The Ferrari 250 GTO is revered amongst the Maranello faithful, meaning any 599 carrying the name needs power, style, and at least the illusion of exclusivity. Power should come in the form of the stock V12, which puts out a raucous 611 HP already, tuned to 700 HP. Style is said to be inspired by the wild 599xx Concept. And exclusivity? The GTO will probably be limited to just 500 units approaching $400K a piece.

Of course, all this is based on a report from autogespot saying Ferrari is taking pre-orders for a car named "Ferrari 599 GTO Limited Edition."

Considering mint GTOs go for over $5 million at auction, this is as close as your average millionaire may get.

[Autogespot via World Car Fans]

It has a GTO hood and grille emblem, but a Tempest grille and column-shifted automatic. Even though you could a '68 GTO with the chrome grille instead of the sledgehammer-proof Endura snout, hardly any buyers did so. As for the column shifter, I'm pretty sure the Hurst dual-gate was standard issue on automatic GTOs and Pontiac stopped installing Powerglides in GTOs after 1966… but I betcha there's some guy out there with a PhD in Tedious General Motors Facts who can cite chapter and verse about the 18 1968 GTOs that got chrome grilles and column-shifted Turbo 400s via some renegade dealership in Alaska. Fine. I'm still going to say that we're looking at a '68 Tempest or LeMans with some GTO parts bolted on.

Or, hell, maybe it's a '69 Cutlass with some Tempest sheet metal welded in; that might explain the Oldsmobile Rally Wheels. You can see where this game will drive you nuts in a hurry, and it's one of the reasons I avoid most classic muscle car shows. Anyway, who cares what DNA this car has? It's a cool-looking GM A-body that lives on the street and gets regular real-world driving action, while most of its siblings have been crushed or turned into coddled garage queens. I suspect that its owner is the same person who once owned this 1966 Mustang, since it parks in the same spot once occupied by the Ford. Perhaps he or she celebrated the date on the car's "Bush's Last Day" bumper sticker by upgrading to a bigger, more powerful Detroit classic.

Click "Next" to take a trip down Mustang Memory Lane and make sure to drop your favorite racing Mustang in the comments.

Car: 1965 Ford Mustang A/FX
Racing Series: NHRA A/Experimental, Factory Stock
Years:1965 - 1966
Cool Stuff: Commissioned by Ford and built with express intent of drag racing. 11 were built, half with 427 cammers, and sold to drag racers for a princely sum of $1.
Drivers: Dick Brannan, Bill Lawton, Les Ritchey, Clester Andrews, Al Joniec, Paul Norris, Len Richter, Phil Bonner, Gas Ronda
Major Wins: Numerous local track wins.

Car: 1965 Ford Mustang GT350R
Racing Series: SCCA
Years:1965-1967
Drivers: Jerry Titus, Bob Johnson, Mark Donohue
Major Wins: SCCA B-class production in 1965, '66, and '67, manufacturers championship

Car: 1970 Mustang Boss 302
Racing Series: Trans Am
Years: 1970-1973
Drivers: Parnelli Jones, George Follmer
Major Wins: Manufacturers' championship

Car: 1984 Mustang GTO
Racing Series: IMSA GTO
Years: 1984-1986
Drivers: Wally Dallenbach Jr., John Jones, Scott Pruett, Lynn St. James, Doc Bundy
Major Wins: 1985 GTO Drivers' championship, Daytona 24 Hours, Manufacturers' championships in 1985 and '86

Photo credit: Mark Windecker

Car: Trans Am Mustang
Racing Series: Trans Am
Years: 1999
Drivers: Paul Gentilozzi
Major Wins: Trans Am Championship

Car: John Force Mustang
Racing Series: NHRA Top Fuel
Years: 2000-
Drivers: John Force, Ashley Force
Major Wins: Pretty much everything in NHRA

Car: Mustang drift racer
Racing Series: Formula Drift
Years: 2005-
Drivers: Vaugh Gittin Jr.
Major Wins: Manufacturer's title in 2005 & 2008

