{"id":6102,"date":"2010-11-22T17:33:46","date_gmt":"2010-11-22T17:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gentrylane.com\/s\/?p=6102"},"modified":"2010-11-22T17:33:46","modified_gmt":"2010-11-22T17:33:46","slug":"1968-pontiac-gto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gentrylane.ca\/s\/domestic-inventory\/sold-domestic\/1968-pontiac-gto","title":{"rendered":"1968 Pontiac GTO"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pontiac GTO<\/em><\/strong> is considered by many the first true muscle car. Whereas other\u00a0manufacturers were concentrating on their fullsize lines, Pontiac<\/strong> saw the potential\u00a0for dropping a big block engine into an intermediate frame and marketing it at a\u00a0budget price. Pontiac sneaked past the GM<\/em> restriction on this combination by making\u00a0the GTO<\/em> an option on the Tempest model, creating the hottest performance machine yet.<\/p>\n

GTO<\/em> is the monogram for the most famous muscle car in high-performance automobile\u00a0history – the Pontiac GTO. Also known as “The Legend”<\/em> and “The Great One,”<\/em> GTO is\u00a0the car that started it all. Prior to 1964, performance cars were full-size hardtops\u00a0and sedans with the largest displacement engines available. They were a little slow\u00a0off the line, but once all that sheet metal and chrome got rolling, they pulled like\u00a0a freight train. Hot rodders had known for years that you could go even faster if\u00a0you put those big engines in smaller, lighter cars. This was the thinking for the new\u00a0GTO<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Pontiac already had somewhat of a European racing theme in place with the Grand Prix\u00a0and LeMans, so Chief Engineer John DeLorean<\/strong> appropriated the Italian racing designation\u00a0Gran Turismo Omologato<\/em>. The name was closely associated with Ferrari. In English it\u00a0means, “Grand Touring Homologated.”<\/em> The Pontiac GTO was a grand touring car homologated\u00a0(or made) from different parts, specifically the 389 Bonneville engine. It is doubtful\u00a0whether many GTO owners understood the name or could even pronounce it, but it projected\u00a0an image of a powerful, exotic, high-performance car. All that really mattered was that\u00a0the GTO was a great car and the name was very well received.<\/p>\n

This 1968 Pontiac GTO<\/em><\/strong><\/em> is a powerful high-performance American beast.\u00a0The exterior is white with a blue vinyl interior in good condition. Under the hood sits a 400 C.I. <\/em>V-8 with a 3 speed automatic transmission. Factory options include pwr. brakes, pwr. steering,\u00a0hideaway headlights and factory A\/C, currently not working. This 68′ GTO<\/strong> is a solid example\u00a0of a great American muscle car.<\/p>\n