John Z. DeLorean was one of the first automotive marketing guys to accurately take the temperature of the emerging street scene. DeLorean simply spent some evenings on Woodward Avenue and took notes. He noticed that the street racer-types were using mag wheels, loud mufflers, extra carburetors, a tachometer, and a Hurst shifter.

DeLorean’s proposed to Pontiac management that they could take some hot parts from the racing efforts of the Pontiac NASCAR racers and bolt them on to their popular and light weight Tempest sedan. They picked up the “GTO” name from Ferrari and POOF!!!! An instant classic and a “Muscle Car Era” was born.