PONTIAC GTO

The Pontiac GTO is often considered the first true muscle car. It was produced from 1964 to 1974, and then again from 2004 to 2006.

The idea for the GTO came from Pontiac's John DeLorean, who saw the potential of putting a large engine into a smaller car. The first GTO was a package option for the Pontiac LeMans.

There was no direct successor to the GTO after 2006.

A little-known fact: The 1964 GTO almost didn't happen. General Motors had a corporate policy limiting intermediate-sized cars to engines no larger than 330 cubic inches. DeLorean and his team circumvented this by making the GTO an option package, not a distinct model, thus technically adhering to the letter of the policy.