Classic Car Insurance: ’64 Pontiac GTO

The 1964 Pontiac GTO was a car with ‘attitude’- a bigger V8 than previous cars, hood scoops, dual exhausts, a Hurst shifter, racy trim, and a name inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO. The moment that the ’64 Pontiac GTO went on sale is often credited to be the start of the classic “muscle car” era.

This car came three ways. There were the expected sporty-car styles of the day, a convertible, and a two-door hardtop. There was also a coupe with a fixed B-pillar, which Pontiac called the Sports Coupe. The Sports Coupe was 20 pounds lighter than the hardtop and 150 lighter than the convertible, with the lowest starting price of all the models, making it the most popular.

The basis for the first 10 years of GTOs was GM’s “A-Body” platform, upon which midsize care for every General Motors marketing division except Cadillac were built. In 1964, that meant the A-Body chassis was found under the Buick Skylark, Chevrolet Chevelle, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Pontiac Tempest lines. Sportier versions of each of those cars were available with small (for the time) V8 engines, but only Pontiac dared to install a truly large V8 in its Tempest in ’64, and when a Tempest had a 389-cubic-inch V8 under its hood, it was a GTO.

The GTO package included the 389 V8, quick steering, dual exhaust, and premium tires. The 389 cid engine came with 325bhp with a single 4bbl carb or 348bhp with the optional Tri-power setup, 3 2bbl carbs. While Pontiac hoped to sell 5,000 copies, they ended up selling 32,450 of them.

Whether you own a GTO or any other type of Antique or Classic Car, we can insure it at Condon Skelly. Since 1967, we have been helping our customers protect their classics with affordable, industry-leading insurance coverage. We are a group of collectors, enthusiasts, and professionals who specialize in insuring all types of collector vehicles. Please contact us today for more information.