Photo: Bring a trailer/autoevolution
The first-generation Pontiac GTO is often called the “first true muscle car,” and for good reason. It was the brainchild of John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee, who figured putting a V8 engine in a midsize car wasn't the worst idea.
They basically took the Tempest and fitted it with a 389ci V8 engine, capable of developing 335 horsepower (which was originally part of the GTO package).
What made this vehicle truly special was its affordability. Unlike European sports cars, which were often very expensive, the GTO offered raw power at an affordable price, forcing rivals to respond with similar products. This thing essentially spearheaded the muscle car era, and we should have some respect for its name.
Speaking of respect, kudos to the person who bought this 1965 GTO hardtop coupe at auction for $40,750. That's money well spent, despite the fact that this isn't a matching numbers car. Trust me when I say that it's hard to get something like this for much less than $40,000, especially in good condition.
This GTO left the factory in Montero Red paint, but was refinished in Candyapple Red in the early 2000s. Other exterior highlights include the stacked headlamps, hood scoop, driver's side mirror, chrome bumpers and trim, as well as 15-inch black-finished steel wheels with Diamond Black III blackwall tires. It also features power steering and four-wheel disc brakes.
Meanwhile, the interior boasts black vinyl front bucket seats, a similarly upholstered rear bench seat, a Hurst shifter with billiard-style knob, a retro-style head unit, a wood-rimmed steering wheel with an AutoMeter tachometer, and a trio of auxiliary gauges under the dash.
Photo: Bring a trailer
Now, according to the ad, this car originally came with that legendary 389ci V8 I mentioned earlier. However, over time, it was replaced with a 455ci V8, which was then bored out to 469ci, with a tri-power configuration, an aluminum radiator, 48-port cylinder heads, and 2.5″ exhaust manifolds.
We don't know exactly how much power is sent to the rear wheels, but we do know that it is sent through a four-speed manual transmission with a Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential and a 3.55:1 gear ratio.
I don't know how else to say this other than to say that this thing looks like an absolute blast. You don't even have to drive it to know that it drives well, and by well I mean “fun to drive.”
All in all, this is one of the nicest 1965 GTOs we've seen this year, and if you don't mind the engine modifications (and why would you?), then you'll probably wish you'd won this auction. I know I do.