1968 Pontiac GTO Bonnie and Clyde TV Commercial









Posted on YouTube By US Auto Industry

The Bonny and Clyde gang is on the run from the cops. They run into a Dealer and ask the salesman. Do you have something that moves? I sure have responds the salesman that 1968 Pontiac GTO over there. They drive away with the salesman describing all the features of the GTO. Bonny gets tired of hearing the salesman’s pitch and tells Clyde to get rid of him. He Stops the GTO and lets the salesman out of the car. You gonna take it the salesman asks? Right responds Clyde. How do you want to finance it? Bonny tells Clyde to finance it. Clyde throws a suitcase full of cash down on the road and they drive away. Wow what a way to finance a car.

1968 Pontiac GTO

Pontiac redesigned the GTO for 1968 model year, with more curvy lines and semi-fastback styling. A shorter wheelbase and reduced overall length. Pontiac abandoned the familiar vertically stacked headlights in favor of a horizontal layout, but made hidden headlights available at extra cost. The signature hood scoop was replaced by dual scoops on either side of a prominent hood bulge extending rearward from the protruding nose.

A unique feature was the body-color Endura front bumper. It was designed to absorb impact without permanent deformation at low speeds. Pontiac touted this feature heavily in advertising, showing hammering at the bumper to no discernible effect.

Powertrain options remained substantially the same as in 1967, but the standard GTO engine’s power rating rose to 350 HP (260 kW) at 5,000 RPM. At mid-year, a new Ram Air package, known as Ram Air II, became available. It included freer-breathing cylinder heads, round port exhaust and the 041 cam. The ‘official’ power rating was not changed. Another carry-over from 1967 was the four-piston caliper disc brake option. While most 1968 models had drum brakes all around, this seldom ordered option provided greater stopping power.

Hot Rod tested a four-speed GTO equipped with the standard engine and obtained a quarter mile reading of 14.7 seconds at 97 mph (156 km/h) in pure stock form. Motor Trend clocked a four-speed Ram Air with 4.33 rear differential at 14.45 seconds at 98.2 mph (158.0 km/h) and a standard GTO with Turbo-Hydramatic and a 3.23 rear axle ratio at 15.93 seconds at 88.3 mph (142.1 km/h). Testers were split about handling, with Hot Rod calling it “the best-balanced car [Pontiac] ever built,” but Car Life chided its excessive nose heaviness, understeer, and inadequate damping.

Like all 1968 passenger vehicles sold in the United States, GTOs now featured front outboard shoulder belts (cars built after January 1, 1968) and side marker lights. To comply with the new 1968 federal vehicle emissions standards, the GTO was now equipped with emissions controls.

Now facing competition, both within GM and from Ford, Dodge, and Plymouth—particularly the low-cost Plymouth Road Runner—the GTO won the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. Sales reached 87,684 units, which would ultimately prove to be the second-best sales year for the GTO.

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