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1968 Pontiac GTO
All General Motors A-Body intermediate cars got a thorough restyling for the 1968 model year. Also, Pontiac debuted their all-new, sleeker, semi-fastback GTO with hideaway headlights and a special front bumper. Pontiac called it the “Endura” bumper and it was the GTO’s unique feature. Basically it was polyurethane plastic in the body color that could endure damage and hits without deforming. In fact, it was the predecessor to the modern plastic bumpers.
Under the hood, the engine choice remained the same, but the Ram Air II option became available, allowing the 400 V8 engine to breathe better and produce more power. However, Pontiac rated this motor at 360 HP, the same as a year before. An interesting detail was the hood-mounted tachometer.
Even though the sales of the 1968 GTO were still good at over 87,000 examples, Pontiac realized their competitors had moved onto its market share. Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Ford, Dodge and Plymouth all had muscle cars aimed directly at the GTO.