# History of the GTO, GOAT Name Origin, and Tiger Theme



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

*History of the GTO*​

The origin of the GTO, the vehicle that became an icon for the muscle car set, is really a story of one man's battle against the corporate establishment. That man, John Z. DeLorean, was, at the time, chief engineer of Pontiac. What he wanted was to build a normally mild-mannered mid-sized sedan powered by a big V-8.

The GTO concept developed in early 1963 when DeLorean, along with members of his engineering staff, were experimenting with the Tempest, an economy Pontiac introduced the previous year. The cars four-cylinder engine was inherently rough-running and vibration prone. As a cure for the car's power deficiency, it was suggested that, since the Tempest's four cylinder shared the same engine mounts as the V8 it would be easy to install the big motor into the little car.

A prototype was cobbled together using a Tempest Lemans coupe as a test bed. It contained a 389- cube V8 borrowed from Pontiac's full size Bonneville, as well as a four-barrel carburetor and heavy duty four-speed manual transmission. The resulting transplant not only made the car quick, but was also a blast to drive.

It was also DeLorean who named the car. The term GTO stood for Gran Turismo Omologato, or, in plain English, Grand Touring Homologated. The word "homologation" was used to describe a race car constructed from a variety of parts in sufficient quantities to be approved for production-class competition by the International Automobile Federation. (FIA)

As it turned out, a limited edition Ferrari was already using the GTO name. But, as the initials could not be copy-righted, it was no problem for Pontiac to adopt them for its newest creation. In the '60s, it was GM policy that no specific model could have more than 10 pounds of total weight per cubic inch of displacement. Since the GTO weighed about 3,500 pounds, it meant that the 389 motor was too large by nearly 40CI. DeLorean's way around this rule was to make the GTO, a Lemanns option, instead of a separate model. That somewhat loose interpretation of corporate edict allowed the beefed-up Pontiac to sneak by top management so long as nobody looked too carefully.

Originally, the division's skeptical sales department committed to just 5,000 GTO option packages for 1964. But as the word got out, dealer demand gobbled them all up within days of the official announcement. The '64 GTO became a certified hit before it had even arrived at any Pontiac showrooms. So sensitive were the GTO's creators to breaking the engine size rule that initially no mention was made of the car in any of Pontiac's sales literature. News of its existence was communicated in a few automobile enthusiast publications only.

Every GTO-optioned Tempest(base-priced at around $3,200)started with a 325-horsepower 389 V8, dual exhausts, floor mounted Hurst three-speed manual transmission, heavy-duty suspension, front bucket seats and chromed air cleaner, valve covers and oil-filter cap. Buyers could also add a more powerfull 348 horsepower version featuring three two-barrel carbs, as well as options such as a Hurst four-speed or GM-built two-speed automatic, limited slip differential, extra-heavyduty shocks and a faster steering ratio.

By years end, total sales of Tempest Lemanns hardtops, coupes and convertibles equipped with the GTO option totalled a whopping 32, 450, a far cry from the original GM approved plan. For 1965, the GTO (or Goat, as it was now beginning to be called.) remained and option, but now featured attractive new front and rear end styling, improvements to the engine and suspension and new rally-style wheels. That year total GTO sales exceeded 75,000.

It wouldn't be until 1966 and the arrival of the second-generation Tempest that the GTO would be marketed as a separate model. By then, other manufacturers were scrambling to create their own versions of the GTO in an attempt to cash in on Pontiac's success. But, there was simply no substitute for the original. With a little planning, underhanded, inventiveness and a lot of luck, the GTO created the madness for muscle cars that captured the imagination of a generation of drivers. 