Car: NASCAR Ford Mustang Car of Tomorrow
Racing Series: NASCAR Nationwide
Years: 2009 -
Drivers: Colin Braun
Major Wins: none yet

GTO: Pontiac's Great One is a real history book (albeit a glandular case that won't fit on any normal bookshelf and might even overstress your coffee table's legs), and Darwin Holmstrom does an excellent job of describing Pontiac's path to its smash 1964 hit. We all know the basic equation of the GTO: [powerful engine from full-sized car] + [mid-sized coupe] + [$2.98 worth of hood scoops and emblems] + [relentless youth-centric marketing] x [Baby Boomers finally old enough to buy new cars] x [nuclear annihilation looming over the horizon] = JACKPOT! The story of the GTO was really all about corporate politics and marketing, and Holmstrom walks us through the crafty efforts of "Bunkie" Knudson and John Z. DeLorean (yes, that DeLorean) to reinvent Pontiac's image, all the while fending off the sclerotic shamblings of 14th Floor overlords (I recommend DeLorean's On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors to anyone puzzled about how GM's 40-year downward spiral really got rolling). The story is blessedly free of hypersimplified and/or head-slappingly nostalgic nutshell descriptions of the sociopolitical climate of the 1960s- all too common in car books- and for that alone it deserves praise. We get technical details of Pontiac's tough-but-flawed Strato-Streak engine and the engineering magic that turned it into a solid performer, and of course we get the complete account of the GTO's 1964-72 glory years… followed by unflinching documentation of the not-so-glorious Malaise Era GTOs, which your truly zealous GTO fanatics will no doubt slice out of the book while wearing rubber gloves and a respirator.

That's not to say that this book skimps on the pretty pictures; in addition to the drool-inducing arty shots of showroom-condition Goats done by David Newhardt, we get countless vintage ads, drag-racin' shots, and so on; why, there's even a big fold-out reproduction of Car & Driver's original review of the '64 Tempest GTO. This is an easy Four Rod Review (out of a possible five, the Mercedes-Benz OM617 representing the pinnacle of enginehood). Murilee says check it out!
[Motorbooks]

In this series of Pontiac print ads, which covers the postwar period through the Malaise Era, we see how the marketers repositioned Pontiac's image (or whatever the marketing term is) several times over the decades. Prior to the late 1950s, Pontiac was all about car-per-dollar value. Then came the "impress the sophisticates at the country club" era, and you can tell the exact moment at which John Z. De Lorean finally established full control of the division by the focus on engine power and youthful hijinks. Then, of course, Malaise Pontiacs were all about the tape stripes and miles per gallon. The gallery below holds just a fraction of the ads at the original site, so be sure to make the jump and see them all!
[John's Old Car And Truck Ads]

All this is inspired, of course, by my personal Pontiac history, as related in one of my very first Jalopnik posts. In addition to scoring the world's most heinous- but running- '67 GTO at age 17, I spent a great deal of time attempting to get the keys to my dad's plush '81 Bonneville, for those occasions on which the young ladies refused to go anywhere with me in what they referred to as "that piece of shit" (i.e., 100% of the time). Because of my history with those two flawed-but-loved Pontiacs, I'm feeling the pain of Pontiac's demise much more deeply than I did with Oldsmobile or Plymouth.

Now it's your turn. We already know which Pontiacs you found most pants-swellingly exciting, but what was your first one? Maybe not the first one you owned, but the first one you cared about. If it was an Astre or even (shudder) a Phoenix, that's OK! And here's the complete text of my original $113 GTO post, for those of you too lazy to go check it out.

