Photo: Mecum Auctions (modified)
In October 1960, Pontiac joined the emerging compact car market with the Tempest. In 1963, however, the company had a change of heart and re-assigned the nameplate to midsize duty. The shift also included the Le Mans trim package, which spawned the iconic GTO.
Launched for the 1964 model year, the GTO wasn't America's first muscle car. The recipe can be traced back to the 1950s, but the GTO is widely credited with popularizing the then-new muscle car segment. It became a big hit and inspired other carmakers to introduce similar high-performance packages.
What made the GTO popular? Well, it's mainly a combination of good looks, powerful engines, and appealing options. These kept the GTO in the spotlight until 1971 when performance car sales began to drop due to expensive insurance rates. The nameplate was discontinued in 1974 after one year as a compact car, but its legacy endured.
Come 2024, the GTO is a somehwat common sight at classic car shows. However, specific examples are rarer than others. The 1964 version, for instance, is scarcer than most of its successors due to a smaller production run.
While Pontiac moved more than 70,000 units per year from 1965 through 1969, the shortened 1964 model year saw only 32,450 GTOs leave the assembly. Sure, that's still a lot of cars, but this Marimba Red example proves that certain feature combinations are hard to find. And when it comes to the first-year GTO, that happens when the convertible body style is married to the 389-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) Tri-Power V8.
The drop-top is by far the rarest version of the 1964 GTO. Of the 32,450 examples built that year, only 6,644 left the assembly line with a retractable soft top. Likewise, the Tri-Power V8 is the scarcest drivetrain setup, with only 8,245 units made (about 25% of the total production).
Combining these numbers results in less than 2,000 Tri-Power convertibles made, but this car is actually much rarer than that. That's because the engine mates to a three-speed automatic. According to the documents provided with this GTO, we're looking at one of only 693 vehicles built just like this.
And I'm pretty sure the gorgeous Marimba Red paint and Ivory top combo would narrow that figure significantly, but this Poncho is rare enough as it is.
A nicely restored, numbers-matching classic, this GTO looks flawless inside and out. Moreover, the 389 Tri-Power lump is also squeaky clean and seemingly ready to give Ford Fairlanes and Dodge Polaras a run for their money at the drag strip. And this powerplant packs quite the punch.
While the standard four-barrel 389 delivered 325 horsepower, the Tri-Power version came with 348 horses on tap thanks to a trio of two-barrel Rochester 2G carburetors. It was one of the most powerful engines available in 1964.
If this gorgeous drop-top is something you'd park in your garage, the GTO is scheduled to go under the hammer at Mecum's Indy 2024 auction on May 17. There's no official estimate for this lot, but first-year convertibles are known to fetch more than $100,000. In January 2024, a triple-black version with similar specs found a new home for $160,000.
What made the GTO popular? Well, it's mainly a combination of good looks, powerful engines, and appealing options. These kept the GTO in the spotlight until 1971 when performance car sales began to drop due to expensive insurance rates. The nameplate was discontinued in 1974 after one year as a compact car, but its legacy endured.
Come 2024, the GTO is a somehwat common sight at classic car shows. However, specific examples are rarer than others. The 1964 version, for instance, is scarcer than most of its successors due to a smaller production run.
While Pontiac moved more than 70,000 units per year from 1965 through 1969, the shortened 1964 model year saw only 32,450 GTOs leave the assembly. Sure, that's still a lot of cars, but this Marimba Red example proves that certain feature combinations are hard to find. And when it comes to the first-year GTO, that happens when the convertible body style is married to the 389-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) Tri-Power V8.
The drop-top is by far the rarest version of the 1964 GTO. Of the 32,450 examples built that year, only 6,644 left the assembly line with a retractable soft top. Likewise, the Tri-Power V8 is the scarcest drivetrain setup, with only 8,245 units made (about 25% of the total production).
Combining these numbers results in less than 2,000 Tri-Power convertibles made, but this car is actually much rarer than that. That's because the engine mates to a three-speed automatic. According to the documents provided with this GTO, we're looking at one of only 693 vehicles built just like this.
And I'm pretty sure the gorgeous Marimba Red paint and Ivory top combo would narrow that figure significantly, but this Poncho is rare enough as it is.
A nicely restored, numbers-matching classic, this GTO looks flawless inside and out. Moreover, the 389 Tri-Power lump is also squeaky clean and seemingly ready to give Ford Fairlanes and Dodge Polaras a run for their money at the drag strip. And this powerplant packs quite the punch.
While the standard four-barrel 389 delivered 325 horsepower, the Tri-Power version came with 348 horses on tap thanks to a trio of two-barrel Rochester 2G carburetors. It was one of the most powerful engines available in 1964.
If this gorgeous drop-top is something you'd park in your garage, the GTO is scheduled to go under the hammer at Mecum's Indy 2024 auction on May 17. There's no official estimate for this lot, but first-year convertibles are known to fetch more than $100,000. In January 2024, a triple-black version with similar specs found a new home for $160,000.
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