1969 is a cleaner design and I think a big improvement over the look of the '68's. The front end with its smoothed out hideaway grill, bullet front markers and more visible '67 styled park lights just looks better. Interior was a big improvement too, I feel. With the "Y" panel markings, less of a chrome and steel look to the dash, column ignition & wheel lock, even aerodynamic head rests, it all combines to give it a more high tech look inside. Vent windows? Should have been dumped back in the '50's. And yes, that rear end... well, maybe I'll leave this last comment for the designer himself;
The actual back end I had on the car when it left my Advanced Studio wound up being the ’69 production back end rather than the ’68. For ’68, Jack mounted the tail lamp in the bumper. Putting lamps in the bumper was a big thing for a year or two. For ’69 he took them out and put them back up in the deck like we had them on the Advanced Studio model when it went up stairs. Summing up, it was the basic body theme, the monocoque shell form with elliptical pressure bulges over the wheels—my contribution to the ’68 GTO.
An Interview in 2000 with Bill Porter about Pontiac Design in the ’60s
This article was featured in the June, 2000 issue of High Performance Pontiac. Written by Eric Peters.
At a car show with a '68 and '69 parked side by side, I just can't resist not looking at the '69 first.