When I was 17, one of my mom's coworkers flipped out over "that damn junk heap" that her husband had kept rusting in the driveway for years. "Hey, doesn't your kid like cars?" she asked my mom. "If he takes it today he can have it for $113!" (Bad Husband had paid $112 for it). Next thing I know, I'm handing over the cash for what I'm told is "some kind of ugly Pontiac that gets terrible mileage." Soon, a tow truck shows up with... a '67 GTO! Hurst dual-gate! 400 engine! Big fat tires and everything! This being the early 80s, I am suddenly the owner of a Hella Cool Car and am entitled to hold my head up high next to my peers driving 350 Chevelles and 383 Satellites. Of course, my pet Goat was a total heap, every inch of the body a mass of holes, dents, and adobe-like layers of Bondo, the interior resembling the aftermath of a rabid-Doberman-vs-weed-whacker battle (it leaked so bad that mushrooms sprouted from the carpeting after heavy rains), it had no exhaust system, no brakes, no seat belts, no functioning gauges, etc. Within hours of getting it semi-roadworthy I slid sideways into a tree and collected several moving violations, and I continued crashing into things and burning up a set of tires per week doing gnarly burnouts in front of my high school until, a few short months later, I sold it to a bodywork man for $500 so I could concentrate my wrenching on my (quicker and more dangerous) '58 Beetle. So all I got out of my GTO ownership was the right to puff out my chest and say "Yeah, I remember my ol' '67 Goat! Man, that was a helluva car!" But now what I'm wondering is: what's the current equivalent, in the "holy shit, what a deal" sense to a $113 GTO for today's 17-year-olds? An Impala SS for $500? Integra Type R? 300ZX twin turbo?

Each of these photos is a link to the car's original DOTS page, where you'll find its complete gallery for your enjoyment. Maybe bringing back the illuminated Indian-head hood ornament might have saved Pontiac? We'll never know now.

10) 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT

A Pontiac which never got much love till the end of its life was the Fiero. Burdened by the sluggish 2.5-liter "Iron Duke" four-cylinder and suspension bits from the lowly Citation, the Fiero started off with lead weights around its neck. By 1988 though, GM had seen the light and given it a proper suspension, eye-catching styling and improvements to both the four-cylinder and V6. It also gave the car the axe once it reached desirability. Seems there are parallels between the Fiero and the Pontiac brand.

9) 1956 Pontiac Star Chief

Pontiacs of old could be reliably counted on as the stylish, more sporting brother to their more staid Chevrolet counterparts. The '56 Pontiac Star Chief lineup can be considered the pinnacle of the Chieftain line, with a selection of sedans, convertibles and wagons all bringing the heat with beautiful body work and powerful V8 engines.

8) 2002 Pontiac Trans Am WS6

The 2002 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 was the final F-Body muscle car to come out of Pontiac, with a 325 HP LS1 V8, six speed manual and the last iteration of that famous "Ram Air" hood, it was a performance bargain at $28,000. The final year got the special yellow and black livery and if you've got one, it just went up in value.

7) 1978 Pontiac Trans Am

If you were a boy growing up in the 70s or early 80s, the '78 Pontiac Trans Am in the black and gold "Bandit" livery, complete with the flaming chicken vinyl on the hood, sat right next to the Lamborghini Countach in your fantasy garage. For '78, the compression was bumped in the top-line V8 and this end-of-malaise era automobile made a stout (for the time) 220 HP. Burt Reynolds, along with that repressed little redneck inside all of us, will miss the '78 Trans Am.

6) 1969 Pontiac GTO "Judge"

The second generation GTO picked up right were the first generation left off, adopting a more modern fastback styling language and hugely powerful 400 cubic inch V8's rated all the way up to 370 HP. The Judge package was kinda hokey but also pretty cool, with wild color options, matching decals, spoilers, a Ram Air hood and a T-handle Hurst shifter. Bring on the Judge.

5) Pontiac Bonneville

The Bonneville was Pontiac's longest surviving nameplate, running from 1957 to 2005 when it mercifully got the axe. As lackadaisical as the car had been for the last 20 or so years, there were some gems throughout its history. The 1999 SSEi had woeful build quality, but when it held together the FWD 240 HP supercharged V6 was a hoot (as was battling torque steer). The monstrous '71 Bonnie wore a 455 cubic inch V8 and four barrel carb good for 325 HP and the '59 model wore outrageous quadruple fins.

