Although credited with popularizing the successful era of the American muscle car, the original Pontiac GTO spent a big chunk of its life as a simple options package. First during the 1964 and 1965 model years for the intermediate Tempest LeMans, and then during the 1972 and 1973 MYs again for the LeMans and the compact-sized Venture during 1974. Fortunately, this cool ‘68 GTO isn’t one of them.
General Motors decided that between 1966 and 1971 the GTO had enough merits to warrant a separation within the Pontiac ranks. As such, the model became independent as production kicked off with the VINs that started with 242. So, to this very day, if you want a “real” GTO, one needs to make sure it’s one of those 242 examples.
As such, with the VIN 242378R203076, this 1968 GTO is part of the special breed, according to Sherman, Texas-based PC Classic Cars. While it doesn’t have the pretense of being entirely original, several highlights will make this a cool and very classic companion for summer road trips... or just plain old cruising fun. Among them, one certainly can’t discard the pristine Q-code Verdero Green paintjob without taking a second look. At least to make sure you’ve checked out the white vinyl top, if not for anything else.
But don’t jump inside just yet, because those shiny 15-inch Pontiac Rallye wheels have been shod in large BFG 235/60-15 tires, so you don’t lose grasp of what’s going on at tarmac level. Now let’s take a look inside the cockpit, where a 236-code white interior with bucket seats and center console eagerly awaits its next adventurous owner. A quick peek at the odometer will reveal a nice low-mileage readout of 27,508 miles / 44,270 km – but unfortunately, there’s also an “actual mileage cannot be verified” disclaimer.
Now, before we get to the asking price, let’s notice the cool setup under the hood. It’s a replacement – but accurate in terms of factory credentials – 400ci (6.5 l) V8 mill ready to do the owner’s bidding in there. And it’s mated to a Turbo 400 three-speed auto transmission, so the asking price of $37,500 might not sound like too much anymore.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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