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AUGUST 2024; HIS 1974 PONTIAC VENTURA GTO WAS THE LAST OF THE ORIGINAL RUN

Jerry Admin

The Pontiac GTO became a legend overnight in 1964 when it broke new ground on the affordable muscle car concept.

Ten years later, the last of the original run for Pontiac GTOs ended the party—that’s what makes this mint ’74 GTO so unique.

Jerry Sutherland

The GTO was on its last run in 1974 because the older versions ran into whitewater with insurance companies. The cars were also gas hogs in an era when OPEC strangled the world at the gas pump. The last nail in the coffin for the original GTOs were heavy-handed emission laws and insane bumper laws.

The 1974 Pontiac GTO is a triumph for Detroit car builders because they built a cool car with their hands cuffed behind their back. These GTOs are not frequent flyers at car shows, so this mint version stood out at a recent event.        

Dave Addington is the proud owner of this 70s Poncho. He’s so connected with these cars, he turned his ’74 Ventura high school car into a ’74 GTO clone. That’s the kind of commitment to the cause you like to see in a car owner.

Dave met the owner of this ’74 GTO a few years ago—as he explained, “I was driving my clone, and he spotted it, and we talked over the next couple of years”.  Eventually, the car came up for sale and Dave became the next owner. Dave had to part with his high school car because life got in the way, but this real deal ’74 GTO was the perfect replacement.  

That’s why he knows the details behind the car. It was originally white, and it was restored in the early 90s. Dave bought the car in 2015 and he’s driven it ever since. He’s happy the car didn’t come with what he called “the hockey stick stripe option”, because he likes a cleaner look on his GTO.

The car had 81,000 miles on it, but now the clock reads 91,000 miles because Dave likes to put his car on the road—not in the garage.

The GTO still has what Dave called “a blue-block Pontiac 350” under the hood. He said, “It  also has an M-20 Saginaw four-speed—not a Muncie”. There are also sway bars front and back on his ’74 GTO because this was definitely more of a performance car than a stock 1974 Pontiac Ventura. The air induction hood was a surprise addition to the GTO in 1974 — and it’s functional thanks to a solenoid operated switch.

Ten thousand miles behind the wheel have convinced Dave that he made a great choice when he popped on this car almost ten years ago. He’s added period-correct Trans Am wheels to put his own brand on the GTO, but he’s left the car alone on many ways.  

Dave loves the driving experience in the GTO because the car handles great, and he gets a decent 22 miles per gallon on the road.

That was called a win in 1974 when the last Goats rolled off the assembly line.   

Jerry Sutherland

By: Jerry Sutherland

Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post,  Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.

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