California 4 Speed

1964 Pontiac GTO

- 6.5L V8
- Factory 4 Speed Manual Transmission
- White Over Blue Interior
- Built In California On February 11th 1964

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1964 Pontiac GTO on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 155 photographs, please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.)

“… the first year of the GTO (is) something special, when Pontiac took the plunge and made this performance package optional for its Tempest LeMans midsize car.” -Classic Cars Journal, July 2020

In January 1964, just ahead of the car's launch, Motor Trend got their hands on pre-production models for road-testing and concluded: “Our G.T.O. Tempest was quite a car. Not only did it have gobs of brute horsepower, but it looked well-built and had a luxurious, comfortable, all-vinyl interior. In addition, it rode and handled as a high-performance car should. It was controllable and gave us a feeling of safety under most conditions, although it would require special care and handling when the road's wet or icy.” Little did the Motor Trend folks know they were piloting a car that would launch a decade of Detroit's muscle-car wars. Before long, “Tempest” was gone, and the new model was known simply by its three-letter name: GTO (pronounced: “Goat”).

Offered here is a magnificent, very rare, numbers-matching, fully restored 1964 GTO hardtop in white over turquoise. Its extensive original RPO factory options list included: tinted glass, front and rear seat belts, bucket seats, insert panel, floor mats, deck emblems, windshield washers, outside rear-view mirror, console, Positraction differential, power brakes, 4-speed manual transmission, dual exhaust system, upgraded steering wheel, power steering, heavy-duty battery, dual horns, illuminated luggage compartment, electric clock, push- button radio, and the GTO option. The car's documented history shows it was manufactured on February 11, 1964 and shipped to the selling dealer—Totem Pontiac in Seattle, Washington—five days later. The car was placed in long-term storage in 1978, and upon removal underwent a documented rotisserie restoration including a rebuild of its original 389 cubic-inch V8 engine, which remains mated to the original 4-speed transmission. This GTO is the real deal in every respect.

The quality of the exterior paint is superb. The even gloss across every body panel could only have been achieved through the most professional level of paint application. Remaining original tinted cabin glass is free of cracks or other damage; lighting lenses are similarly clear. All “GTO” badging is in place and properly located, front, rear, and both sides, notably including the bespoke “GTO 6.5 Liter” front-fender emblems. Chrome bumpers and trim have been well-kept. Body-panel alignment exceeds factory specifications. Period-correct red-stripe tires (only later to gain the moniker “TigerPaws”) are mounted, as are full factory chrome wheel covers bearing the “Pontiac Motor Division” embossed lettering.

Inside, the car's turquoise color scheme makes for an excellent complement to the white exterior. All interior appointments are turquoise: the vinyl seat upholstery, the door trim, rear parcel shelf, the cabin carpeting (and accompanying GTO-branded translucent rubber protective mats), the dashboard (trimmed with turned-metal across the four round gauges), even the steering wheel. All interior surfaces display excellent condition with minimal signs of use. The floor-mounted 4-speed transmission shifter (absent the console) is true to the car's performance pedigree. Like the cabin, the car's trunk is spotless, with correct hounds-tooth-pattern vinyl covering the spare tire and the perfect-condition floor.

Under the hood, the car's original engine has received the visual enhancement of a chrome air cleaner and valve covers. The 389 cubic-inch V8 engine block is properly painted in “Pontiac turquoise,” while the brake booster is the correct gold. The remainder of the engine bay is properly tide with all wiring and engine-cooling plumbing correctly routed. The car's original embossed body tag remains riveted in place. Viewed from below, the car's chassis is virtually perfect, notably including the drive train, suspension components, fuel tank, and perfectly routed, full-length dual exhaust system.

Overall, this fully restored, first-year GTO exhibits exceptional, drive-ready--and show-ready--condition. Available at the GarageKeptMotors website, are more than 155 high-definition photographs of the car, taken from virtually every angle including from underneath. The short walk-around-and-startup video gives a brief audio sampling of the legendary 389 V8's engine note. We encourage in-person inspections of the car at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call or email us first to arrange an appointment. Our showroom is not open to the public. We are happy to answer any questions about this beautiful GTO either by phone or email.

Virtually everyone who was of driving age in 1964—including the writer of this description—remembers their first glimpse of a '64 GTO, in all likelihood on the pages of some car magazine. This car not only kicked off the muscle-car wars, it lived large in the psyche of young men especially, generating a lust that wouldn't die. The next owner of this legend likely still carries that lust.