| In the country where muscle cars were born, the | | | | the hood scoop fully function and also gave birth |
| Pontiac GTO was the first, and remains the most | | | | to Ram Air. GM continued the Ram Air package in |
| famous of all. Before 1964, the year that the | | | | 1966. There were a few factory built Pontiac |
| GTO came onto the market, high performance | | | | GTOs with Ram Air, and these were called XS |
| cars were full sized hardtops and sedans fitted | | | | GTOs. General Motors managed to fill all orders |
| out with the biggest engines on the market. They | | | | for its popular 1965 Pontiac GTO despite being |
| were slow to get going, but once going, took off | | | | crippled by a UAW strike that year. The restyled |
| like a rocket, in most cases. | | | | 1965 GTO sported vertical headlights with a single |
| The Pontiac GTO changed all that. Back in the | | | | hood scoop replacing the dual scoops of the year |
| day, so called hot rodders knew that if you | | | | before. The 1965 Goat, as it was called by fans, |
| wanted to go faster, you had to go smaller and | | | | boasted 335 horsepower thanks to improved |
| that is what General Motors did with the GTO | | | | camshafts and intake manifolds for the four |
| option. The car maker didn't even promote the | | | | barrel 389 and 360 tri-power topped engines. |
| car in the beginning, not even putting out a | | | | The taillights were concealed until they were |
| brochure on it until after it was a success. Sales | | | | turned on by six chrome ribs that ran from |
| of the Pontiac GTO caught car makers off guard | | | | quarter panel to quarter panel. Buyers could opt |
| and sent them scrambling to clone the success. | | | | for rally I wheels, if they chose. The Pontiac GTO |
| Just one year after its introduction to the | | | | had a new A-body platform. The A-body platform |
| marketplace, the 1965 Pontiac GTO sold more | | | | can also be seen in Pontiac Tempests, LeMans, |
| than 75,000 cars in one year. This figure was | | | | F85, Cutlass, Skylark and Chevelle to name just a |
| double the number of 1964s sold the previous | | | | few. The favorite GTO option package was a 325 |
| year. Sales were boosted by word of mouth as | | | | horsepower 389 cubic inch V8 with a 421 cylinder |
| well as an article in Car and Driver magazine in | | | | head, dual exhausts, four barrel carburetor, special |
| which a GTO was matched against a Ferrari. | | | | hydraulic lifters, three speed manual stick, with |
| In August of 1965, GM also introduced a dealer | | | | heavy duty suspension, twin simulate hood scoops |
| cold air induction kit for the GTO. This kit made | | | | and bucket seats. |