Restoration
Jim Wangers Pontiac GTO Judge

Editor's Note: Co-creator of the Pontiac GTO and several other Pontiac specialty cars, Jim Wangers, also known as the "Godfather of the GTO," helped establish the "musclecar" of the Sixties to its rightful niche in the history of American car marketing. As Pontiac's marketing man, Wangers was there, helping to steer Pontiac down the road of success during American musclecar glory days of the '60s and '70s.


He first found work in the automotive field with Campbell Ewald, the advertising agency servicing Chevrolet. Jim's personal career theme was then as it is now: "If you want to be perceived as a winner by the public, you have to beat somebody." This concept has guided his career to this day. With his award-winning book "Glory Days" recounting more than 40 years in the auto industry, Wangers is more excited about Pontiac than he's ever been and continues to be actively involved within the automotive industry. Jim is the former publisher of "Pontiac Enthusiast Magazine" as well as founder of Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc. (AMCI), an automotive testing and marketing firm. He recently wrote and published another book, "Pontiac Pizazz," which recollects his favorite Pontiacs throughout his career.

Real Muscle
I was asked by the director of a very prestigious classic-car group, The Newport Beach Concours d'Elegance, to help select the top local musclecars for a display at their classic-car gathering at The Oaks Polo Field in San Juan Capistrano, California. Their selections included several "Goats" and Firebirds, so it became obvious that some folks really don't know exactly what a musclecar is.


"I don't know what to say about these things," the director exclaimed, "What actually makes a car a musclecar—" I quickly framed an answer, inviting him to use my explanation in any communication he needed. I would like to share my definition here. I call it "The Anatomy of the Musclecar."


Too many of us rattle off the term musclecar as if we really understand what it actually means. All musclecars are high-performance cars, but not all high-performance cars are musclecars!


Sound confusing? Actually it's really very simple. In the early 1960s, Detroit got locked into a very competitive horsepower race. Most of the manufacturers were building "really big" 4,000-pound full-size cars and putting "really big" 400 cubic-inch (6.6-liter) engines in them. At the same time, these manufacturers were looking down the road to where the future of the American car was headed.

Continued on Page 2

Copyright autoMedia.com 2000-2009



 
Related Photos More Photos...

carburetor id number matching numbers
Every carbur...

Attach the g...
breaker point plate
The breaker-...
collector car sales
In addition ...
low reading engine compression
If a cylinde...



Related Articles
Carburetor Classics: The Humble SU
Carburetor Classics: The Notorious Stromberg 97
Carburetor Classics: The Hailed Holley 4150
The Evolution of the Pickup Truck
Jewels in the Junkyard - Self-serve


autoMedia Car Blog
autoMedia CARnival 11-20-09: This week in Auto Blogs
It's the week ending November 20, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather the highlights from each.It was a bad week ... more...

LA Preview: 2011 Mazda2
Mazda will introduce its award-winning Mazda2 subcompact to North America at the LA Auto Show. It is offered in sedan, three-door hatchback, and five- ... more...

LA Preview: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Los Angeles kicks off the North American new-car auto show circuit on December 2nd when the LA Convention Center opens its doors to the media, ahead o ... more...


Forum Highlights
Re: Aluminum wheels and a flat tire
I am sure you have your tire changed by now, but this is a common problem when using aluminum wheels.  Once you realize you have a problem, hitti ... more...

Re: Chevy 3.8L Engine cutout
 I would call it in intermediate job.  You will need some special tools to do it, but if you have some experience doing repairs, and not jus ... more...

Re: The correct Voltage/Amps for Horn??
I'm not sure I have ever seen an actual horn go bad.  When they do stop working, it is usually an electrical issue.  You want to make sure i ... more...


Car Buying Guide

QUICK SEARCH:


Specs, prices, photos & more
SEARCH BY BODY STYLE:
FREE New Car Price Quote
Get the best price - it's easy!
Zip Code

Used Car Buying Guide


2000-2009 autoMedia.com Inc. All Rights Reserved.