If there’s one car that has a consistent fan base, it’s the Pontiac GTO. Perhaps its because the GTO pretty much set the template for all the muscle cars that would follow, or maybe it’s just because they offered a consistently awesome mix of performance, comfort, and dynamite good looks. After all, Pontiac was hitting on all eight cylinders in the ‘60s and you could hardly find an inferior car in their lineup. This particular 1967 GTO convertible has a neat story behind it, as it was used as the official parade vehicle for Knafel Pontiac, home of Tin Indian Racing. At big events like the Daytona 500, this car was used in the pre-race parade and hauled various dignitaries around the tracks promoting Knafel Pontiac and the Tin Indian Racing team. Since then, it has had just two owners, including the most recent who has enjoyed this lovely Poncho for nearly four decades. If you want a documented, numbers-matching, original sheetmetal Goat with an interesting backstory, well, this is a good choice.

Aside from a high-quality repaint about 15 years ago in the original Montreux Blue, this 1967 GTO remains largely original throughout. For many enthusiasts, original cars hold a certain appeal—no they’re not a shiny as a fresh frame-off restoration but they often drive better and this GTO is no exception. It’s tight, smooth, and competent-feeling on the road, all qualities that are difficult to restore back into a car after it’s been fully disassembled. It has always been treated as an item of value, so it’s unlikely that it was anyone’s daily driver and seems to have been reserved for fair-weather fun. That explains the immaculate sheetmetal, both on top and underneath, and the car is wearing its original quarters, floors, and trunk pan, all evidence that the car has never suffered from rust or rot. The icy Montreux Blue finish is sophisticated and elegant instead of in-your-face aggressive, and that’s where Pontiac really shines—they built performance cars for grown-ups. There was plenty of time and effort invested in the repaint, which still shows extremely well and has a great shine, no ripples or waves, decent panel alignment, and a recent buff that really makes it glow. A white pinstripe was added, as original, and it really highlights the curving quarter panels that are arguably the ‘67’s best feature. All the original emblems are still in place, including the ‘6.5 litre’ chevrons on the rocker panels and GTO block letters fore, aft, and on both quarters. Nobody’s going to mistake this for anything else. It also features nice original chrome—more evidence that this car never suffered through winter weather—and the stainless has polished up nicely to give it an all-of-a-piece look. It’s an extremely handsome car.

To get a good idea of just how clean this car is, please take the time to examine the all-original interior. Seat covers, door panels, the dash pad, and probably even the carpets are all 1967-issue and in fantastic condition. The lack of fading and cracking suggests the car has always been stored out of the sun and it is outfitted with a number of nice options, including a tilt steering column, complete gauges, and a center console with the traditional “His-N-Hers” shifter for the TH400 3-speed automatic underneath. There are, of course, signs of age and use but it would be a crime to consider restoring this interior; clean cars like this are none too easy to find and erasing originality in search of perfection is always a mistake. The steering wheel is a bit tarnished, the gauges are a little faded, and there is some soiling on the carpets, but you could erase much of that with an afternoon of deep cleaning. It all works, including the tach and AM/FM radio with reverb. The back seat looks hardly used and it comes with a set of color-matched rubber floor mats that are probably reproductions simply because they’re just too nice to be 54 years old. Overhead there’s a newer white power convertible top with a crystal clear rear window and the car comes with the original convertible top boot (not installed for photos simply because the clips Pontiac used often damage the paint). The trunk is outfitted with what appears to be the original mat and a reproduction tire cover on a matching spare that’s never been down.

In 1967, Pontiac’s standard-bearer was the 400 cubic inch V8, a bored-out version of the venerable 389. Still making the same 335 horsepower as the previous year’s 389, this numbers-matching YS-coded 400 offers a slightly more torque (441 lb.-ft.) that makes the GTO feel effortless in everything it does. The big engine bay showcases the Pontiac Turquoise block and heads, which are topped by a correct louvered air cleaner and chrome valve covers, both GTO staples. It has been cleaned and maintained, but never restored, and like all good original cars it runs extremely well. It fires up easily, idles nicely, and has a nice V8 bark from the dual exhaust out back. Obviously this isn’t a show car but with power steering and an automatic transmission this car is incredibly easy to drive and rewarding on the road. And you won’t be ashamed to show off the engine bay, as it is more proof that this car lived an easy life. Heck, even the tar paper flaps insulating the front suspension are still in place!

Underneath, it’s original and a little grimy, but that’s how cars get when you use them as cars. There are plenty of guys who will wish that it were shiny and perfect, but we’ve found that cars with shiny, perfect undercarriages don’t get driven very often and that’s a shame. This one shows no major demerits and please take some extra time to examine those original floors and rockers, which are in excellent condition. Yes, there’s surface scale on the front suspension A-arms and some parts of the frame, more likely due to thin or non-existent paint from the factory than neglect or exposure. The TH400 3-speed automatic transmission was new to the GTO in 1967, and it’s a BIG upgrade over the previous 2-speed PowerGlide unit. It snaps off crisp shifts and history suggests that the TH400 might just be the most durable automatic transmission ever built, so go ahead and have some fun. In back there are 3.36 gears on a limited slip differential that make it feel lively without being too busy on the highway, making this Goat an excellent all-around cruiser that’s fun without being demanding. Ride quality is more luxury than sport, and it features new shocks that certainly help. An older dual exhaust system has the right soundtrack, deep without being obnoxious, and it sits on factory Rally I wheels with 215/70/14 Michelin whitewall radials at all four corners.

Documentation includes a full PHS package that verifies the specifications and numbers-matching status. It also includes the original manuals, Protect-O-Plate, top booklet, and a letter from Knafel Pontiac verifying that this was the car they used in the 1967 season as their parade vehicle.

If you’re looking for perfection, this isn’t it. But if you’re the kind of savvy collector who understands that sometimes a good original car that hasn’t been messed with can be a superior car, this is an excellent choice. It has an outstanding pedigree that includes its numbers-matching engine, a great color combination that’s a little unusual, and a no-stress personality that makes it very easy to live with. If that appeals to you, this is the GTO you’ve been waiting for. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any car in our inventory prior to purchase.