[Alvin]

Props to the Shaffer's '74 GTO making May 2014 HPP issue article All-GM Nats (see pg31):

This beautifully restored Sunstorm Yellow '74 Ventura GTO has only 69,000 miles on the odometer.
It's owned by Kevin and Karen Schaffer and was a standout amongst the invited cars in building T."

[John V.]

I was 17 when the '73 GM A bodies came out. I remember being VERY disappointed, thought they were just ugly, not just the Pontiacs. The '68-'72 body style had grown long in the tooth, but it was still far shapelier/sexier than the '73s.

I bought my first GTO, a '64 convert later in '73. Was not a Pontiac guy until that point.

I don't know if I ever saw a '73 GTO when they were new.

Compare that to the first 2nd gen TA I ever saw, a couple years earlier. It blew me away, love at first sight.

By the time the '74 GTO came out, I was gaga over everything GTO. I liked the concept. It was promoted as returning to the GTO roots, but one thing not mentioned so far, it was more AFFORDABLE than recent GTOs. That had a big appeal to me as a young guy with no money. That shaker was sexy, a bit of the TA in a more affordable new car. I liked it a lot.

I've never owned one or even been in one, but liked them from the start.

The '73 came to grow on me as the years passed. Also never been in one. But I came to appreciate its attributes, learned of its superior handling vs. the previous generation. As power was on the decline, Pontiac found other ways to enhance the driving experience. Nobody had a more driver/enthusiast appealing cockpit than Pontiac.

For a couple years in the late '70s, I owned a '73 TA and would still choose a '73 TA today over a '73 or '74 GTO. The 2nd gen Firebirds just were flat out more appealing to me than the '73 up A body.

I also hated the bumpers on the '74-'78 'birds. Made the cars look much less aggressive than the '70-'73 styling. That was a result of Fed bumper regs. The '74 GTO bumpers were bulky and unappealing too. I understood it, just didn't like it when either car was new.

I definitely consider the '73 & '74 GTO as "real" GTOs.

But I also agree that Pontiac was seeing the handwriting on the wall. They had a winner in the 2nd gen TA, the GTO sales figures showed that there was little interest in that model anymore. The TA became the cash cow.

Story goes that they killed the '75 GTO because they weren't going to be allowed to put a Pontiac engine in it. But if they had offered it, I'm not so sure it would have sold well. The TA sales figures were taking off. And the new for '75 X body struck me as a then 19 yo much like the '73 A body had, it was an ugly styling replacement for the '68-'74 X body.

I'm sure I would have embraced a '75 GTO as "real". But I was not unhappy that it was not produced.

Kinda like the Beatles, the GTO flamed brightly for not too many years. Part of the appeal is that it only existed for that short time. I don't consider the '73 or '74 to be dogs, but had they kept producing a GTO, I'm sure Pontiac would have come up with some real dogs to carry the GTO badge. Glad that didn't happen.

I don't consider the '04-'06 GTOs to be part of the same legacy. I always thought they were great cars, great bang for the buck. Just felt they had no direct connection to the '64-'74 GTOs. And the most unfortunate thing was Lutz's dumb move to name them GTO. The Monaro did not need the GTO nameplate and it obviously had a polarizing effect within the Pontiac hobby. It was totally unnecessary. I think the Monaro would have enjoyed much broader appeal among Pontiac enthusiasts had they come up with a unique name for it. They could still have marketed it as a natural evolution to Pontiac's performance history, including the original GTOs, but should have given it a unique nameplate. Something like, "In the beginning, there was the GTO, a car that spawned an entirely new musclecar genre. Today, Pontiac introduces the G-Force coupe, a new legend is born. Pontiac, the excitement continues." That would have worked a lot better in my book.

['ol Pinion head]

Have to agree with Mr Lightfoot (77 CanAmman) on the '73 Stage1 Centurys. There were 3 of them in my area & all would show many a late 60's-70's performance car their taillights. It got even better when their owners started sending those money orders off on Kenne Bell mods

Never was very impressed with the performance of the same year ('73) 455 equipped 442's or 455 equipped GrandAm's or GP's. The Olds crowd had their swivel buckets & 442 decals & that was about it... Pontiac was trying to bring us a European roadcar with the GrandAm, & mainly succeeded in prospective buyers on the lot wanting to squeeze its nose. Can remember the GrandAm's intro well & as a result, in our family there was a new GrandPrix on the driveway... unfortunately, it was also mired in mediocrity. While the '73 Pontiac performance A-bodys handled well, I'm very happy they were not introduced as '72 models. If that were the case, there would have been no 72 455HO LeMans, no '72 WW5 GTO's, no WW4 cars, & no 400 4spd '72 post LeMans.

'74 GTO's, have always liked them built up as racecars or modifed as fast street-strip cars. As stockers, can understand why they haven't taken off with the hardcore Pontiac fans.