The Judge option for the GTO included the L74 366-hp Ram Air III 400 engine; driver-controlled Ram Air system; four-speed manual transmission with Hurst T-handle shifter.
LIMA – American automakers needed a doctor as the doors came slamming shut in the 1960s.
For most of the decade, the muscle cars that powered the profits of the Big Three — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler — were in peril, being attacked from all angles. There was the government, whose stringent pollution-related rules added to the costs of producing these all-out fast cars. Buying a muscle car also guaranteed a person’s auto insurance would increase. And the beginning of a worldwide oil crisis saw the price of gasoline starting to spike.
Instead of a doctor, however, they got “The Judge.”
The Judge was a special option package for the Pontiac GTO that was named after a catchphrase, “Here comes The Judge,” made famous by Sammy Davis Jr. on the popular comedy television show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.”
Darrel Kistler of Lima remembers that show well. He laughed out loud then, and today owns a 1970 Judge, which he brought to the Charity Car Show in June.
“I found it in Georgia,” said Kistler, who makes a living trading and selling vintage cars. “It not only was in perfect shape, but it’s an all original car … an example of why The Judge was the most powerful and good-looking GTO in the nameplate’s history.”
Kistler has the original window sales sticker that came with the car at Taber Pontiac in Atlanta. The car was listed for $4,347. Under the hood, it had a four-barrel, 400 engine with a 4-speed manual transmission. The outside was decorated with racing stripes, a spoiler, blacked-out grille and “The Judge” fender decals.
The Judge’s reign was short-lived. What began in 1969 ended in 1971 due to market conditions and a heavily regulated government environment. Still, The Judge remains a favorite of car collectors today.
It is a cornerstone example of muscle cars at their absolute peak.
GET YOUR CAR FEATURED
The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News, 3515 Elida Road, Lima, OH 45807.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
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