When I started to get into GTOs, there were two factions: 1964-67 and 1968-beyond (“beyond” being ambiguous because many people shied away from low-compression 1971-72s). Baby Boomers tended to lean towards the earlier cars, while the young kids preferred the later ones.
Today, I’d bet the 1970 GTO, like the one in this week’s AutoHunter Picks, is the favorite among the masses. It’s difficult to favor this when the 1968-69 were so strong (plus the hidden headlight option was dropped for ’70), but the ’70 is a fantastic restyle, and it came with the way-overdue and all-important rear sway bar. Is there a downside? The delinquent in me thinks it’s just a bit too adult for my tastes. Blame the Road Runner?
1970 Pontiac GTO
This has to be the quintessential 1970 GTO: green paint, green interior, and vinyl top (okay, so not green), and standard 350-horsepower 400 with TH400 automatic. This one originally was built with a nice list of options per the original invoice:
Tinted windshield, center console, 3.55 axle ratio, power front disc brakes, heavy-duty air cleaner, power steering, Rally II wheels, Rally Gauge Cluster with electric clock, and more, plus it seems a previous owner added a hood tach. I would drive this one daily.
1972 BMW 3.0 CSi
I always thought these were sharp when I was a kid. I had limited sightings, but I also had a Matchbox diecast to keep it on my radar. This one was imported from Germany in 1986 and features blue velour upholstery, four-speed manual, power windows, fuel injection, four-wheel disc brakes, and more.
These “Bavaria” Bimmers, a classic precursor to the 6-Series, were a shape of things to come, but this shape trumps all others in my book.
1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
I’m a big fan of Heather metallic, so that pulls me in. Then, it’s an Eldorado and not just a Series 62. The interior is white leather, complemented by Heather components. Did I mention the bucket seats (power-adjustable for the driver)?
Air conditioning, power windows, Autronic Eye headlight dimmer, and tri-carb 390 with 345 horsepower are but some of the desirable features of this premium American luxury ragtop.
2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS Hot Wheels Special Edition
These days there seems to be an overload of limited-edition vehicles. This one that was not on my radar but I am glad to know about it. Built to commemorate Hot Wheels’ 50th anniversary, Chevrolet started with a Super Sport (technically a 2SS) and then added a $4,995 Hot Wheels package that included:
Crush paint, 20-inch Graphite wheels, special striping and badging, black and orange interior (including orange seat belts), orange brake calipers, and more. Out of 1,861 built, 1,118 were SS coupes, but only 246 featured a manual transmission.
