Car of the Year
An extensive restyling distinguished the 1968 GTO from the previous models. Most notable was the new Endura color-keyed front bumper. The GTO was the first GM car to use the new flexible polyurethane covering that allowed minor dents to pop out without any permanent damage. Optional hidden headlights combined with the Endura nose made for a very handsome car. The stunning styling, powerful performance, solid engineering, and excellent market timing were all factors that helped the GTO garner the coveted Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

More Power
More horsepower was on tap for the exciting new '68 body. All engines displaced 400 cubic inches. The standard engine rose to 350 horsepower from 335 horsepower; the no-cost economy two-barrel engine gained 10 horsepower for a 265-horsepower rating; the optional HO engine stayed at 360 horsepower; and the optional Ram Air engine also remained at 360 horsepower until March of '68 when the Ram Air II option was introduced with a 366-horsepower rating. That rating was probably conservative considering the high-performance equipment which included 10.75:1 forged pistons, forged steel crankshaft, new cylinder heads with round exhaust ports, free-flowing exhaust manifolds, a high lift camshaft with the corresponding high-performance valvetrain components, and a revised distributor curve. The Ram Air II put 445 lb-ft of stump-pulling torque to the pavement via the mandatory limited-slip Safe-T-Track rear end with 4.33:1 gears.

Hood Mounted Tachometers
The coupe body style was dropped for '68. Sales were predominantly for hardtops which sold 77,704 units compared to the 9,980 convertibles. Optional hood-mounted tachometers were continued from 1967. The Ram Air cars had 5500-rpm redlines compared to the standard 5200-rpm limit. The external tachs helped the GTO project a powerful performance car image.

Ram Air IV
GTO engines got even more exciting in 1969 with the introduction of the Ram Air III and Ram Air IV. Considerably under-rated at 370 horsepower, the Ram Air IV was the epitome of GTO engines. The RA IV used many of the high-performance parts introduced on the '68 Ram Air II along with the cold air induction system that came with the Ram Air III. Both RA III and RA IV used driver-controlled flapper doors on the twin hood scoops. As powerful as the Ram Air IV was, it still used hydraulic lifters and was far more tractable in traffic than competitors' solid lifter engines. The RA IV didn't overheat or foul spark plugs. It was only available with either a 3.90:1 or 4.33:1 limited-slip differential.

The Judge
A late addition to the 1969 lineup was the GTO Judge. The original intent of The Judge (although it's commonly referred to as the GTO Judge or simply Judge; the fender decals said "The Judge") was to combat the upstart low-price muscle cars like the Plymouth Road Runner.

ET Calling
Pontiac's answer to the Road Runner was called "ET" or "E/T" which stood for the drag racing term "elapsed time." The car was to be based on a stripped-down, bench seat, LeMans coupe with a flat hood and Rally II wheels without the trim rings. The engine was a Pontiac 350 with cylinder heads from the 400 HO engine. Tests of the prototype E/T against 383-powered Road Runners proved that the budget GTO could outrun the Plymouths.

Most Expensive GTO
As strong as the 350 was, it wasn't a 400, and DeLorean was adamant about GTOs being powered by 400-cubic-inch engines. He quickly killed the 350 E/T project and requested a car that was up to GTO standards. Ironically, the resulting car turned out to be the most expensive GTO, not the least expensive. The Judge option was available on hardtop and convertible bodies. There weren't any GTO coupes. About the only E/T parts that remained were the Rally II wheels without trim rings.

Wild Names
DeLorean is credited with naming The Judge. His inspiration was the hit NBC-TV show "Laugh-In" which had a recurring bit with the tag line "Here come de Judge, Here come de Judge." In retrospect, it may seem odd to name a car after a bit on a comedy show, but "Laugh-In" was very hip with a huge audience of young viewers - the exact people DeLorean wanted to reach. This was an era where car companies named models after cartoon characters, came up with names like Boss, Eliminator, Grabber, Rebel, Demon, and Swinger, and painted them outrageous colors such as Panther Pink, Go Mango, Sublime, Banana Yellow, and Plum Crazy. In that light, The Judge wasn't out of place.

Stunning Color
The initial Judge color was eye-catchingly wild. Called Carousel Red, it was actually more of an orange. The shade was exclusive to the Judge for the GTO line, but the same color was available on Camaros as Hugger Orange. About the first 2,000 Judges were painted Carousel Red. After February, Judges could be ordered in any GTO color, but approximately 80 percent of the cars were Carousel Red. Besides the wild color, stripes, pop-art graphics, and hood scoops, Judges came with a massive 60-inch-wide rear spoiler or wing.

Judge Sales Success
Judge engine choices were limited to the standard Ram Air III or the optional Ram Air IV. Four-speeds and the Turbo Hydra-matic transmission were available. The Judge was most frequently ordered in hardtop form although it could be had as a convertible. Despite a late start, The Judge accounted for 6,833 sales out of the '69 GTO total of 72,287 cars. Judge convertibles are very rare since only 108 were produced in 1969.

More Inches, More Torque
The Judge was designed to help boost 1969 GTO sales, and since it proved so popular, it was continued in 1970. Sales figures slid to 3,635 Judge hardtops and 162 convertibles. Total 1970 GTO sales of 40,149 units were down from '69. The '70 GTO was mildly facelifted, and mechanically, they were as strong as ever. The economy two-barrel 400 engine was dropped, but a 360-horsepower 455-cubic-inch with an amazing 500 lb-ft of torque was added. Extra beefy 12-bolt rear ends were mandatory when the 455 was ordered. The 455 wasn't offered on The Judge until late in the model year so only 14 hardtops and three convertible Judges were built with the 455.

Lower Compression
Increased competition, insurance surcharges, and tougher emissions standards hit the muscle car market hard in 1971. The GTO suffered along with all the other muscle cars. Adding to the lackluster sales was the corporate decision to drop compression ratios so all GM engines would be compatible with the new low-lead fuel. The standard GTO 400-cubic-inch V8 compression ratio was dropped to 8.2:1 from 1970's 10.25:1 which itself was down from 10.75:1 in 1969.

The Last Judge
The Judge option barely made it into 1971. Production was halted in January after 357 hardtops and 17 convertibles were built. All '71 Judges were 455-powered and today they're some of the rarest, most desirable GTOs as far as collectors are concerned. 1971 was also the last year for any GTO convertibles. Including the 17 Judges, a mere 678 GTO convertibles were produced. Poor sales in '71 have translated to high collector interest today.

Option Status Again
A new LeMans/GTO body was supposed to have been ready for 1972, but a strike put it back a year. So, the previous body was mildly restyled and used again. Since the GTO had been relegated to option status on the LeMans, it was available as both a hardtop and a two-door, pillared coupe. The GTO coupe production was very limited accounting for only 134 cars out of the year's 5,807 total. The 455 HO engine was still available and ten coupes received it. Five more coupes were fitted with the standard 455 V8. A Ram Air system was available with the 455 HO engine which was rated at 300 net horsepower. Customers could still get a big-block, Ram Air, four-speed GTO.