4) 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe

The 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe solves the main problems we have with the Solstice/Saturn Sky twins with actual cargo space and no more pain-in-the-butt convertible top to operate, while keeping the 260 HP Ecotec inline-four and a six speed manual driving the rear wheels. It's a targa-topped Miata competitor and faithfully re-interprets the awkward little British coupes we love and loathe. Buy one now as the take rate is so slow you could park it in the garage and sell it for a profit.

3) 2010 Pontiac G8 ST

They say to have loved and lost is better than to have never loved at all. We call baloney on whoever says that. GM tantalized us with the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST ahead of the 2008 New York Auto Show and our dreams of a modern, tire-smoking, truck-car, mullet-machine were so close to reality. A year later GM squashed the G8 ST under the force of the Carpocalypse, and now Pontiac follows it to the grave.

2) 1964 Pontiac GTO

The 1964 Pontiac GTO was little more than a hot-rodded LeMans, but the 325 HP, 389 cubic inch V8 with a Carter four-barrel carb, dual exhaust and a three-speed Hurst manual transmission ignited the original muscle car wars. It lit a fire in Pontiac showrooms, selling three times the projected annual sales and it will always have a special place in every car guy's heart.

1) 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

Finally America had gotten it right — by importing a car from Australia. The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP had everything — raucous styling, a 415 HP 6.3-liter V8, six speed transmission and rear wheel drive. Our own Wes Siler posited GM should be saved for no other reason than to put the G8 GXP on the road. If you've managed to get your hot little hands on one, hold onto it, like an artists painting, it'll be worth much more once Pontiac is dead.

HONORABLE MENTION: Pontiac Aztek

We will miss the Aztek for two main reasons: First it was a breath of fresh air in a then-burgeoning SUV market, with incredible functionality and great features, the Aztek pointed out how underfeatured many of the more expensive entries were. Of course, that breath of fresh air was tainted by its fart of styling. Not since the Edsel was a vehicle so universally panned for the stylistic abomination it was. So the second reason we'll miss it is because it was so easy to make fun of. In many ways, that's what the Pontiac brand's been all about. We'll miss it.

UPDATE: NPR Questions Jalopnik 's Inclusion Of Pontiac Fiero In Top Ten List

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

If these get you in a Classic Ad Watch sort of mood, you might enjoy checking out our favorite Super Bowl Car Ads, then keep going with our Top 20 Vintage Datsun ads, Top 20 Vintage Toyota ads, and Top 20 Vintage Chrysler ads. If that's still not enough, you can go to the Top Car Commercials Of The 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. And now, our favorite (non-Chevrolet) vintage General Motors ads from North America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa:

1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire Turbo	1942 Oldsmobile B-44	1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette	1988 Pontiac Grand Am
1956 Oldsmobile 88	1973 Pontiac Grand Am	1968 Pontiac GTO	1970 Pontiac T37
1982 Pontiac 6000	1981 Vauxhall Cavalier	1969 Pontiacs	1985 Pontiac Fiero GT
1990 Geo Tracker	1979 Holdens	1973 Opels	1972 Holden Kingswood
1985 Pontiac Fiero	1971 Oldsmobile Delta 88	1985 Vauxhall Nova	1992 Opels (South Africa)
1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera	1970 Pontiac Firebird	1968 Opel GT	1982 Holden Station Wagons
2001 Pontiac Aztek	1986 Holden Astra	1960 Opel Kapitän	1974 Cadillacs

With so much metal at the auction coming from the sale of a selection of classics from the GM Heritage Center museum, it's interesting that the top eight cars that've been sold so far at the 2009 Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, AZ all came from that collection. Here's the top eight sales — so far.

