While the GTO has a legendary reputation for performance, this particular 1966 Pontiac GTO convertible is noteworthy for a different reason: it’s flat-out gorgeous. One of the prettiest cars we’ve featured, this Candlelight Cream Goat features a fresh professional frame-off restoration on an ultra-clean southern car and it’s not just another pretty face—this sucker works! Nicely optioned and expertly detailed, it’s ready to drive or show almost anywhere, and we have a hunch that you’ll never get tired of looking at it in your garage. Just make sure your other cars aren’t the jealous type.

When you think performance and GTO and the ‘60s, you might not think of a creamy yellow convertible, but when you see this car in person, it really works. Code Y Candlelight Cream is this car’s original color and the fellow who ordered it new exhibited impressive taste. Not necessarily built to be a brawler, this car nevertheless carries itself with attitude, as if it knows it’s the top of the 1966 food chain. Part of the reason why the paint pops the way it does is because it’s a bold cream, and sadly, it’s tough to duplicate in photos—it’s a bit more yellow than it looks and the overall look isn’t cream but isn’t yellow, either. Add in the bright red pinstripe for some contrast and you get a car that’s simply striking in person. There’s also plenty of restored brightwork and there has to be a rather hefty bill from the chrome shop in the inch-thick stack of receipts that accompany the car. Details like the ‘6.5 LITRE’ badges are crisply rendered and it carries correct T3 headlights in all four positions, a nice detail that often goes unnoticed but costs $1200 to get right. Clearly this wasn’t a budget restoration. The louvered taillights are unique to 1966 and are part of why this is a particularly popular year for GTOs, and we have to admit that the hood scoop works just right on this car.

The black interior is also how it was originally spec’d and it, too, is beautifully restored. Twin bucket seats flank a woodgrained center console, suggesting once again that Pontiac knew its customers wanted a bit of luxury with their performance. There’s also a gorgeous woodgrained wheel to match along with a full set of Rally gauges, including a tachometer, all of which are operational. For 1966, an AM/FM radio was still a somewhat unusual feature, and it works like it should, too. The minimalist shifter for the automatic transmission underneath is nevertheless easy to manage and it drops right into gear as if it’s anxious to get going. New carpets are protected by GTO-logo rubber floor mats as original, plus a set of aftermarket carpeted floor mats with color embroidery—a little overkill, maybe, but nice to have. Almost everything you can touch or see inside this car is new and it has a crispness that’s hard to restore back into a car. With fresh weather seals, the windows slide into place and the doors close securely, and the black power convertible top stows easily under a matching black boot. This is a big car, so that means there’s a big trunk out back, correctly outfitted with a reproduction mat, full-sized spare tire, and a full jack assembly.

1966 was the final year for the venerable 389 in the GTO, with this car carrying its original YS-coded V8 rated at a rather stout 335 horsepower. Rebuilt to stock specs, there’s a 4-barrrel carburetor living under the familiar louvered air cleaner, matching chrome valve covers, and correct Pontiac Turquoise engine enamel. And unlike so many other fresh restorations and trailer queens, this car starts almost instantly, idles beautifully hot or cold, and drives superbly with all the bugs already worked out. That’s not cheap nor easy and it proves someone was sweating the details when this car went together. Power steering and power brakes mean that anyone can get comfortable behind the wheel or on the road. And check out the overspray on the firewall—just the way the factory did it. Other nice details include a reproduction battery, correct wiring, and factory-style decals. It’s pretty enough to show but works so well, you’ll have a hard time resisting the call of the open road.

The chassis is no less well finished. The transmission was rebuilt, the brakes are new, and the suspension was rebuilt with fresh shocks all around. Solid floors appear to be original equipment, so no patches or wholesale replacement and that pays off in a car that feels tight and offers great panel fit. The exhaust is new and has just the right sound, aggressive but not obnoxious. There’s more factory-style overspray on the rockers and balancing marks on the driveshaft. The only notable deviation from stock specs are a set of air shocks out back, but those can be handy if, say, this car is called into parade duty. Note the super solid inner rockers and body mounts, the new gas tanking hanging out back, and new hardware throughout. Adding to the car’s gorgeous good looks are those ultra-rare Hurst alloy wheels, which carry right-sized 225/70/14 redline radials that look fantastic against the yellow paint.

Documentation includes full PHS paperwork that verifies everything I’ve just told you, a reproduction window sticker, and a huge stack of restoration receipts.

We love this car for all the right reasons. We were smitten from the start by its gorgeous good looks, but when it turned out to be more than just a pretty face. For an icon, this one is pretty easy to live with. Just get in and have fun. Call today!

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