By C.M. Frederick
What’s faster and more fearsome, a goat or a tiger? The answer, though painfully obvious, is of course a tiger. However, each animal has been used to describe the same classic American muscle car, the Pontiac GTO. The tiger was officially used in Pontiac advertisements in the mid-1960s, but culture had already deemed it “the goat.”
Steve Irwin’s 1965 Tiger/Goat is one of the slickest cars around Middle Tennessee, especially with its decorations highlighting the advertising nickname; it’s a car that will make any muscle car enthusiast look twice.
To understand the mystique of the Pontiac GTO, one has to go to its conceptual origins in the early 1960s. At that time, Pontiac’s production line-up included the Pontiac Tempest, first hitting the consumer market in 1961 as the manufacturer’s entry-level compact car. The Tempest Lemans option was available, but it only added sportier trim to the car. Originally outfitted in 1961 with a 195 cubic inch, straight four cylinder, which was derived from half of Pontiac’s 389 V-8 engine, 1962’s version of the Tempest could be ordered with Buick’s 215 V-8 or a Pontiac 326ci.
By 1963, the Lemans was no longer an option of the Tempest, but rather, it was its own series. The Lemans was so popular that it accounted for almost 50 percent of Tempest sales in 1963.
That same year, John DeLorean, working as Pontiac’s chief engineer, and advertising executive Jim Wangers collaborated to design a car that emphasized street performance. The idea was to convert the newly-redesigned, 326-cubic-inch-powered Tempest into a high-output tire-scorcher with a much larger engine, the 389ci engine that was used in Pontiac’s full-sized automobiles. This new configuration could be marketed towards speed enthusiasts as well as younger customers.
DeLorean’s idea for the GTO name came from its focus on performance. Seen as sacrilege to automotive purists, the engineer named his creation the “GTO” after the extremely successful and equally famous Ferrari 250 GTO. On a Ferrari, GTO meant “Gran Turismo Omologato,” but Pontiac aficionados believe that it stood for “Grand Tempest Option” when it was placed on the American muscle car.
Once the name was decided, designers determined vehicle upgrades and options for the new car. In the vehicle’s first production year of 1964, Pontiac’s Lemans with the GTO option included a 389ci engine as well as stiffer suspension, dual exhaust, 14-inch wheels equipped with six-inch wide rims, purely cosmetic hood scoops, a heavy-duty clutch, and GTO badging. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, but four-speed manual or two-speed automatic transmissions were optional.
Although the base 389-cubic-inch engine with a single four-barrel carburetor was rated at 325 horsepower, an upgraded option could be had that utilized three two-barrel carburetors, termed Tri-power, on the same engine. In 1964, this upgrade boosted the engine’s performance to 348 hp.
Heavily influencing the next year’s production, total sales of the 1964 GTO outsold expectations, selling 32,450 cars. For the 1965 production year, Pontiac decision-makers moved the GTO line to be an option of the Tempest, instead of only the Lemans.
To meet market demands and expand its sales, Pontiac designers restyled the Tempest, including the GTO, in 1965. The new layout added to the car’s overall length, totaling 206.1 inches, but it retained the same interior dimensions and wheelbase. Large design differences from the 1964, the 1965 GTO model was the first year for the widely-recognizable stacked headlight design, and it placed a split grille on the front of the car, while keeping the cosmetic hood scoops.
The 1965 GTO could be purchased in three body style configurations: a two-door sport coupe also known as a post coupe, a two-door hardtop, or a two-door convertible. Far and away, the most common production style was the hardtop; Pontiac made 55,722 of these in 1965. However, the car manufacturer only produced 11,311 convertibles and 8,319 post coupes.
Even though the engine remained the same as the 1964 GTO, it was tweaked to produce more power. The base 389 engine now put out 335 horsepower, while the Tri-powered engine was now rated at 360 horsepower. Transmission options also carried over from the 1964 model, allowing consumers to purchase three-speed and four-speed manuals as well as a two-speed automatic.
An example of this model, Steve Irwin’s 1965 GTO is one of the rarer pillar coupes with the 389 Tri-power option. The car is an all-numbers-matching automobile, and Irwin even has the original bill of sale from a Pontiac dealer in Arizona. He purchased the car from the original owner in 1998 and received several other documents that verify its history.
The GTO is still outfitted with air conditioning, power steering, and power brakes, all of which were factory options. An even more special feature, it has a dealer-installed Delco vacuum pump for its air shock absorbers. This pump came complete with an adjustment knob, which is mounted on the car’s dash.
With around 110,000 original miles, the car itself has been a constant project of sorts, with different needs arising throughout Irwin’s ownership. The GTO’s original color had been blue mist slate, but the car’s original owners had painted it green at some point. After Irwin purchased the green car in 1998, he had it painted red, the same beautiful paint job it has until this day.
The 1965 GTO’s Tri-power 389 engine was rebuilt around 2003, after the motor developed piston slap. During the rebuild, the engine was re-bored to .030 over and a new, larger cam was installed. Even though the engine runs well, Irwin plans to rebuild the three carburetors soon.
Much of the car has been restored to show conditions, including the upholstery, various chrome pieces, and badging. The car’s original wheels have been replaced by a set of chrome Cragars. As a result of his meticulous maintenance, the vehicle has won many car shows over the years, and it has appeared on various car television programs and in magazines. Additionally, the GTO has even been in several country music videos and photo shoots.
Although Irwin’s car is in show condition, he rarely enters it into car shows for judging any more. Instead he drives it to cruise-ins for people to enjoy.
The vehicle serves as a true look back at an original 1965 classic, and Irwin uses several emblems to emphasize that there is still a tiger mounted under the hood of this goat. •
