Pontiac GTO: Books - History and Models

The Definitive Pontiac GTO Guide: 1964-1967

After a brainstorming session, Pontiac executives and engineers decided to slot a 389-ci V-8 into the intermediate-sized Tempest against GM rules and the GTO was created. Little did they know what a profound impact that decision would make. The GTO would become a sensation and later was recognized as the first muscle car of the 1960s.

Pontiac expert and long-time writer David Bonaskiewich delves deep into the GTO model and its history, bringing the equipment and options of this iconic muscle car into full focus. He reveals the hardware under the sheet metal: the V-8 engines, manual and automatic transmissions, rear differentials, interior options, color codes, and so much more.

All the important upgrades, advancements, and model evolutions are covered in exceptional detail. If you have been searching for the in-depth, nuts-and-bolts guide to GTO equipment and options, you need look no further.

The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO : Every Model Since 1964

When Pontiac created the original muscle car - the GTO - it reshaped the automotive world like a four-inch piston going through a three-inch cylinder bore.
Everything changed the moment John Zachery DeLorean and his crew of hot-rodding miscreants bolted a big engine into a smaller car and created the 1964 GTO.

Make no mistake: DeLorean and his partners in crime were genuine outlaws. The GTO broke so many of General Motors' corporate rules that the people responsible should have been fired.
And they would have been, except the car was a hit.

The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO explores every iteration of the first car created specifically for baby boomers. With rare photography from the archives of Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines, this book is the complete resource for fans of of the world's first muscle car.
The book gives you a year-by-year, model-by-model exploration of the world's first muscle car, all in full color photography, most of which has never been published.

GTO : Pontiac's Great One

In 1963 Pontiac's Chief Engineer John DeLorean and his two favorite staff engineers, Bill Collins and Russ Gee, came up with an inspired way to keep Pontiac cars in the performance limelight: bolt a big engine into Pontiac's upcoming Tempest intermediate body.
Thus was the GTO born. Through cunning, resourcefulness, and outright trickery the minds of Pontiac managed to get this rocket into dealerships and out onto America's highways, and to introduce that most iconic of American automobiles, the muscle car, to the nation's most discriminating drivers.

This is the story of the GTO, of the people who made it a reality and a sales sensation, of those who owned and loved the cars. And it is, above all, a story of the cars themselves, from the initial option package offered for the 1964 model year through the high-performance late-model standouts.
With color photographs, drawings, and detailed stats, this book is not so much the story of a historic car as an illustrated biography of American muscle.

GTO 50 Years - The Original Muscle Car

Follows the rise of this iconic vehicle from the day in 1963 when Chief Engineer John Z. DeLorean bolted a 389-cubic-inch GTO engine into a prototype Tempest coupe through the final GTO rendition in 2006.

Wedding that massive V-8 to a mid-size GM chassis created one of the fastest production cars of the time but also made it a car just about anyone with a job could afford.
It started as an option package that was supposed to be limited to 5,000 units. Instead, word of mouth pushed sales to more than six times that many in its first year.

Hundreds of photographs round out this thoroughly researched history and offer insight into the vehicle that, through redesigns, repackages, and relaunches, came of age with the Baby Boomer generation. From classic 1960s models to the GTO's revival in 2004, the exhilarating story of the outlaw that should never have been - and will never be again - will thrill any auto enthusiast.

GTO Data and ID Guide 1964-1972 - Includes: The Judge, Ram Air III, Ram Air IV

When the Pontiac GTO debuted in the fall of 1963, few people could have predicted that the landscape of the performance car would be changed forever. With the new GTO, a genre of automobiles was born that combined image, character, and "muscle."
515,797 GTOs rolled off assembly lines from 1963 through 1974; it's undeniable just how influential these cars were.

What Pontiac couldn't have predicted was just how collectible the GTOs would be decades later. Author Peter Sessler dissects the GTO and presents critical data including engine and transmission codes, rear axle identification, exterior and interior colors, options, production numbers, and VIN decoding.

Correctly restoring a GTO is no easy matter. With this book you take a giant step toward understanding just what components are needed to bring your old Goat back to life. Possessing this much data is a surefire way to become a GTO expert. It even fits in your back pocket!

The Collector's Guide to GTO 1964-1974

This Classic reprint, formerly "The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to the GTO", includes essential information about these highly collectible cars: aesthetic characteristics, engine displacement, the basic characteristics of the fuel systems and the speed gears, the colors, the codes for identification and other historical information.

The text is accompanied by black and white photos of the cars, their passenger compartments and engines. A vital resource for determining authenticity and value. Whether simply researching GTOs or making a purchase decision this is the book enthusiasts refer to over and over again.

1964 Pontiac GTO (Muscle Cars in Detail)

By the mid-1960s, the American automotive market was yearning for faster, more responsive, and sportier cars, and a crew of high-performance enthusiasts at Pontiac recognized this. Large V-8s were commonly installed in full-size cars, but performance was hampered by pure chassis weight.

Under the guidance of Bunkie Knudsen, John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and others, Pontiac installed the high-performance 389 V-8 into the nimble and lightweight intermediate-size LeMans chassis. It was a watershed moment for Pontiac; the 1964 GTO delivered astounding performance and created the muscle car blueprint that the Detroit manufacturers followed in the 1960s and 1970s.

This volume in the Muscle Cars In Detail Series delivers a comprehensive review of this trend-setting and historic car. The GTO housed a 389 V-8 engine with a single Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetor, and along with dual exhaust and a standard 3-speed or optional 4-speed manual transmission, it supplied extraordinary performance.
To improve traction and handling, the GTO was fitted with stiffer springs, larger-diameter front sway bar, and wider wheels. And to give it panache, the GTO was adorned with distinctive badges and hood scoops.

All In Detail Series books include an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, and an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today.
Also included is an appendix of paint and option codes, VIN and build-tag decoders, as well as production numbers.

1966 Pontiac GTO (Muscle Cars in Detail)

Pontiac's GTO is often credited as being the first muscle car. As model year 1966 ended, an astounding 96,946 GTOs traversed Pontiac assembly lines, which set a high-water mark that would cement the GOAT as the most salable muscle car that was produced during the golden age of performance.

Author David Bonaskiewich examines this model year in precise detail, taking into account every cosmetic change and optional hardware that warranted this sales boom. This book delves into details, showcasing the vast array of optional equipment across its three bodystyles (hardtop, sports coupe, and convertible).
Thorough examinations of the drivetrain, interior, suspension, brakes, and wheels and tires are exhaustive, which unveils exactly why the 1966 GTO was the most successful muscle car ever assembled.