How did the GTO Judge get its name?
The Pontiac GTO was introduced in 1963 as a 1964 model. The significant event of 1969 was the launch of a new Pontiac GTO model called ‘The Judge’. The Judge name came from a comedy routine, “Here Comes the Judge”, used repeatedly by Sammy Davis Jr. on the enormously popular “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In TV” show.
What year did the GTO come out?
1964
As a result of this team’s ingenuity and cunning, the Pontiac GTO was unveiled to the public in 1963 as an option to the LeMans. In 1964, buyers could purchase it, launching the vehicle into muscle car history. The Pontiac GTO is commonly regarded as the first muscle car in automobile history.
What kind of car is a 1969 Pontiac GTO?
The third example is a low-mileage original ’69 Liberty Blue Judge owned by Dean Kelly, a muscle car collector and sheet metal worker from Berlin, Connecticut. Background Paul purchased the ’65 GTO as a roller from a friend in 1996. The body had been stripped and primed, and the car was complete, except for its Tri-Power unit and dash pad.
What kind of engine did the Pontiac GTO have?
1965 Pontiac LeMans GTO Mecum All GTOs built from 1964–66 were powered by a 389-cubic-inch V-8 with 10.75:1 compression. Pontiac first offered three two-barrel carburetors in 1957 and the Tri-power set up was an option on the GTO from 1964–66. Along with a cam swap it boosted horsepower from 325 hp with the four-barrel carb to 348 hp in ’64.
When did Paul get his 1966 Pontiac GTO?
As to the numbers-matching ’66 GTO, Paul pursued it for years and was finally able to acquire it in 2000. It was complete except for a missing Tri-Power, exhaust manifolds and rear end. “A Tri-Power with no heater and radio was a no-brainer,” he recalls.
When was the 50th year of the Pontiac GTO?
Given that fact, to celebrate 50 years of the Pontiac GTO, HMM Editor Terry McGean and I drove three prime examples of the breed to share our findings here.