8.) 1974 Pontiac Trans Am

Lot Number: 433
Details: This rotisserie restored, true, correct, and numbers matching Trans Am 455 Super Duty features photo documented 138560 numbers matching original 455cide Super Duty V8, correct 490132 block casting, correct Y8 block code stamp, Correct 1112205 3 A8 distributor stamping, correct 7044270 SF 2923 carburetor stamp, correct original 74-P 0-1213 automatic transmission, correct 3984828 13 40 2 74 ring gear stamp, correct GY G065 1 axle housing stamp, original Window Sticker, original dealer sales invoice, original odometer statement, copy of original title, original Auto Owner's Maintenance Folio, original owner's instruction and information manuals, original maintenance and safety manual, copy of second owner's title, dealer photos of original vehicle delivery, PHS documentation, and documents from the '73/'74 SD455 Registry. One of only 731 automatic transmission cars produced.
Day Sold: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sale Price*: $73,700.00

7.) 2007 Chevrolet Silverado "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Big Red" SEMA Concept

Lot Number: 114
Details: The Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Big Red" Silverado is based on the all-new, 2007 Chevy Silverado crew cab and features custom exterior appointments, an off-road-ready suspension, one-off custom 20" wheels at Dale Jr.'s request, a custom interior and more. This one-of-a-kind Silverado builds on Earnhardt's personal notion of off-road enjoyment, which was previously conveyed in his personal truck - a previous-generation Silverado named "Big Red." Earnhardt collaborated with GM designers on the truck, visiting the GM Design studio in Warren, Mich. to discuss the exterior and interior enhancements, which include all-new front-end sheet metal and rear fenders, as well as a "flying bridge"-type roll bar with integrated off-road driving lamps. The interior is as luxurious as the exterior is off-road-capable, with rich, black leather upholstery and other details. The Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Big Red" Silverado is powered by GM Powertrain's 6.2 Liter Gen IV V8 engine, a high-output, all-aluminum engine with variable valve timing that produces 380hp and 417 lb/ft of torque. It transfers its power to all four wheels via a Hydra-Matic 4-speed electronically controlled transmission. The front and rear axles are equipped with 3.73 gears and Eaton ELocker electronic locking differentials, which help the truck deliver exhilarating performance with tall off-road tires. Stopping power is enhanced with a set of Baer disc brakes, including six-piston calipers and 15" cross-drilled rotors in the front and twin-piston floating calipers with 13" cross-drilled rotors in the rear. It's a concept, and like the others, is not legal for driving on public roads.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $88,000.00

6.) 2006 Pontiac GTO RA6 Custom

Lot Number: 738
Details: This specialty '06 GTO was a SEMA Show award winner by Kip Wasenko and the team at the GM Performance Division. It features RA6 body modifications and a Stage 3 750hp Twin Turbo Katech 402 engine with Pedders Extreme suspension and Z06 brake package. Apparently, this car can be driven on public roads — it doesn't say it can't!
Day Sold: Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sale Price*: $93,500.00

5.) 1989 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

Lot Number: 96
Details: 1 of 83 1989 ZR-1s built and never released to the public. This car was used for media/press events and auto shows. Why'd this one go for a lower price then the other ZR-1 from '89? Probably because this one's painted purple. Also, like the other vehicles sold by GM here at the big B-J, this ZR-1 is not road legal.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $110,000.00

4.) 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo "Intimidator" Show Car

Lot Number: 83
Details: A NASCAR-inspired show car that offered a glimpse of the 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo styling. Features aggressive styling cues and performance-enhancing technology. We like how it's a "street legal" car being sold on a Scrap Title — because, like most of the others, it's not able to be legally driven on public roads.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $148,500.00

3.) 1990 Chevrolet Corvette "Active" ZR-1 Prototype

Lot Number: 82
Details: This vehicle pioneered the advantages of "Active Suspension" and has GTP Corvette race car technology. Built at the Bowling Green Plant, this vehicle was developed as a prototype for a limited edition run in the 1990 model year. It may not be driven on public roads.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $150,700.00

2.) 1989 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 "Snake Skinner"

Lot Number: 396.1
Details: One of 83 production 1989 ZR-1s built in Bowling Green. This experimental light weight was aimed directly at maintaining Corvette's performance supremacy. With a 475hp LT5 V8 and less weight, this vehicle is GM Performance legend. Sold on a Scrap Title. May not be driven on public roads.
Day Sold: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sale Price*: $176,000.0

