1965 Pontiac GTO Convertible
Pontiac’s decision to drop a 389 cubic inch V8 into the mid-sized LeMans created what many consider the original muscle car formula. The 1965 model received a restyle that added a little over three inches to its overall length while maintaining the same wheelbase, with distinctive vertically stacked quad headlights flanking Pontiac’s signature split grille. The hood featured a bulge with dual scoops hinting at the power beneath.
The second-year GTO offered customers two versions of the 389 engine. The base setup with a single four-barrel carburetor produced 335 horsepower, while the desirable Tri-Power option (three two-barrel carburetors) increased output to 360 horsepower at 5,200 rpm. A three-speed manual was standard equipment, and a four-speed manual transmission or automatic could be paired with either engine configuration.
The convertible body style was one of three available GTO bodies (hardtop and sports coupe were the others) and accounted for a fraction of the 75,352 GTOs produced for 1965, making open cars notably rarer than hardtops.
Inside, the GTO package replaced the LeMans’ simulated wood trim with an engine-turned-style dash insert, and buyers could opt for a rally gauge cluster with improved tachometer and oil pressure gauge.
Pontiac’s performance option neatly sidestepped GM’s corporate ban on advertising mid-size cars with engines over 330 cubic inches by offering the GTO as an option package on the Tempest/LeMans line rather than a separate, cataloged high-displacement model.
That formula, first introduced for 1964 and aggressively promoted in 1965, became a template that many enthusiasts regard as the blueprint for the classic American muscle car.
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