*What's In A Name, You Ask?​*Although the Pontiac GTO's existence was borne of original thinking, its name was not. The GTO moniker was "borrowed" from Ferrari, which had a short production run (40) of sports racing cars of the same name starting in 1962. GTO in that case stood for "Gran Turismo Omologato" the english translation of which is "Grand Touring Homologated", a fancy way of saying that it was approved for certain classes of international sports car racing. Controversy over the name theft continues today, with many insisting that the Pontiac owners deserved more original thinking. It was noted in a commercial advertising the 1965 GTO where girls were often seen driving the GTO, the announcer stated G-T-O wasn't meant to mean "Girls Take Over." *Jokesters of the time also claimed that GTO stood for "Gas, Tires, Oil", all of which both the Pontiac and the Ferrari used in large quantities. Fans and owners of the Pontiac GTO proudly call their favorite car a "Goat" and label their meetings as a "Gathering of the Goats".*

But, as told by Jim Wangers at a seminar at the GTOAA National Convention in 2008, he stated the name GOAT was conceived when the letter "A" was added to the letters G-T-O to form a word from the GTO abbreviation. The advertising gimmick was not well received by the GM brass as they didn't like the GTO name sake linked to an animal. Be that as it may, the name GOAT stuck. Despite how many versions there are of the way the name GOAT came to be, Jim Wangers version is the official one.


----------



## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Great post! :cheers


----------



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

*GTO Tiger Theme*

*Ever wonder how the GTO and the "Tiger" came to be? Read on.....*

As GTO enthusiasts are aware.... in 1964 the GTO debuted as an option package to the Lemans. In the early 1960's it was the "age of the Tiger." ESSO was advertising..."Put a Tiger in your tank" while Uniroyal introduced a new line of tires called the Tiger Paw. Kelloggs was using Tony The Tiger to promote their line of Frosted Flakes. It was determined that the image of the Tiger and all the "hipness" associated with it would be a great marketing tool.

Pontiac began advertising the Tiger in 1963 when it was used to distinguish the engine lineup in the Tempest. The ad referenced the "One-Tiger Tempest" which was a 1 barrel carburetor. The "Two Tiger Tempest" referred to the 4 barrel carburetor with a 4cyl package, the "Three Tiger Tempest" was associated with the 2 barrel carb with a 326 V8.

In 1964 Pontiac entered into an agreement with Uniroyal to use Tiger Paw tires on the GTO. Uniroyal ran an ad which stated...."What did you expect Pontiac to put on a Tiger? Ordinary tires?" The first time Pontiac featured the Tiger for the GTO was in a car enthusiast magazine. It read..."For the man who wouldn't mind a Tiger is someone'd only put wheels on it--Pontiac GTO."

Pontiac wanted a nick name for the GTO to tie it to the Tiger. They came up with a catchy phrase.... GeeTO Tiger. However the public already had their own nickname for it... the "GOAT." The GeeTO Tiger nick name never caught on. As stated above, the word GOAT represented the closest English word the letters GTO spelled out. By adding the letter A the name GOAT stuck. That is how the GOAT name originated.
The Pontiac Brass did not like the name GOAT. 

By 1965 Pontiac was committed to the Tiger. Merchandising was being sent to dealers for display. Items included tiger skin rugs, orange and black window trim featuring angry growling tigers, wall plaques, license plates, and the one item people see today.... The Tiger Tail. 

Sadly in 1966 the Tiger theme was dropped. John Delorean tried to keep it alive but GM's Vice President Ed Rollert was animate. The Tiger theme died. 

In 1966 is when the GTO became it's own line and was no longer an option package as was the 1964-1965 cars.

So you thought the Tiger died, right?? Well, not exactly....

In 1965 GTOs were flying out of show rooms. The 1965 GTO was named Motor Trends Car of the Year. Pontiac decided to "let it all hang out." The car looked fast and sporty. So........ the Tiger theme was resurrected for GTOs shown in commercials on television. The Tiger had become a symbol of the GTO. 

The GeeTO Tiger later became part of the promotional schtick for drag racing.
To this day, the replica of the original makes its way to venues all over the country.

So, for anyone who ever wondered how the Tiger and the GTO were integrated, now you know.


----------

