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In mid-January, a Pontiac GTO crossed the million dollar mark at auction for the first time A 1970 GTO Judge Convertible was sold for $1.1 million at an auction held by Mecum Auctions in Kissimmee, Fla. on January 13. The “goat” — sporting an attractive Orbit Orange paint job and rocking the brand’s vaunted Ram Air IV 400-cube V8 — was one of just 17 convertible Richters built that year.
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The “Judge” package for Pontiac’s hot GTO model provided owners with a number of upgrades, including the aforementioned Ram Air V8; Rally II wheels; a Hurst T-handle shifter; a special rear spoiler; and bright “Judge†graphics, the name being a nod to a sketch of the then-popular brand Rowan & Martins Laugh-In tv show. Not only did this car boast the rare trifecta of Ram Air IV, convertible body style and Judge trim, but it also climbed the value ladder by being very well equipped, especially since it started out as a works show car; and by undergoing a Concours-winning restoration a few decades ago to bring it back to pristine condition.
Auto insurer Hagerty Judge estimates similarly-spec convertibles at around $562,000, so even after explaining so thoroughly what pumped up its price, we still have to admit sticker shock. It’s apparently only the second time a Pontiac has surpassed the million-dollar mark, and the other car to do so was a special, one-off 1954 Motorama concept car, the Bonneville Special, sold in 2015 for a 3.3 million dollars was sold.
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The poncho wasn’t even the only seven-figure sale to break model-specific records at this year’s Mecum event. A 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona that actor David Spade famously bought a few years ago was also outperformed that model’s record auction price of $1.32 million, also set at a Mecum event just last May. Spade paid $900,000 for the gorgeous brown Hemi-powered four-speed in 2015, but this time The Winged Warrior crossed the block for $1.43 million.
This price is less surprising as Daytona prices have been rising in the stratosphere for quite some time. But it was still helped by the fact that it’s the “Slowest 4-speed Hemi Daytona with an original engine,” notes Mecum, with just 6,490 miles (10,444 km) on the odometer. Although hardly driven, the car underwent a restoration a long time ago – one of the first OE Concours restorations ever done on a Moparindeed pulled from the legendary Roger Gibson.
With Barrett-Jackson’s Tentpole Scottsdale sale beginning this week, we’ll most likely see more auction records tumbled. We will keep you informed if this is the case.
