Saw an old GTO today

Let me first say that I'm an ardent defender of the new GTO - we have one in the driveway.

Having gotten that out of the way, I was driving through my neighborhood today, and saw someone cruising in a 1969 GTO. Now I'm 19, so they aren't my "era" and thus I am not being "sentimental." Let me tell you, this car was simply beautiful. That's the only way to describe it. I'm used to seeing them on car show stands with the hood open and the tires glossed. This was totally different. Seeing this thing next to mere mortal cars on the road made me fully appreciate just how incredible this design was. The most amazing thing is that it doesn't really look old. I mean, it's obviously not something that was built today, but it just doesn't look dated. The best comparison I can think of is that of Beatles' music. "Come Together" sounds just as fresh today as it did in 1969 - and so did this Goat.

The point of all this is that GM somehow needs to get this design verve back. I'm not saying they should go retro. In fact, I think they would only pervert this design if they tried to rehash it in the same way that the "I Am Sam" soundtrack of Beatles' covers is painful to listen to. Rather, what I realized from seeing this thing in the flesh and in a natural setting is that GM needs to get back to distinctive, innovative design that truly looks like it was done by an artist, not just someone who works for a car company.

:cool: :)

seen one lately too, lives in my neighborhood
nice red one, don't know the year

The ironic thing is that "back in the day" when the 69 GTO came out, GTO fans basically hated it. They didn't like the styling...

"The more things change, the more they stay the same..." ;)

Really? Is that why 72287 69 GTO's were sold, because no one liked them?

Really? Is that why 72287 69 GTO's were sold, because no one liked them?

There were a lot of magazine reviews and such that called it "fat" and it "didn't look like a GTO" and such......... In fact, there was even a GTO spot on a 69 Judge on a TV show about a month or two ago that said the same thing.

Also, many64-68 owners complained about the same things at the time... "It doesn't look like a GTO"...

Don't get your panties all wadded up, I like 69 GTO's... :p

I would kill for a fast back GTO. Simply one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen.

Considering the 68 and 69 GTO's were practically identical, I find that interesting. The body style made a major change from 67 to 68. So I could see some "diehards" not liking the new sleeker design. The 68 GTO was picked as Motor Trends Car of the Year.


http://ultimategto.com/1968/68h_00002_1.jpg


http://ultimategto.com/1969/69h_00077_1.jpg

The 69 GTO looks too much like a 69 Grand Prix :D ;)

I think they are ugly :)

The 69 GTO looks too much like a 69 Grand Prix :D ;)


I know your joking.. That's funny.

Considering the 68 and 69 GTO's were practically identical, I find that interesting. The body style made a major change from 67 to 68.

I typo'd on that one... should have been 67 not 68... sorry 'bout that. :o



So I could see some "diehards" not liking the new sleeker design. The 68 GTO was picked as Motor Trends Car of the Year.

That is what I was getting at... trying to pull a comparision of the "diehard" reaction to the new GTO back in 68/69 , and the "diehard" reaction to the 04/05...

I typo'd on that one... should have been 67 not 68... sorry 'bout that. :o




That is what I was getting at... trying to pull a comparision of the "diehard" reaction to the new GTO back in 68/69 , and the "diehard" reaction to the 04/05...


ah.. That's makes more sense. :D

I used to own a 70 GTO vert. Red on Red on Red. I wish I never gotten rid of it, was an amazing car. I even had the Judge fin on the back. :cry:

I am not fond of the new GTO's styling, but the performance is there. I hope if GM continues with the GTO, they totally go in a different direction styling wise.

The 69 GTO looks too much like a 69 Grand Prix :D ;)

No you're wrong, back then the GTO (http://www.fast-autos.net/pontiac/68gto.jpg) was a completely unique car and there were no other Pontiacs that looked anything like it, (http://ultimategto.com/1968/68h_00245_2.jpg) unlike today's GTO which is LITERALLY just a rebadged Grand Prix/Am. :D

No you're wrong, back then the GTO (http://www.fast-autos.net/pontiac/68gto.jpg) was a completely unique car and there were no other Pontiacs that looked anything like it, (http://ultimategto.com/1968/68h_00245_2.jpg) unlike today's GTO which is LITERALLY just a rebadged Grand Prix/Am. :D

:D
Do you mean to tell me its okay for a Pontiac GTO to look like a Pontiac?!?!?!

Let me first say that I'm an ardent defender of the new GTO - we have one in the driveway.

Having gotten that out of the way, I was driving through my neighborhood today, and saw someone cruising in a 1969 GTO. Now I'm 19, so they aren't my "era" and thus I am not being "sentimental." Let me tell you, this car was simply beautiful. That's the only way to describe it. I'm used to seeing them on car show stands with the hood open and the tires glossed. This was totally different. Seeing this thing next to mere mortal cars on the road made me fully appreciate just how incredible this design was. The most amazing thing is that it doesn't really look old. I mean, it's obviously not something that was built today, but it just doesn't look dated. The best comparison I can think of is that of Beatles' music. "Come Together" sounds just as fresh today as it did in 1969 - and so did this Goat.

The point of all this is that GM somehow needs to get this design verve back. I'm not saying they should go retro. In fact, I think they would only pervert this design if they tried to rehash it in the same way that the "I Am Sam" soundtrack of Beatles' covers is painful to listen to. Rather, what I realized from seeing this thing in the flesh and in a natural setting is that GM needs to get back to distinctive, innovative design that truly looks like it was done by an artist, not just someone who works for a car company.

A-MEN.

