When Pontiac stuffed a 389-cid V-8 into its midsize LeMans to create the 1964 GTO, the muscle car era of the 1960s took off like a top-fuel dragster leaving the starting line. Chevy launched the Chevelle SS396 in 1965, Plymouth offered the Barracuda with the Formula S option and Ford's Fairlane GT housed a 390-cid V-8. Big-block pony cars soon followed.
GTO sales were beginning to sag by the late 1960s amidst the growing competition. Pontiac responded in 1969 with the GTO The Judge. Originally envisioned as a low-cost muscle car to compete with the Plymouth Road Runner, it actually ended up costing $332.07 more than the standard GTO. By 1970, the peak performance year for muscle cars, sales were impacted by rising insurance rates and impending smog rules, but before then, the Judge was at the head of the court. A total of 6,833 Judge hardtops and convertibles were sold in 1969, and another 3,797 were sold in 1970. Judge sales slid farther in 1971, and it was the last year for the option.
The Pontiac marketing gurus were looking to bring more attention to their hot intermediate models and the idea of The Judge was born. The name came from the popular Flip Wilson routine on the Rowan and Martin TV Show titled "Here Come the Judge." Advertising campaigns featured catch lines like "All Rise for the Judge" and "The Judge Can Be Bought."
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