Today's small-car horsepower race recalls one that started in the mid-1960s and continued into the 1970s and produced such notable "muscle cars" as Pontiac's GTO. The GTO was introduced in the 1964 model year as a souped-up version of the homely midsize Tempest before becoming a sporty model of its own in 1966. Starting in 1969, GTO buyers who wanted something even sportier could choose "The Judge," an option package named after a catch phrase from the TV show "Laugh-In." For an extra $337, the Judge GTO came with a 366-horsepower Ram Air V-8, rally wheels, fiberglass blackwall tires, a rear deck airfoil, side stripes and as a black textured grille. The base GTO wasn't shabby in the horsepower department either, with its 350-horsepower V-8. Pontiac sold 40,149 GTOs in 1970, 4,356 of them with the Judge option. GTOs also came in a convertible model, although the vast majority -- 36,266 -- were coupes. The Judge could go from zero to 60 mph in six seconds and could travel a quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds.
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