Pontiac GTO

The Pontiac GTO is credited as the first muscle car. It was created by "placing a large engine in a small car", although it was based on the Le Mans and Tempest and was not all that small. The name was derived from the Ferrari GTO and stood for "Gran Turismo Omoligato", or "Grand Touring Homologated". Despite this the GTO did not compete in GT racing. It was mainly contested in the Grand National. The GTO was discontinued after the Oil Crisis of 1973 killed the performance car, but was revived after the turn of the millennium based on the Holden Monaro. It was at this point that it competed in grand tourer racing. However, it was too late. The Pontiac brand was on its way out, and the revived model with it.