Considered by many to be The Godfather of Muscle Cars, the Pontiac GTO epitomizes every aspect of big, American-made bruisers that ruled the roads in the 1960’s: Hefty, aggressive cars with large, powerful engines and hair-raising power and performance. The GTO initials stand for Gran Turismo Omologato, loosely translated from Italian to mean homologated grand touring car (homologated meaning “certified” by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile for racing in the Grand Tourer class as a true production car).

Following GM’s ban in the early 1960’s on factory-sponsored racing, the designers at Pontiac focused instead on cars that delivered street performance. To circumvent the corporate limitations regarding maximum engine size, the GTO was sold with the larger, high-performance engine as an option. This savvy exploitation of a loophole helped produce the car that became a legend.

Under the hood the 389 V8 is paired with a Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor, chromed valve covers, chromed air cleaner, and a seven-blade clutch fan. On the exterior, the car announces its arrival with hood scoops, GTO badging, and wide wheels with beefy, pavement-grabbing tires. The car has plenty of street cred, going from zero to 60 in just over 7 seconds.

Inside the car are split-front seats and a rear bench seat. The two-spoke steering wheel has a unique, post-modern look that frequently gets replaced in favor of more macho steering wheels. The original wheel, however, has a retro-cool art deco design to it. It definitely seems understated, especially once you realize the engine that’s powering the vehicle.

GM executives couldn’t possibly have calculated how big of a hit this car would be. Pontiac sold more than five times as many GTO’s as they predicted. The car was an instant classic. The GTO was offered on-and-off again for the next several decades as GM tried to capitalize on the nostalgia of the original muscle car. Later models, however, were unrecognizable to GTO purists. Speak those three magic letters, and chances are the image in your brain will look exactly like this 1964 GTO. There is simply no substitute for the original.