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 In 1964 Pontiac Motor Division introduced
to the American public a novel automobile, the Pontiac Tempest-GTO
(Pontiac borrowed the acronym “GTO” from Ferrari-—it stood for Gran
Turismo Omologato-—or Grand Touring-class production vehicle homologated
for racing; enthusiasts nicknamed it the Goat) and it took the
automotive world by storm. General Motors’ management, unsure of the
model’s viability, initially thought that Pontiac would sell only 5,000
units. But by the end of the model year, Pontiac had sold 32,450 "Goats." Two years
later over 96,000 GTOs were produced. Born through a bit of subterfuge by
a few renegade managers, advertising executives, and engineers who defied
GM management at the highest levels to see their dream become a reality,
the GTO changed the automobile marketplace for the next decade.
This website is dedicated to the study of the GTO, its advertising campaign and the culture it sprung from; a culture that had as its influences the polar opposite motivations and desires of the “counter-culture” generation and the corporate “suits” at GM. The GTO was a product of the tension evident within that culture and the car in turn influenced the popular culture of the time. Additionally the GTO and the competitors that followed demonstrated that U.S. auto manufacturers were receptive to consumer demands of the time and provided those consumers with cars as innovative and technologically advanced as anything produced in the world. Additionally, although they were mass-produced, the numbers of options available on each model made it possible for a buyer to make a unique “ride” that reflected his or her desire to express their perceived individuality. Here then is the story of a car whose impact on the cultural landscape of the U.S. is felt to this day. [Note that the color bar on the far left of each page within this website corresponds to one of the wide rainbow of colors a GTO buyer could choose from. The color's code and name are listed below the index.] Click here to begin the adventure.
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