilson, owner of Royal Pontiac. Wangers, above, right, presented youth-market-targeted GTO concepts to Pete Estes. Estes passed them along to DeLorean, and the 389 Tempest GTO program was greenlighted. Ferrari originally used the model designation GTO – Grand Turismo Omologato – for its 250 GTO. It means that the vehicle meets the standard specifications for racing in the Grand Touring category. Wangers was responsible for creating some of the legendary advertisements from the 1960s and 1970s, and the force behind Royal Pontiac’s ultra-performance Bobcat models, above.

GM Design created a dynamite follow-up for the 1964 auto show circuit – the tri-power GTO Flamme. Fitted with Cibie rectangular headlamps and under-fender exhaust cutouts and, of course, painted Flame Red, it debuted at the 1964 Chicago Auto Show. It was first shown with a white interior and wire wheel hubcaps. By the time I saw it at the 1964 New York Auto Show, lead photo, its custom interior was also red, and trendy chrome-reverse wheels had been installed.

Eric J. Savitz, Editor-in-Chief, GM News pays tribute to the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION @ https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/topic/us/en/2025/sep/0917-Retro-Rides-Muscling-future-1964-Pontiac-GTO.html

For more information about the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION and the complete 1964 Pontiac mid-size model lineup, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2022/12/28/1964-pontiac-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

The history of Pontiac’s performance years is covered in DAY ONE, https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day One by Martyn L. Schorr

’64 PONTIAC GTO & THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION

An option turns a midsize Tempest into the ’64 PONTIAC GTO & THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION, and a decade of GTO-badged high-performance Pontiacs.

Pontiac called it “A Device For Shrinking Time & Distance.” Magazine editors called it a “Supercar”. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac – not Ford, Chevy or Plymouth – essentially created the option that ignited the Supercar Revolution and an almost cult-like movement. The GTO’s extensive performance, comfort and convenience “menu” was the envy of the industry. It was the Supercar for all seasons – and reasons.

GM Design created a dynamite follow-up GTO for the 1964 auto show circuit -the tri-power Flamme. Fitted with Cibie rectangular headlamps, below, and under-fender exhaust cutouts and, of course, painted Flame Red, it debuted at the 1964 Chicago Auto Show. It was first shown with a white interior and wire wheel hubcaps. By the time I saw it at the New York show, top, its interior was also red, and trendy chrome-reverse wheels had been installed.Because the GTO became an overnight sensation, fiction often gets in the way of reality when discussing responsibility for its concept and creation. Pontiac’s primary players were Pete Estes, General Manager and John DeLorean, Chief Engineer. DeLorean’s staff included a number of racing enthusiasts. The concept of putting a 389-inch engine from a full-size Pontiac into a Tempest evolved from meetings DeLorean had with two performance-savvy guys – Bill Collins and Russ Gee who headed up the Experimental Engineering Department. One of the key meetings was not, however, about creating a high-performance street car. It dealt with building a slightly longer wheelbase Tempest to replace the NASCAR Super-Duty 421 stockers that had become history!Gee revealed that since 326 and 389 engines shared the same motor mounts, a 389 could be shoehorned into a Tempest in about a half-hour. With NASCAR in mind, Russ Gee’s team built a ’63 Tempest 389 prototype with a three-inch longer wheelbase – 115 vs. 112 inches. It worked and it was fast. But DeLorean couldn’t find any support for stock car racing at Pontiac. All efforts shifted to creating a product that would appeal to performance enthusiasts, preferably young ones. That proved to be a far better route.

During the discussion of a unique 389-engined Tempest, Jim Wangers, right, who was a successful Pontiac drag racer and account executive at Pontiac’s advertising agency, McManus, John & Adams, got involved. He also had a relationship with Ace Wilson, owner of Royal Pontiac. Wangers presented youth-market-targeted GTO concepts to Pete Estes. Estes passed them along to DeLorean and the 389 Tempest GTO program was greenlighted. Ferrari originally used the model designation GTO – Grand Turismo Omologato – for its 250 GTO. It means that the vehicle meets the standard specifications for racing in the Grand Touring category.

