THE TURBULENT 1960s SAW AN amazing amount of change in American culture, with dramatic evolution in music, politics, education and civil unrest. Against that backdrop came the popularization of street performance cars. Like some of the firearms we enjoy, curbside iron like this was usually a case of “better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it.” For many, the launch point to this principle was Pontiac’s GTO.
For true automotive enthusiasts, the letters first stood for “Gran Turismo Omologato,” and the domestic version’s terminology was a direct takeoff on the Italian-built Ferrari 250 GTO, of which less than 50 were ever built. Pontiac, considered the performance arm of GM in some circles, would later say the letters meant “Grand Touring Option.” However,…
