GTO 101
GTO – Introduced in 1964, the GTO was a true coupe-turned-sports-car. Eliminated in the 1970s, the GTO made a comeback thanks to GM’s Australian division, Holden.
Derived from the discontinued Holden Morano, the GTO hearkened back to GM’s muscle car era with its 400 h.p. V8. Still, the car was a disappointment to some as they complained about its bland styling. GM cited the Morano’s earlier termination
and the GTO’s lackluster sales as reasons for killing the model. Instead, the automaker soon announced the return of the popular Chevrolet Camaro as well as its Pontiac sibling, the Firebird.
Then, in the new millenium, GM pulled the plug on GTO.
General Motors announced that the automaker would no longer produce and import the Australian built Pontiac GTO to the US market, opting to discontinue production altogether. That was a sad day, indeed!
But... there's GOOD NEWS for all you GTO enthusiasts!
From Left lane News:
It's official: the Pontiac GTO will return!
Reports of the GTO's death are greatly exaggerated! According to GM Vice President Bob Lutz, the Pontiac GTO will return in 2008, alongside the 2008/2009 Chevrolet Camaro. Lutz told AutoWeek at the Geneva Motor Show today that the GTO will
share the Zeta architecture with the new Chevrolet Camaro and Holden Monaro. Like the last ill-fated GTO, the 2009 GTO will be engineered jointly by GM in North America and Holden in Australia. Lutz said the new GTO project was only on hold for two months, but has since been revived. Lutz also said the rear-wheel-drive Zeta platform will be used for a new Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo, and an all new Buick model called the "Statesman." Lutz said a new El Camino could come by 'putting a Chevrolet face' on a Holden Ute, but that's unlikely at this time. The GTO and related programs, however, are back on "full tilt."