1.) 1923 Oldsmobile Custom Touring Roadster

Lot Number: 397.2
Details: This Olds concept vehicle is powered by a 4.0 Liter DOHC V8 IMSA GTS-1 race engine with an automatic 4L60E transmission, Halibrand quick change 4.10 rear, 4-wheel independent suspension, rack & pinion power steering and Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes. Also, because, like the rest, it's a GM concept, it's not legal for driving on public roads.
Day Sold: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sale Price*: $220,000.00

*Includes 10% Buyer's Premium

[via Barrett-Jackson]

Under that familiar Pontiac skin which gave rise to the legendary Judge GTO's, rests a heart from the land of the rising sun, a 1991 Toyota Supra 7M-GTE 3.0 litre 24V turbo. The story goes that the car came to the builder as a basket case from an auction. Our hero/villain Ralf Becker decided it needed a new heart and a buddy helped him dig up the Toyota engine. That was apparently not without it's faults either, as valves and pistons had to be replaced (valve pics on Autobild are pretty beaten). The final piece of the pie, which seems to still be in the ironing out phase, is the addition of a great big turbocharger to really spice things up. We don't know if we can endorse this kind of madness, but the build is unique and will probably be pretty quick when all is said and done. That said, we're going to keep an eye on these guys, you never know what kind of shenanigans those Germans are getting into. [via AutoBild.de (translated - poorly)]

Back when John Z worked as Chief Engineer at Pontiac, he managed to sneak a 389 engine and other assorted hoon-friendly goodies into the staid Tempest under the camouflage of an option package, thus thwarting GM's overlords (who later had their revenge on the idea of a cool Pontiac by ruining the Fiero's design). This was the 1964 Pontiac GTO, which sold like crazy and sparked the creation of a lot of other big-engine/midsize-car combos that we now see selling for cubic yards of green at Barrett-Jackson. And, speaking of large volumes of currency, have you priced '64 Goats lately? Ai-ya! But it's still possible to get a reasonably complete example for four figures- say, for example, this '64 GTO (go here if the ad disappears) for a get-laughed-out-of-Barrett-Jackson price of just $8500. The seller is a car-ad traditionalist, preferring the CAPS LOCK style that shows one means business, and he or she gets the message across: this car is "ALL THERE." In fact, other than needing "SOME TLC AND RESORATION" it's in fine shape. How much TLC and restoration does it need? That's a good question!

It's a shame that things didn't work out for the De Lorean Motor Company, because the car as originally envisioned was packed full of seriously wild engineering. By the time it was actually available for sale, however, the rotary engine and a lot of the cooler aspects of the chassis design were gone... and Malaise Era smog restrictions made the Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V6 something of a dud. Then there were Mr. De Lorean's legal hassles, followed by a couple of stupid, incredibly successful movies that forever tainted the car's image. But enough of that- the DMC-12 is weird and notorious and reeks of ambitious dreams shot down by The Man, and that means it belongs in every Jalop's garage! Now, because so many freaks want to have a car that looks just like the one in the aforementioned stupid movies, you can't get a DMC-12 for any sort of sane price... or can you? Well, whaddya know- here's an '83 DMC-12 (go here if the ad disappears) for under 10 grand! This one has its flaws, sure, first of which being that it doesn't quite run. The seller speculates that the problem lies in the "fuel assembly," volunteering that "possibly a new fuel pump, hoses, gaskets, etc" will get that PRV engine humming again. You'll find "few small dents on the car, nothing serious," but you can just fix them with Bondo... oh, wait. No doubt there will be some other things to fix before you'll be able to live the Dream, but it will all be worth it!

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We're left with a two-parter today. Is it worth reviving nameplates that we once loved given all the risks? And if it is worth it, what would you bring back from the automotive grave yard?

A few months later she took the car to a local shop for service and was told the car had major damage to the frame that had been concealed by the company that supplied the car. Oops. While this is probably the fault of the dealership that provided the car and not the Barker Beauties, someone better step up to correct this problem lest we shake the foundations of yet another American institution. [Reuters]