What Made The 1970 Pontiac GTO A Legendary Part Of Muscle Car History

The 1970 Pontiac GTO’s ascension to the ranks of muscle car legend began with a few notable modifications to its exterior design. To be clear, the ’70 model didn’t receive a complete facelift from the distinctive semi-fastback, twin-scooped hood look that helped the ’69 build feel so imposing barreling down the road. However, in a move that gave the GTO more “Firebird-y” features, Pontiac squeezed in the vehicle’s elongated front end a touch, while insetting and slightly rounding-off its iconic split grille. The manufacturer also squared the bezels of the headlights on each side, making them far more prominent in the front-end frame. 

Pontiac further altered the body by flattening the vehicle’s wheel guards, a seemingly innocuous move that somehow gave the ’70 GTO a more combative vibe, as did adjustments to the front and rear fenders. While the 1970 build didn’t veer too far in look from its immediate predecessor, the redesign left this GTO looking dramatically different from any of the noble GTOs that came before. All in all, the ’70 GTOs general lack of rounded edges simultaneously made it look sleeker and more muscular, ensuring it would be intimidating to any vehicle that dared challenge it.

Of course, if you wanted to soften the GTO’s power-hungry look, upgrading to the GTO’s Judge trim package allowed buyers to outfit their vehicle in groovy colors and tri-color decals to boot. But even with the trippy upgrades, the 1970 GTO still fronted a formidable frame when it hit the open road, and one could argue that Pontiac never improved upon it.