Saw an old GTO today
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,449
From: Bentonville, AR
Re: Saw an old GTO today
Do you mean to tell me its okay for a Pontiac GTO to look like a Pontiac?!?!?!
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,925
From: Detroit
Re: Saw an old GTO today
Originally Posted by dav305z
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.
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.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 766
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Re: Saw an old GTO today
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.
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.
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.
Last edited by SharpShooter_SS; Jun 7, 2005 at 09:19 AM.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,043
From: Shelbyville, IN
Re: Saw an old GTO today
The GTO looks like a rebadged Chevelle to me...
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 483
From: Far, far away
Re: Saw an old GTO today
Originally Posted by SharpShooter_SS
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.
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?
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,954
Re: Saw an old GTO today
Originally Posted by Darth Xed
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..."
"The more things change, the more they stay the same..."
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.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 857
From: Murfreesboro, TN
Re: Saw an old GTO today
Originally Posted by notgetleft
ROFLMAO @ the lack of picking up on sarcasm
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? 
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,579
From: The Land of Pleasant Living
Re: Saw an old GTO today
Originally Posted by Darth Xed
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..."
"The more things change, the more they stay the same..."
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 766
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Re: Saw an old GTO today
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?
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