The 1968 Pontiac GTO

The Gran Turismo Omologato was completely restyled for '68

A fresh modern and futuristic look
The muscular content of the GTO
Named "Car of the Year"

The shape was a radical change

By the time the 1968 GTOs were released, there had already been over 286,000 of them sold to the muscle car-hungry public. GTOs were still very much the rage on the streets and the model spawned numerous direct competitors, from other divisions of GM as well as from Ford, Mercury, Dodge and Plymouth. In the end, the GTO outsold them all with total end-of-model-year sales of 87,684 with the SS 396 Chevelle the next closest rival with 57, 600 sold, and Plymouth's new Road Runner saw 44,599 buyers. The GTO still was king of the muscle cars even after five years running.

The body had been completely restyled for '68 with a new, fresh look that was modern and futuristic. It featured a long hood, and short deck layout covered with curvaceous sheet metal, giving the car a certain flavor that was a huge departure from linear lines from the past. The windshield wipers were now hidden and the hood featured twin scoops.

A lack of chrome added to the elegant, flowing lines of the new A-Body cars. The GTO was the top-of-the-line in the Tempest series, and performance lovers flocked to it big time. Shipping weight was listed at 3506 pounds. Standard transmission was a 3-speed manual, with an optional 4-speed manual and TH-400 3-speed automatic, all with Hurst shifters. Suspension upgrades over the standard Tempest line included a sports-type suspension, which included tuned shocks and springs. Standard transmission was a 3-speed manual, with an optional 4-speed manual and TH-400 3-speed automatic, all with Hurst shifters.

In 1968 federal law required side-marker lights front and rear, and Pontiac added a nice touch by using their "arrowhead" crest as the shape of the quarter-panel lights. GTO decals came in three colors: black, white or red.

One of the original factory options selected for this car was the black-hued "Cordova Top" option, which cost an additional $94.79.

PONCHO POWER!

While the new version of the Goat, a favorable street slang term given to the GTO early on, was fresh on the outside and the engine remained the same as the 1967 car. The engine displaced 400 cubic inches and now rated at 350 horsepower, and the carburetion was a 750-com Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel with dual exhausts standard.

The 400-cid engine is equipped with factory A/C. The air filter lid has been re-chromed and the"400-4" engine ID sticker is a modern add-on, as originally the standard 350-hp GTO engines didn't carry any top markings. Pontiac engine color in this era (1966-70) was Metallic Blue.

After the engine was rebuilt the factory "YS" marking went on the block, specifying it is a 350-hp 400-cid engine for automatic transmission use.

In order to keep the under hood area visually as close as possible to the day the car rolled off the assembly line, a replacement "Energizer R59" battery was fitted.

To give the car an authentic appearance, small touches like the replacement of the "Caution Hot" warning sticker for the cooling system were included in the restoration.

G-T-O THREE FAMOUS LETTERS

The 400 marking on the rocker panels were owner added, as a tribute to the original advertisements on '68 cars.

The front fenders featured "GTO 6.5 Litre" V-shaped badges located behind the front wheels, which was done to reinforce the European influence that the car was named after. Interesting trivia on the actual size listed, when the 389-cid engine was enlarged to 400-cid, thanks to being bored out from 4.06-diameter cylinder bores to 4.12-diameter cylinder bores, they never changed these emblems from the previous 6.5 litres to what it now was, 6.6 litres. 1968 was the last year for the use of the badges.

The car still has its original Rally II wheels, an $84.26 option and they have been fully restored by the owner with a fresh coat of Silver Argent and Charcoal Grey paint, using a precision stencil, after sanding and prepping the wheels for paint. New brushed aluminum beauty rings, correct lug nuts, and new center caps were also added.

"Car of the Year" — Dual horizontal headlights were now being used and hidden headlights with vacuum-operated doors were optional.

Pontiac's impact-resistant front bumper for the 1968 GTO had a deflection of 1/2-inch while under a 1,000-pound load, and would recover back to its original shape in 24 hours after being subjected to a 4,000-pound load for a full eight hours. The real test was to beat on it with a crowbar, which was what the period television commercials were all about!

FULLY DOCUMENTED

Motor Trend Magazine was so impressed with the Pontiac muscle machine that they named it "Car of the Year" for 1968" We became as addicted to the GTO as the onlookers. It goes, rides, handles, steers, stops, and looks like a car should. We halfway believe Pontiac took the best parts of all cars made, poured them into a mixing bowl, and stirred up GTO." When they ran the car down the 1320 ft. drag strip, the timers read 14.80-seconds and a terminal speed of 96 miles per hour. The car was equipped with the 360-hp Ram Air engine upgrade and the rear gearing was ideal for straight-line performance, 4.33:1 ratio.

Base price was $3101.00 and the most expensive option on this car was the Air Conditioning at $360.20. The car as equipped with the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission added $236.97 and came in at a total of $4230.94, which was a lotta coin in 1968.

PONTIAC'S MARKETING WORKED

The muscular content of the GTO was a very successful formula and car buyers knew exactly what these cars were all about, simply by hearing those three letters spoken. Pontiac never had a problem getting their message across to the youth market with this distinctive model.