Unveiled 55 years ago, The Judge remains one of the icons of the original muscle car era. Enthusiasts all over the globe still dream about driving one, and the lucky few who can afford it are willing to pay outrageous amounts to own one.

Although it was not the first American-built intermediate to borrow a powerful V8 from a full-size model, the 1964 Pontiac GTO is credited with pioneering the muscle car craze.

It all started with John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee, who firmly believed that a performance-oriented version of the second-generation, Tempest-based LeMans, combined with a good marketing campaign, would lure younger buyers to Pontiac dealerships.

Blatantly ignoring GM’s internal policy that limited intermediates to a maximum engine displacement of 330 ci (5.4 liters), the Pontiac team replaced the LeMans’ standard 326-ci (5.3 liters) with the big, 389-ci (6.4 liters) from the Grand Prix hardtop coupe, giving birth to the optional GTO package.

Pontiac hoped to sell around 5,000 GTOs that year, but ended up exceeding that figure by 27,450 units.

The resounding success of the 1964 GTO kickstarted one of the most exciting chapters in American automotive history, prompting all other carmakers to follow suit.

In the years that followed, the GTO became Pontiac’s high-performance flagship and benefitted from continuous refinement that made it more exciting with every model year.

Here come ‘Da Judge

Photo: Mecum

In 1968, all GM intermediates – including the GTO, which became a separate model two years earlier – were completely redesigned. The new semi-fastback styling with its innovative Endura front bumper, devised to absorb impact at low speeds without deforming, combined with a largely-unchanged, mildly-improved engine lineup assured that the GTO continued to be popular as sales went up by around 6,000 units that year.

Nevertheless, the GTO was facing increasingly stringent competition, so for the 1968 model year, Pontiac president John DeLorean instructed his team to devise a special edition in order to keep sales from slumping.

Initially, a cheaper GTO equipped with a 350 HO and affordable features aimed at Plymouth’s hot-selling Road Runner was presented. DeLorean, however, the boss dismissed it and went the other way, demanding the most powerful, eye-catching, premium feature-laden GTO conceivable.

The resulting special edition, which he approved for production, was dubbed “The Judge,” a name inspired by the catchphrase “Here come ‘Da Judge,” made famous by the legendary Sammy Davis Jr. in the Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In comedy show.

The Carousel Red muscle car icon that was actually orange

Photo: Mecum

Revealed to the public in December 1968, The Judge was instantly recognizable from the standard GTO.

For the better part of the model year, the special edition was only available in Carousel Red (which was actually orange), complemented by distinctive blue and yellow side stripes and “The Judge” logos.

Other visual enhancements that came standard on The Judge included a unique rear spoiler that didn’t just look good but sligh, a hood-mounted tach, and a set of Rally II wheels wrapped in wider tires.

Powered by one of two potent Ram Air V8s

Photo: Mecum

Unlike the normal 1968 GTO, which came with a 350-hp 400-ci (6.6 liters) L78 as standard, The Judge’s standard V8 was the 400-ci (6.6 liters) D-port Ram Air L74, complete with the driver-controlled Ram Air system.

With a 10.75:1 compression ratio, the engine was rated at 366 hp and was linked to a standard Hurst-shifted three-speed manual. Buyers could also choose an optional Muncie four-speed (M20 wide-ratio and M21 close-ratio were available) or the M40 three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic auto.

But unquestionably, the most important option was the new L67 400 Round-Port Ram Air IV engine. Upgraded with a ton of goodies like four-bolt mains, an aluminum intake manifold with larger ports, higher-flow exhaust manifolds, or limited-travel hydraulic lifters, the V8 delivered only four extra ponies (370 hp) but had a higher power potential if adequately tuned.

It failed to boost GTO sales but was a success nonetheless

Photo: Mecum

Though it wasn’t the cheap special edition initially proposed, the Judge package could be had by adding just $337 ($2,950 today) to the $3,156 ($27,631 today) base price of the standard GTO.

But, if you wanted to add options like the Ram Air IV engine, a four-speed Muncie, the Safe-T-Track limited-slip diff, power-assisted front disc brakes, or power steering, the total price went up to around $4,500 ($35,020), which was about what you had to pay for a HEMI-powered Dodge Charger R/T.

Therefore, The Judge wasn’t the go-to, no-brainer pick for high-performance enthusiasts. Still, Pontiac managed to sell 6,833 units, which meant the special edition was a success.

Unfortunately, it didn’t help bolster the overall sales of the GTO by much. Including the Judges, Pontiac sold 72,287 GTOs in 1969, roughly 15,000 less than the previous year.

The 1969 Judge today

Photo: Mecum

With several alterations, The Judge returned in 1970 and was offered for a few months in 1971, but with sales dropping significantly, it was eventually discontinued.

Today, the 1969 Judge is considered one of the greatest models created during the original muscle car era. Therefore, surviving examples are some of the most sought-after American classics out there.

According to Hagerty, the average price for one in good condition stands at $170,000, while low-mileage, highly original, Concours-level Judges go for over $250,000.

If you want to take a virtual tour of one such example and see it in action on the streets, we recommend watching the YouTube video below by Lou Costabile.