In his autobiography Glory Days, Pontiac chief marketing manager Jim Wangers, who worked for the division's contract advertising and public relations agency, states that John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee were responsible for the GTO's creation.

The US$295 package (equivalent to $2,900 in 2023) included a 389 cu in (6.4 L) V8 rated at 325 hp (242 kW) at 4,800 rpm with a single Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust pipes, chromed valve covers and air cleaner, seven-blade clutch fan, a floor-shifted three-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter, stiffer springs, larger diameter front sway bar, wider wheels with 7.50×14 redline tires, hood scoops, and GTO badges.

Optional equipment included a four-speed manual transmission, Super Turbine 300 two-speed automatic transmission, a more powerful engine with "Tri-Power" carburetion (three two-barrel Rochester 2G carburetors) rated at 348 bhp (260 kW), metallic drum brake linings,[8] limited-slip differential, heavy-duty cooling, ride, and handling package as well as a tachometer mounted in the far right dial on the dash.

A seldom-seen dealer-installed option consisted of a metal underhood pan and gaskets to open the scoop, making it a cold air intake.

The scoop was low enough that its effectiveness was questionable (it was unlikely to pick up anything but boundary layer air), but it allowed an enhanced engine sound.

[citation needed] Major criticisms of the GTO continued to center on its slow steering (ratio of 17.5:1, four turns lock-to-lock) and subpar brakes.

[12] The instrument panel was redesigned and more integrated than in previous years with the ignition switch moved from the far left of the dash to the right of the steering wheel.

A new engine was offered that saw few takers: the XS option consisted of a factory Ram Air set up with a new 744 high lift cam.

Concealed windshield wipers, which presented a cleaner appearance hidden below the rear edge of the hood, were standard on the GTO and other 1968 GM products after being introduced initially on 1967 full-size Pontiacs.

A popular option introduced during the 1967 model year was a hood-mounted tachometer, located in front of the windshield and lit for visibility at night.

Hot Rod tested a four-speed GTO equipped with the standard engine and obtained a quarter mile reading of 14.7 seconds at 97 mph (156 km/h) in pure stock form.

Like all 1968 passenger vehicles sold in the United States, GTOs now featured front outboard shoulder belts (cars built after January 1, 1968) and side marker lights.

Now facing competition both within GM and from Ford, Dodge, and Plymouth—particularly the low-cost Plymouth Road Runner—the GTO won the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award.

The 1969 model eliminated the front door vent windows, had a slight grille and taillight revision, and moved the ignition key from the dashboard to the steering column (which locked the steering wheel when the key was removed, a federal requirement installed one year ahead of schedule), and the gauge face was changed from steel blue to black.

The top option was the Ram Air IV rated at 370 hp (375 PS; 276 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 445 lb⋅ft (603 N⋅m) at 3,900 rpm of torque,[17] which featured special header-like high-flow exhaust manifolds, high-flow cylinder heads, a specific high-rise aluminum intake manifold, larger Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor, high-lift/long-duration camshaft, plus various internal components capable of withstanding higher engine speeds and power output.

The Judge routine, made famous by comedian Flip Wilson, was borrowed from the act of long-time burlesque entertainer Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham.

The package was US$332[18] more expensive than a standard GTO, and included the Ram Air 400 engine, Rally II wheels without trim rings, Hurst shifter (with a unique T-shaped handle), wider tires, various decals, and a rear spoiler.

Car and Driver tested a heavily optioned 455 HO, with a four-speed transmission and 3.31 axle, and recorded a quarter-mile time of 15.0 seconds with a trap speed of 96.5 mph (155.3 km/h).

In that commercial, titled the "Humbler" (an advertising tagline Pontiac used in print ads to describe all 1970 GTOs), which was broadcast only that one time, a young man pulled up in a new GTO to a drive-in restaurant with dramatic music and exhaust noise in the background, pulling the "exhaust" knob to activate the VOE and then left the drive-in after failing to find a street racing opponent.

[19][20] Approximately 233 1970 GTOs were factory built with this option including 212 hardtop coupes and 21 convertibles, equipped with either four-speed manual or Turbo Hydra-Matic transmissions.

While allegedly all were fitted with the standard GTO "YS" 400 cu in (6.6 L) 350 hp (260 kW) V8 engine, according to the 1970 Pontiac Accessorizer book, VOE was available with the 455 V8.

The Judge package also included dark argent grille surrounds, black painted hood air inlet ornaments, and a revised higher rear airfoil.

Both models came standard with cloth and vinyl or all-vinyl bench seats and rubber floor mats on the pillared coupe and carpeting on the hardtop, creating a lower-priced GTO.

In contrast, the Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevrolet Monte Carlo, which were also derived from the intermediate A-body, were much better received because of their squared-off styling and formal rooflines with vertical windows.

Jerry Heasley of High Performance Pontiac magazine called the car "a joke of a Ventura compact...uglier and stupid looking," in their August 1983 Special GTO issue.

[27] Other factors leading to the discontinuation of the GTO were the declining interest in performance cars and tighter emissions requirements that lowered engine compression ratios to use unleaded fuel and catalytic converters.

Car and Driver praised the performance of the V8-powered, rear-wheel drive Holden Commodore SS, but noted that even though it was one of the best vehicles that GM offered at the time, it could not be purchased in the United States.

Lutz and other GM executives later drove a Holden Monaro while on a business trip in Australia, which convinced them that importing the car could be a profitable venture.

GM Engineers benchmarked the sound of the 1964 GTO held in the Pontiac historical collection and other LS1-powered vehicles, while working with the exhaust vendor to tune the system.

[35][36] Sales were also limited because of tactics of dealerships, such as initially charging large markups and denying requests for test drives of the vehicle.