Documented Historic 1 of 184 Pontiac GTO Judge 455 HO V8 Muncie M22 4-speed

Documented Historic 1 of 184 Pontiac GTO Judge 455 HO V8 Muncie M22 4-speed ///

You might be wondering what's so special about this GTO. Well, many things... Let's begin with a little Pontiac history. Like all of 1970s Detroit, Pontiac was under immense pressure to increase fuel efficiency. But not just by the government, by private industry as well, as the cost to insure a muscle car was simply becoming too expensive for most consumers. That meant plummeting sales and, by the middle of 1971, Pontiac got the call from parent General Motors to phase out its legendary GTO Judge. In total, 374 1971 Judges made it off the assembly line, with just 184 being fitted with top-option 455/4-speed drivetrains. That's where this historic coupe enters the picture. Not only is it a vaunted 455/4-speed car, it is also a day-one 1971 GTO build that is currently the second oldest 1971 Judge known to exist. That brings us to this classic's specific purpose. Documented by an original Build Sheet as a Pontiac show car and documented by Pontiac Historic Services through both corporate and consumer invoices, this GTO began life as an official Judge promo piece. After being admired by many, the car was shipped to Ted Rapp Pontiac in Riverton, New Jersey where it would meet its first owner. And for the next 51 years, this awesome goat would remain a pampered testament to timeless American muscle and cool General Motors history! Today, with just 47K miles on its odometer, this Poncho sports a correct coat of Lucerne Blue two-stage under striking Judge war paint. That paint shines solid metal that, aside from being fully stripped during the car's frame-up restoration, needed almost nothing to align to better than new. That restoration was a frame-up affair because this classic had been so well kept that a ground-up rebuild simply wasn't needed. And, in keeping with its tradition as a cherished banner piece, this GTO has been featured in both High Performance Pontiac and Pontiac Enthusiast.