Prior to the GTO option, the most powerful engine you could get in a Tempest was a 326-inch V-8 rated at 280 horsepower. A GTO optioned Tempest could be equipped with a standard four-barrel 389 rated 325 horsepower at 4,800 rpm or the optional tri-power 389 rated at 348 horsepower at 4,900 rpm. Both engines generated 428 pound-feet of torque. Buyers could choose from three or four-speed manuals with Hurst shifters or a two-speed automatic and limited-slip rears with 3.08 to 3.90 gearing.

Since no GM division had done this before, Pete Estes was apprehensive about how the marketplace would receive the new car. While he did sign off on producing 5,000 units, Estes voiced concern: “If Pontiac doesn’t meet its GTO sales target, it will not be around in 1965.”

Jim Wangers did not share Este’s concerns. McManus, John & Adams came up with advertising for the GTO’s launch. It was the first of many years of GTO campaigns that set the standard for high-performance car advertising. The ads spoke to young enthusiasts – and they responded. By January 1964, dealers had already taken orders for more than 10,000 GTOs, securing the model’s future. Waiting lists were growing longer each day. The GTO emerged as a huge success, with total 1964 GTO production of 25,806 hardtops and 6,644 convertibles.

Check out OVER-DRIVE magazine’s’64 PONTIAC GTO & THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION fact sheets @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2022/12/28/1964-pontiac-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

To track the ’64 PONTIAC GTO & THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION, and a decade of GTO-badged high-performance “muscle”, DAY ONE has the story @ https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day One by Martyn L. Schorr

’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY

1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Vietnam, racing budgets cut and diverted to safety & emissions engineering, Ponycar sales plummeting, plus parts delays and production glitches, resulted in the ’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY.

’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY

Eagerly awaited, the all-new ’70 Camaro (and Firebird) had been hyped by auto writers because of anticipated new platform, and engineering and styling changes. They did not disappoint. But there were production problems. When we evaluated 1970 GM cars in June 1969 at the Milford Proving Ground, the only Camaros and Firebirds were carryover 1969 models!

While Chevrolet design studios took the lead role in Gen-1 Camaro and Firebird styling, that was not the case with the Gen-II 1970 models. This time around and before he moved to Chevrolet, Pontiac General Manager, John DeLorean, lobbied to have Pontiac studios take the lead. He loved Italian styling – and his $12,000 Maserati Ghibli. And he wasn’t shy about letting Pontiac designers know that: “I want the new Firebird to be a $3,000 Ghibli.

Two very talented designers, Hank Haga and Bill Porter, were, respectively, the Studio Chiefs for Chevrolet and Pontiac. There was a lot of competition and political intrigue, but the result was two outstanding Ponycars with very different personalities and styling. Both incorporated European-influenced styling cues.

Built on a new 108-inch unibody platform, the long-hood, short-deck Gen-II Camaro and Firebird were longer, wider, and lower than their predecessors. Suspensions were seriously upgraded and ride and handling improved. They made the competition look old. The road-hugging, low-stance fastback Camaro and Firebird had distinctive looks and powertrains in keeping with each Division’s marketing philosophies.

There would be delays causing the ’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY. Officially still 1970 models; they were introduced to the public in late-February 1970. Available only in coupe configuration, many enthusiasts mourned the loss of the convertible. The Press was invited to drive new Camaros at Ontario Motor Speedway, while the track was still under construction. Rave reviews followed!

’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY The reasons behind the Camaro-Firebird delay were multifold. In addition to DeLorean flexing his muscles, there were parts delays from Fisher Body and glitches switching from Lordstown to Norwood assembly plants in 1969. The new Corvette was also delayed, primarily because of quality problems with the new fender flares. Chevrolet planted a potent 350/360 LT1 engine in the new Z/28. Thanks to a .030-inch bore increase, the new 396/350 and 396/375 big blocks actually displaced 402 cubic inches. Neither 396/375 nor 350/360 solid-lifter engines were available with AC but could be ordered with automatic transmissions.

