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GTO PONTIAC'S GREAT ONE ---:]I:J. ' . l " . ;a ·' .. . '' < -~--G, ... ,~- -: I (' ~ Darwin Holmstrom Photography by David Newhardt ID First published in 2009 by Motorbooks, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA Copyright © 2010, 2011 by Darwin Holmstrom and David Newhardt All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or Publisher, who also disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details. This publication has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by General Motors. We recognize, further, that some words, model names, and designations mentioned herein are the property of the trademark holder. We use them for identification purposes only. This is not an official publication. Motorbooks titles are also available at discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details write to Special Sales Manager at MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. To find out more about our books, visit us online at www.motorbooks.com. Digital edition: 978-1-61060-945-6 Softcover edition: 978-0-7603-3985-5 ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-3985-5 Editor: Chris Endres Designers: Simon Larkin and Chris Fayers Jacket Designer: Simon Larkin Printed in China PONTIAC'S GREAT ONE CONTENTS A C KN 0 WLE D GM ENT S --------------------------------------------------------------------6 Chapter 1 WE'RE GOING RACING! ------------------------------------------------------------------8 Chapter 2 DE LORE AN'S 0 UTLA W CAR ____________________________________________________________ _ 52 Chapter 3 COPING WITH S UC CESS --------------------------------------------------------------- 120 Chapter 4 A MATURING CAR FOR A MATURING AUDIENCE --------------------------------------- 164 Chapter 5 HIGHLIGHTS AND LOW POINTS 222 Chapter 6 THE SHORT-LIVED REINCARNATION OF THE GTO AND THE DEATH OF PONTIAC ______ _ 268 INDEX --------_____________________________________ ----------________________________ _ 331 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THE PHOTOGRAPHER Darwin Holmstrom, and I have collaborated on a number of auto-motive books, and it's always a pleasure working Photographing muscle cars in general, and GTOs in with him. particular, is a wonderful way to make a living. The Finally, thank you to my wife, Susan Foxx owners are passionate, the vehicles possess rugged good Newhardt, for holding down the fort while I travel looks, and the soundtrack is second to none. To say that across the country "working." I had a ball photographing the automobiles in this book would be an understatement. But none of it would have been possible without the help of many individuals. THE AUTHOR In no particular order, they are: Mike Guarise, Colin Corner, Cana Tinkle, Ken Lingenfelter, Eric White, Rich In addition to all the folks David Newhardt mentions, I'd Dabrowski, Taft L. Taylor, Merrill Taylor, John Gust, like to thank David himself for providing the stunning Mike Tiffany, Joe Sparks, Bill Nawrot, John and Jenette photography in this book. The best part about working Holmes, Bob Cupery, Bill Baker, Barry Troup, Carter Ghee, with David is that the man never loses his enthusiasm Les Iden, Jack Blum, Joseph Church, Bernie DeMarkey, for photographing muscle cars. Every time he calls Doug Watt, Roger Becker, Bill and Rita Schultz, Tenney me to talk about the car he just shot, his excitement is Fairchild, Dave Anderson, Jim Gannes, Keith Seymore, infectious and I wish I'd been there with him. Jim Kennedy, Stefano Bimbi, Jan Laxton, Jack Blum, Otto I'd also like to thank our editor, Chris Endres, and Tharp Sr., John at Groucho's Performance, Bob Alling, our publisher, Zack Miller. But they are just the leading Charles Bailey, Glenn Hammack, Irvin Hammack, Doug edge of an entire staff that works incredibly hard to Emch, Scott Tiemann, Rodney Salmon, Irv Hammack, make a book like this a reality, people like Melinda Keefe, Jim Golata, Jerald Papesh, Chuck Cocoma, Mike Radke, Carmen Nickisch, Jenny Miller, Krystyna Borgen, our General Motors Public Relations, Pam Ertman, Dean publicists Nichole Schiele and Blake Johnson, and many, Jefferies, Benjamin J. Geer, Steven Dorris, Matt Stone, many other dedicated people. Arnie Beswick, the staff of Chicagoland Raceway, Les I have to thank my entire family: my grandma, Quam, Dana Mecum, David Christenholz, Richard & aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, children, grandchildren, Elaine Bonnefoi, Dan Paush, Bob & Judy Foxx, Michael niece and nephews, and all of my in-laws, people who Smyth, Len & Pat Cradit, Greg & Lara Williams, Randy are always there to provide support. I'd especially like to Leffingwell, Brett Torino, and Faxon Auto Literature. thank my parents, Dean and JoAnne Holmstrom, and my A huge thank-you to Eric Schiffe r and Jim wife, Patricia Johnson, who practically has a full-time job Wangers. I tip my hat to my editor, Chris Endres, for his keeping my dumb ass alive. I don't make it easy for her. sage advice and patient mien. The author of this tome, It's to these last three that this book is dedicated. 6 7 CHAPTER 1 WE ' RE G 0 I NG RACING H istorians rightly peg the birth of the Pontiac GTO Fortunately for Pontiac, Knudsen, a man who to one spring day in 1963. That day Pontiac's genuinely loved cars, possessed two things that the Chief Engineer John DeLorean and his two favorite empty corporate suits currently trying to save various staff engineers, Bill Collins and Russ Gee, came up automakers from extinction lack: an understanding of with the inspired idea of mounting a high-performance the product and an understanding of the market. He had 389-cubic-inch V-8 engine in the Tempest, which was the good sense to surround himself with the best possible Pontiac division's version of General Motors' then new people. Knudsen hired Elliot M. "Pete" Estes to be Pontiac's corporate A-body intermediate platform. But if that chief engineer. Born on January 7, 1916, at Mendon, moment marked the birth of the GTO and hence the birth Michigan, Estes attended General Motors Institute in of the entire muscle car era, the GTO's (and the genre's) Flint, Michigan, for four years and studied two years at conception occurred much earlier. the University of Cincinnati, graduating with a degree in Trouble of the GTO variety had been brewing at mechanical engineering in 1940. He joined the General Pontiac since at least 1956, when a fellow named Semon Motors Research Laboratories while attending General E. "Bunkie" Knudsen assumed control of the division. Motors Institute and became a research engineer in 1939 Knudsen's appointment had almost been preordained. while still studying at the University of Cincinnati. Estes His father, William Signius "Big Bill" Knudsen, a Danish became a senior engineer in 1945. By the time Knudsen immigrant, had managed Pontiac division before he asked Estes to join him at Pontiac, Estes had been promoted succeeded Alfred P. Sloan as the president of General to assistant chief engineer in charge of the body design, Motors in 1937. Nineteen years later the younger chassis design, and standards engineering departments. Knudsen's assignment was simple: revive the division or Before that, Estes had been at GM's Oldsmobile division, it would be eliminated. At that time Pontiac was a brand where he had worked on the company's original overhead without an image. valve (OHV) V-8 engine program. 8