1969 Pontiac GTO Judge in Carousel Red Fails To Sell, Dealer Flat Out Refuses $78,000

When GM came out with the second-gen GTO for 1968, they went with a more streamlined design, featuring a semi-fastback rear end and a shorter wheelbase. The original GTO’s hood scoop was replaced by dual scoops, and you could even get these new cars with concealed headlights.

The 1969 model year variants ditched the front door vent windows, while also boasting revised taillights. The changes weren’t painfully obvious, but they were there if you knew where to look – like on the inside where the ignition was moved from the dashboard to the steering column.

This was also the year in which the GTO Judge was introduced, with its flamboyant paint schemes (like Carousel Red or Orbit Orange). These types of vibrant hues weren’t to everyone’s liking, but they certainly suited the car’s bold personality, further highlighted by its iconic decals.

What you’re looking at here is a Carousel Red 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge, fully refurbished, with just 23,000 miles showing on its replacement 400 ci Ram Air V8 engine.

Exterior details include the painted Endura front bumper, body-color rear wing, chrome rear bumper, dual exhaust outlets, and a set of 15-inch Rally II wheels featuring 225/70 BFGoodrich Silvertown Radial tires. This GTO also comes with an 8,000-rpm tachometer mounted to the hood, power steering and power-assisted front discs (drum brakes at the rear).

Moving on to the interior, that’s where you’ll find the black vinyl (reupholstered) front bucket seats and rear bench, faux woodgrain trim accents, a Hurst shifter, padded dashboard, AM/FM stereo, and a three-spoke steering wheel.

As for the previously mentioned power unit, it’s fitted with a single four-barrel carburetor with a Ram Air induction assembly, sending power to the rear wheels via a four-speed close-ratio manual transmission, working alongside a limited-slip differential.

Now the kicker. This GTO was up for grabs at auction until recently, with the highest bid hitting the $78,000 mark, which is when the seller decided to pull the ad, considering that it simply wasn’t enough to merit the car.

They thanked everyone for their bids but followed that up by saying that “it just doesn’t work for me; the quality of the car begins with a ‘1’ all day long,” before implying that this particular ‘69 GTO is easily worth $100,000.

Frankly, while the car may be able to draw in a bit more than just $78,000, hitting the $100k mark might be a bit of a stretch. Just take this other 1969 GTO Judge for example – it sold for $75,000 back in November, featuring the exact same engine and a pretty much identical spec.