In late 1963, the GTO was developed by John Z.

DeLorean as a performance option for the Pontiac Tempest, and it was conceived to give Pontiac some additional performance in their lineup.

The GTO combined aggressive styling and even more aggressive performance to lure muscle car buyers to Pontiac.

Interestingly enough, the entire project circumvented GM’s prohibition of fitting an engine over 330 cubic inches in their intermediate models, making the car somewhat of an in-house hot rod.

Nevertheless, it proved to be successful and helped cement DeLorean’s reputation in the industry.

The GTO option attracted 32,540 buyers in 1964, and according to legend, Pontiac received 5,000 orders before the GM brass even learned of the car’s existence! This 1965 Pontiac Tempest LeMans GTO Hardtop was sold new through Doug Willey Pontiac Inc.

of Birmingham, Alabama.

It is equipped with the highly desirable Gran Turismo Omologato (GTO) package, which included a potent 389 cu.

in.

V-8 engine, d...