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1974 GTO Hot

1974 GTO

Many people don’t know that the 1974 GTO is among the rarest ever produced. It’s fairly obvious why. The muscle car era was over by 1974. Sadly, almost no one cared either. High fuel costs, rising insurance rates and shifting attitudes doomed the market for nearly thirty years. Only in the last few years have muscle cars made a real comeback.

Another interesting fact that few people know is that the performance of the 1974 GTO was not all that bad. In its May 1974 issue, Cars magazine compared 1974 GTO complete with four-speed manual transmission and 3.08 gears with a 1964 GTO with a 389 four-barrel engine, automatic transmission, and 3.55 gears. The cars were strikingly similar. The 1974 posted a best quarter-mile pass of 15.72 seconds at 88 mph, while the 1964 model was slightly quicker; turning 15.64 at 90 mph. Zero-to-60-mph times for the two were similar at 7.7 and 7.4 seconds, respectively. What really stood out to the testers was how much ride and handling had improved since its inception.

In ten years the muscle car market had come full circle. The last GTO was just as good as the first GTO. All in all, that was a good way to end the era.

1974 GTO Specs

1974 GTO Statistics

Ventura GTO
Base Price $3,035
0-60 Time 7.7 sec
1/4 Mile Time 15.7 sec @ 88.0 mph
Engine Used 350ci/200hp
Source Cars Magazine 4/74

Production Numbers

Coupe Hatchback Total
Ventura GTO 2,487 687 3,174
Ventura GTO Custom 2,488 1,036 3,524

Available Engines

Code Size Cubic Inch Fuel System Horsepower @ rpm Torque @ rpm
V8 350ci 1x4bbl 200 @ 4400 295 @ 2800
The 1974 GTO was based on the Pontiac Ventura, not the LeMans. A hatchback and coupe were available.
Unique to the 1974 GTO was a functional Trans Am-style Shaker scoop that allowed the engine to draw cooler air from the base of the windshield under full throttle conditions.
1974 was the last year the GTO was available until Pontiac brought the brand back in 2004.
Even with less displacement and output than larger 455ci engines from the same year, the smaller body allowed the '74 GTO to perform similarly to its predecessors. High Performance Pontiac

 

1974 GTO For Sale

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1974 GTO Parts

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User reviews

Average user rating from: 1 user(s)

 

Overall rating: 
 
3.5
Looks:
 
4.0
Performance:
 
3.0
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3.0
Collectability:
 
4.0
 
 

What a ride it was

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
The Muscle Car began with a seven second GTO and the end of the GTO was marked with a seven second GTO. What a ride it was. The 1974 GTO is a rare car and the smart collector will add on to their stable.
Overall rating: 
 
3.5
Looks:
 
4.0
Performance:
 
3.0
Parts Availability:
 
3.0
Collectability:
 
4.0
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Reviewed by Muscle Car Man
January 09, 2009
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