Pontiac GTO "The Judge" : 1969

The Pontiac GTO was introduced in 1963 as a 1964 model.

The significant event of 1969 was the launch of a new Pontiac GTO model called 'The Judge'. The Judge name came from a comedy routine, "Here Comes the Judge", used repeatedly by Sammy Davis Jr. on the enormously popular "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In TV" show.

Ads used slogans like "All rise for The Judge" and "The Judge can be bought." As originally conceived, the Judge was to be a low-cost GTO, stripped of some gimmicks to make it competitive with the Plymouth Road Runner.

During its development, however, it was decided to make it instead the ultimate in street performance and image. The resulting package ended up being some $337.02 more expensive than a standard GTO, and included the Ram Air III engine, styled wheels, Hurst shifter (with a unique T-shaped handle), wider tires, various decals, and a rear spoiler.

Pontiac claimed that the latter had some functional effect at higher speeds, producing a small but measurable down force, but it was of little value at legal speeds except for style. The Judge was initially offered only in very loud "Carousel Red," but late in the model year a variety of other colors became available.

Specifications.
Weight: 3,672 lbs.
Wheelbase: 116 in.
Length: 205.5 in.
Total Production: 72,287