Chevrolet showed us the new Camaro at a special drive program at Ontario Motor Speedway. We drove small and big-block models, but Chevy was really pushing its Z/28. It did impress. The new LT1 was a strong, flexible engine much better suited for street performance than its 302-inch predecessor. The Z/28 Camaro was the best-balanced and most fun to drive, especially on the slalom course.

The all-new Camaro, thanks to the availability of high-performance 454 big blocks available from Chevrolet, proved to be a perfect platform for Joel Rosen to create Act II for Baldwin-Motion Camaros. Rosen used the New York International Auto Show to debut a new Phase III 454 Baldwin-Motion Camaro with signature striping, a scooped hood, and Corvette side exhausts. Orders flowed in the first day and, seemingly overnight, Motion Performance was packed with Gen II Camaros from Baldwin Chevrolet receiving 454 big blocks.

’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY

Building the Second Generation Phase III 454 Camaro is covered in https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Performance-Tales-Muscle-Builder/dp/0760355606/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493151743&sr=1-1&keywords=MOTION Performance, Tales of a muscle car builder

For complete ’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY facts, figures, and specifications, please visit Over-Drive Magazine @https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/06/21/1970-chevrolet-camaro-fact-sheet/

’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION

1964 was all about the birth of big-engined, muscular midsize models, and the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION!

Pontiac called it “A Device For Shrinking Time & Distance.” Magazine editors called it a “Supercar”. And enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers from coast to coast to see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac, not Ford, Chevy or Plymouth, essentially created an option that ignited the Supercar Revolution and an almost cult-like movement. The GTO’s extensive performance and comfort and convenience “menu” was the envy of the industry. It was the Supercar for all seasons and reasons. Red FLAMME GTO Concept, top, toured the Auto Show Circuit in 1964.

Because the GTO became an overnight sensation, fiction often gets in the way of reality when discussing responsibility for its concept and creation. Pontiac’s primary players were Pete Estes, General Manager and John DeLorean, Chief Engineer. DeLorean’s staff included a number of racing enthusiasts. The concept of putting a 389-inch engine from a full-size Pontiac into a Tempest evolved from meetings DeLorean had with two performance-savvy guys – Bill Collins and Russ Gee. Gee headed up the Experimental Engineering Department. One of the key meetings was not however about creating a high-performance street car. It dealt with building a slightly longer wheelbase Tempest to replace the NASCAR Super-Duty 421 stockers that had become history!During the discussion of a unique 389-engined Tempest, Jim Wangers, top, right, a successful Pontiac drag racer and account executive at Pontiac’s McManus, John & Adams, got involved. He also had a relationship with Ace Wilson, owner of Royal Pontiac. He presented youth-market-targeted GTO concepts to Pete Estes. He passed them along to DeLorean and the 389 Tempest GTO program was greenlighted. Ferrari originally used the model designation GTO – Grand Turismo Omologato – for its 250 GTO. Essentially, it means a vehicle meets the standard specifications for racing in the Grand Touring category. Within the enthusiast community in the U.S., the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION and a whole new youth market was created.

For some Baby Boomers, Pontiac’s GTO is the automotive equivalent of Jimi Hendrix’s Star-Spangled Banner guitar shred at Woodstock: powerful, iconic and emblematic of an extraordinary era in American history. Pontiac offered a GTO until 1974, then dusted off the badge again for its last hoorah 30 years later on the 2004- ’06 edition. A few versions of the model were significant, at least one was legendary (we’re looking at you, The Judge), but it was the pure-and-simple ’64 that lit the fire. The GTO’s origin story is almost as legendary as the car’s performance reputation.

Continue reading ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION and Hemmings’ 1964 GTO Buyer’s Guide @ https://www.hemmings.com/stories/1964-pontiac-gto-buyer-s-guide/

Pontiac GTO enthusiasts should check out, https://www.gtoaa.org/