Originally posted by JedCamino
No you're wrong, back then the GTO was a completely unique car and there were no other Pontiacs that looked anything like it, unlike today's GTO which is LITERALLY just a rebadged Grand Prix/Am.

Wrong. Please don't take this as a flame, it's not intended as such. Yes GTO was sold as a separate model, but it was hardly a completely unique vehicle. It was built on the midsize A-body which was also the basis of the Tempest - ya know, GTO's basis, not to mention the offerings from Buick, Olds and Chevrolet. The platform came in two wheelbases, 112 inch - coupes both pillared and hardtop and 116 inch - sedans and wagons. Beyond the big engines and endura nose, which was truly unique to the GTO but was actually an option delete (if deleted, that left you with the conventional Tempest chrome bumper and nose - so much for unique). The GTO was for the most part, interchangeable with the Tempest.

If I recall correctly, the 68 era designs were criticized by the die-hard GTO purists at the time as being too "feminine", unlike the more "manly" 64-67 original. For me, personally, my own favourite GTOs in descending order would be 1970, 1969, 1965. This list excludes the new car which I am also a fan of. If anything, the new GTO is what everyone seems to think the original was - unique unto itself. Think about it, there are no platform mates, no lesser optioned versions upon which to piggyback the GTO options. The new GTO is indeed all alone within Pontaic and GMNA products. Go figure.

Back to the original post, I too really like the GM intermediates from the mid 60s up until about 1971. Yes I'm talking abouth the tarted up GTOs, SSs, 442s and GS cars as opposed to their garden variety siblings (as does everyone else) and I think the term we are looking for is timeless. The impact of those designs is of a timeless quality. They look as good now as they did then - contemporary even now. The designers did their jobs well, especially on these cars. It will be curious to see if GM can ever repeat the results again without necessarily all-out retro themes, but just good basic and innovative design.

No you're wrong, back then the GTO (http://www.fast-autos.net/pontiac/68gto.jpg) was a completely unique car and there were no other Pontiacs that looked anything like it, (http://ultimategto.com/1968/68h_00245_2.jpg) unlike today's GTO which is LITERALLY just a rebadged Grand Prix/Am. :D

I dunno about "completely" unique, it has the same overall shape as every other muscle car from that era.

The GTO looks like a rebadged Chevelle to me... ;)

Wrong. Please don't take this as a flame, it's not intended as such. Yes GTO was sold as a separate model, but it was hardly a completely unique vehicle. It was built on the midsize A-body which was also the basis of the Tempest - ya know, GTO's basis, not to mention the offerings from Buick, Olds and Chevrolet. The platform came in two wheelbases, 112 inch - coupes both pillared and hardtop and 116 inch - sedans and wagons. Beyond the big engines and endura nose, which was truly unique to the GTO but was actually an option delete (if deleted, that left you with the conventional Tempest chrome bumper and nose - so much for unique). The GTO was for the most part, interchangeable with the Tempest.

If I recall correctly, the 68 era designs were criticized by the die-hard GTO purists at the time as being too "feminine", unlike the more "manly" 64-67 original. For me, personally, my own favourite GTOs in descending order would be 1970, 1969, 1965. This list excludes the new car which I am also a fan of. If anything, the new GTO is what everyone seems to think the original was - unique unto itself. Think about it, there are no platform mates, no lesser optioned versions upon which to piggyback the GTO options. The new GTO is indeed all alone within Pontaic and GMNA products. Go figure.

Back to the original post, I too really like the GM intermediates from the mid 60s up until about 1971. Yes I'm talking abouth the tarted up GTOs, SSs, 442s and GS cars as opposed to their garden variety siblings (as does everyone else) and I think the term we are looking for is timeless. The impact of those designs is of a timeless quality. They look as good now as they did then - contemporary even now. The designers did their jobs well, especially on these cars. It will be curious to see if GM can ever repeat the results again without necessarily all-out retro themes, but just good basic and innovative design.


Did you click the links in his post? ;)

ROFLMAO @ the lack of picking up on sarcasm

The ironic thing is that "back in the day" when the 69 GTO came out, GTO fans basically hated it. They didn't like the styling...

"The more things change, the more they stay the same..." ;)

1. Actually, the GTO got its big makeover in 1968, not 69.

2. It's easy to understand why GTO loyalists didn't immediately warm up to the '68 redesign. The car was smaller overall and lost it's formal roofline for a sort of fastback lock. Do I also need to remind you that GM didn't do much to differentiate the styling of the 1968 intermediates. Yes, a '68 GTO could easily have been mistaken for any 2-door '68 Chevelle, Cutlass or Skylark.

Of course, all of the '68 intermediate coupes were good looking cars.:) I don't think that there's anything wrong with producing "look alike" cars when the basic shape is as pretty as a 1968 to 1972 GM A-body.

ROFLMAO @ the lack of picking up on sarcasm
Um, yeah some of you completely missed it. :lol: Wouldn't it be ironic if I thought the old GTO was so unique and then posted a picture of a LeMans that looks nearly identical? :lol::p

The ironic thing is that "back in the day" when the 69 GTO came out, GTO fans basically hated it. They didn't like the styling...

"The more things change, the more they stay the same..." ;)
Yeah I actually am more partial to the earlier bigger ones myself! I wouldn't call the 69's ugly though! There was a few around ( 65 or 67 I think ) when I was a kid so they just take me right back to that time!

Um, yeah some of you completely missed it. Wouldn't it be ironic if I thought the old GTO was so unique and then posted a picture of a LeMans that looks nearly identical?

Oops, sorry for jumpin' the gun on that one. My bad.... I totally missed the links. Now the post makes complete sense. The sarcasm, was after all appropriate. Good one....