1969 Pontiac GTO – One Hot Muscle Car

In early 1969, the underdog New York Jets upset the favored Baltimore Colts to win Super Bowl III; Led Zeppelin I, the first heavy-metal album was released; the Beatles gave their last public performance on the roof of Apple Records in London; and the Boeing 747 jumbo jet made its maiden flight.

About 25 miles northwest of Detroit via Woodward Avenue, Pontiac Motor Division unleashed a GTO that was unlike anything else on the street. It was named “The Judge,” and Pontiac, who had invented the whole muscle car phenomenon in 1964, laid everyone on their ear with a wildly colored Goat with Pop Art stripes, decals, and a 60-inch spoiler on the rear deck. “The Judge was a ‘hype,’” said marketing genius Jim Wangers, the godfather of the GTO. “The original ’64 GTO was created to be an image-making ‘hype’ for the more sedate LeMans. The Judge was created to be a ‘hype’ for the GTO.”

Via: PopularHotRodding