A Goat or a Tiger?

[RayC]

Having just re-read this,I think I may go for "the great one"

Priceless , luv it Rich

[Anonymous]

The Great One.

Just about the two best ads for musclecars in the musclecar era.

[Anonymous]

"Although the Pontiac GTO's existence was borne of original thinking, its name was not. The GTO moniker was "borrowed" from Ferrari, which had a short production run (40) of sports racing cars of the same name starting in 1962. GTO in that case stood for "Gran Turismo Omologato" the english translation of which is "Grand Touring Homologated", a fancy way of saying that it was approved for certain classes of international sports car racing. Controversy over the name theft continues today, with many insisting that the Pontiac owners deserved more original thinking. Jokesters of the time claimed that GTO stood for "Gas, Tires, Oil", all of which both the Pontiac and the Ferrari used in large quantities. Fans and owners of the Pontiac GTO proudly call their favorite car a "Goat" and label their meetings as a "Gathering of the Goats."
Sales increased to 96,946, in 1966 the highest production figure for all GTO years. Although Pontiac had strenuously promoted the GTO in advertising as the "GTO Tiger," it had become known in the youth market as the "Goat." Pontiac management attempted to make use of the new nickname in advertising but were vetoed by upper management, which was dismayed by its irreverent tone.
Omologato can also be Italian slang for goat. Thus Pontiac GTOs are sometimes called goats."

[Anonymous]

The GTO was part of Pontiac's conscious decision to Europeanify their image. It was, after all, based on a LeMans, and used 6.5 liter callout badges, rather than cubic inch ones.

Besides, Ferrari didn't build enough cars to qualify for homologation anyway and to get around it just called their car homologated.

[TYREMAN]

"Although the Pontiac GTO's existence was borne of original thinking, its name was not. The GTO moniker was "borrowed" from Ferrari, which had a short production run (40) of sports racing cars of the same name starting in 1962. GTO in that case stood for "Gran Turismo Omologato" the english translation of which is "Grand Touring Homologated", a fancy way of saying that it was approved for certain classes of international sports car racing. Controversy over the name theft continues today, with many insisting that the Pontiac owners deserved more original thinking. Jokesters of the time claimed that GTO stood for "Gas, Tires, Oil", all of which both the Pontiac and the Ferrari used in large quantities. Fans and owners of the Pontiac GTO proudly call their favorite car a "Goat" and label their meetings as a "Gathering of the Goats."
Sales increased to 96,946, in 1966 the highest production figure for all GTO years. Although Pontiac had strenuously promoted the GTO in advertising as the "GTO Tiger," it had become known in the youth market as the "Goat." Pontiac management attempted to make use of the new nickname in advertising but were vetoed by upper management, which was dismayed by its irreverent tone.
Omologato can also be Italian slang for goat. Thus Pontiac GTOs are sometimes called goats."

Thats some great info there Mate

I always thought it was called a Goat because it would eat anything! on the street that is.

We have the GTO to thank for Mopars of the late 60s as the GTO sucsess and advertising rubbed of on Chrysler.

There was an article in "Car And Driver"March 1964 that compared the GTO to the Farrari and they said it was just as good at a fraction of the price,this did not go down well in Europe of course but it helped the sales of the GTO Skyrocket and guarantedd the sucsess of Car and Driver.

Pontiac sent two cars to Car and Driver they were preped by Royal Bobcat of Royal Oak given the "Royal Treatment" the testers thought they had been given ringers but it was just the normal tri Power 4 Speed car but Car and Driver made no bones that the Cars were tweaked by Royal,to give you an idea of just how good they were Car and Driver recorded a 0 to 60 time of 4.6 seconds! not bad 4 1964 and anyone could buy a Bobcat preped GTO or even send for a kit in the post.

Some people think that the cars tested were ringers and they Had the 421 H0 Super Duty motor put in them that was almost impossible to distinguish from a 389,but thats just a theory from none belivers

George Hurst also had a good relationship with Pontiac and many GTOs got Hurst Shifters and Hurst aftermarket Wheels ther was even a record released about the GTO and Hurst had a competition for anyone who can count the number of times "Tiger" was said in the Song.All correct answers were put into a prize draw and the top Prize was a one off 65 GTO in Gold with Gold plated Hust wheel and a Gold Plated Shifter,the car was also in Tiger Gold,and it still survives today.

These guys worked hard to promote the cars and Company,after a hard weeks work they would leave Detroit on a Friday afternoon and go all around America to diffrent Racing events.The Royal Racing Team had a driver behind the wheel of a GTO in a Tiger Suite punters were urged to race them and try and beat the Mystery Tiger,the promotion came to an end when the Tiger was unmasked to Reveal George Hurst himself although Hurst did not always play the part of the Tiger himslef in past events.

I like some of the Advertising of the GTO and Hurst,they even were brave enough not to show the product in the odd add However they were not helped by GM managment who put a stop to all cars in motion in 67 they did not want the cars to look like they were driven aggressive or at speed,hence the later static adverts,and they would not allow the Boy and his Goat advert,so that started "the great one" adverts.

Still on the subject of GM managment,if it was up to them the GTO would have never made it to the Showrooms! Wagners and DeLorian came up with the grat idea of puting a powerfull big block in an intermediate size car"The Musclecar" but without the backing of Pontiac management the idea of a Muscle Car would remain just a dream.
The GTOs saviour was a guy called Elliot "Pete"Estes General Manager of Pontiac,He was an engineer and "Petrol Head" so he backed to young Wagners and DeLorian to the hilt,and pused it past the executives who wre still stuck in the 40s and were convinced the GTO would never sell
The confrontation nearly led to Fisticuffs but Estes pused the car through the division and on to the Dealers,and the rest is history Estes was truly the unsung hero of the GTO.

[Anonymous]

I t you mean Jim Wangers, Tony.

His book is very good "Glory Days".

It was a bit of a triumverate. Wangers sold it, DeLorean engineered it and Estes pushed it through.

[TYREMAN]

According to my book its Estes that pused it through the executives i know Wagners was responsible for finding one Dealer that was willing to be a Guinea Pig to stock special performance Pontiacs,and he teamed up with car nut Ace Wilson Jnr who had the Franchise in Royal Oak Michigan a suburb on Woodward Avenue halfway between Detroit and Pontiac.

This Royal Oak Dealership became the "Royal Pontiac"? where you could get the Royal Bobcats

Got me wondering about Estes now Sandy?

[BUDGIE]

Just as good as a Ferrari ..........................give me a break

[Dave-R]

You have missed one off the poll.

In 1970 The GTO was advertised as "The Humbler".

[Anonymous]

Great tv ad as well.... " This is the way it's going to be, baby."



This was the other great GTO advert ... "Finance it Clyde."



And the famous one ...



And the even more famous one

[Dave-R]

Putting that magazine in the post this lunchtime Sandy.

[Ivor]

And the even more famous one

Very disappointing. As Sandy would say, if I dropped in a clip of one of the Road Runner ads...

[Anonymous]

The GTO was sold as THE GREAT ONE But later be came the GOAT and also GAS,TYRE'S and OIL.

I do like the 65/66/67 GTO.

[Ivor]

Still all cracking looking cars in my view...I must admit, my relationship with my '69 was short, but I liked it!

[Anonymous]

Putting that magazine in the post this lunchtime Sandy.

Much appreciated, Dave. Thanks.