The 1964 Pontiac GTO is the car that arguably kicked off the muscle car era. It is considered by many the first true muscle car. Whereas other manufacturers were concentrating on their full-size lines, Pontiac saw the potential for dropping a big block engine into an intermediate frame and marketing it at an affordable price. Pontiac hoped to sell 5,000 GTOs. It ended up selling 32,450 of the hot performance machines.

Pontiac stated, "To be perfectly honest, the GTO is not everyone's cup of tea. Its suspension is firm, tuned more to the open road than to wafting gently over bumpy city streets. Its dual exhausts won't win any prizes for whispering. And, unless you order it with our lazy 3.08 low-ratio rear axle, its gas economy won't be anything to write home about." This "warning" became an enticing appeal to power fans.

The car that was marketed under a tiger motif but soon became known as "The Goat" would stand the automobile industry on end and lead to a host of imitators, fueling the competition between GM, Ford, and Chrysler that would keep the muscle car industry thriving for years to come.

The remarkable 1964 Pontiac GTO sported a base price of $3,200.

• Wheelbase, inches: 115.0
• Weight, lbs: 3,623
• Length, inches: 203
• Width, inches: 73.3
• Height, inches: 53.5
• Production: 6,644
• Base price: $3,092
• Current Value: $13,200-$66,000

• Type: ohv V-8
• Displacement: 330 in³ (5.4 L)
• Fuel system: 3 x 2bbl.
• Engine: 389 ci with 325 hp
• Compression ratio: 10.75:1
• Horsepower @ rpm: 325 hp @ 4800 rpm
• Suspension: Independent upper/lower A-arms
• Torque @ rpm: 428 @ 3200 rpm
• Transmission: Hurst shifted 3-speed manual
• Axle ratios: 3.23:1

• Top Speed, mph: 115 mph
• 0-60 mph, sec: 7.5 seconds
• 1/4 mile, sec @ mph: 15.7 seconds @ 92 mph