Retro Stories by David Burrell
The Pontiac GTO is a revered automotive icon. And yet, only a decade after its release it was on life support. Indeed, the ‘74 GTO was the last US-built Pontiac to carry the storied name and the first and only hatchback.
Yes, 50 years ago.
When the GTO stormed onto the US market in 1964 it was based on the intermediate sized Tempest coupes and convertibles. Peak sales were reached in 1966 when almost 100,000 where sold. From there on it was down, down, down.
By 1973, just 4,800 people could be coaxed into buying one. That’s no surprise when you cast your eyes on the photo below. It was a bloated travesty of what it had once been. The dismal sales numbers forced Pontiac to rethink their approach.
For 1974 the GTO was an option on the entry level “compact” Ventura coupe and hatchback. The Ventura was really a Chevrolet Nova/Oldsmobile Omega/Buick Appollo fronted by Pontiac’s trademark split grille.
What you got for your money was Pontiac’s 350 cubic inch/5.7 litre 200bhp V8 with a Quadrajet carburettor, three-speed manual floor shift transmission, sports wheels, dual exhausts, a black grille, functional bonnet “shaker” and GTO badges.
And just like the ’64 GTO, drum brakes were standard in 1974.
Yes, true! Discs cost extra, so too did power steering.
You might think the ’74 GTO was underpowered, but quarter mile and zero to 60 times were only a few tenths of a second slower than those of the original 325-bhp, 389 cubic inch/6.4 litre ’64 GTO. The Ventura’s smaller size and 180kg less weight offset the power deficiency.
Only 7,058 GTOs were sold in 1974. Pontiac’s management showed so little interest in the brand that it was relegated to just one photo and a few lines of copy in the brochure. Although it almost doubled the sales of the previous year, the GTO did not appear in 1975. Pontiac had transferred its performance attention to the Firebird.
And before anyone asks about the Monaro badged as the 2004/05 GTO, it may have sold 24,500 examples, which was more than the double the combined sales for the ‘73/’74 US cars, they never really were considered GTO.
I wonder how many 1974 GTO hatchbacks were sold with drum brakes? I reckon it would be a rare car indeed.
