John DeLorean created the GTOMost people associate John DeLorean with the silver gull-winged car that bears his name and starred in the "Back to the Future" films, but he had a long career with General Motors before he started the DeLorean Motor Company. DeLorean was born in Detroit and earned an engineering degree in 1948 despite taking a break to fight in World War II. DeLorean worked at Chrysler and Packard until 1956 when Bunkie Knudsen hired him away to Pontiac, which was losing ground to other brands at the time. DeLorean was a creative force at Pontiac, inventing hideaway windshield wipers and securing multiple automotive patents. DeLorean anticipated the explosion in demand for high-performance cars, but GM's upper management was nervous about a looming government antitrust suit. The company had also instituted an engine size limit of one cubic inch per 10 pounds of curb weight. DeLorean and his team realized that this limit applied to new models but not to option packages, so the W62 GTO package was added to the Tempest's option sheet. Pontiac dealers took 5,000 orders before GM's top brass got wise. By year's end, more than 32,000 had been sold, and GM couldn't kill the goose that laid the golden egg. By 1967, the suits had warmed to the GTO's appeal, and Trans Am racing success revived GM's interest in producing high-performance cars again. DeLorean stayed with Pontiac long enough to craft the Firebird and Grand Prix before going off on his own in 1973.The GTO's 400 cubic-inch engine came in several variantsAlthough the one and only engine option in the 1967 Pontiac GTO was the aforementioned 400 cubic-inch V8, it came in three configurations. An economy version with a two-barrel carburetor made 255 horsepower and delivered just over 10 miles per gallon on average while launching the 3,648-pound hardtop version from 0-60 in 8.1 seconds.The standard setup had a thirstier four-barrel carburetor that increased output to 335 horses, cut the 0-60 time to 5.7 seconds, and dropped fuel economy under the 10 miles-per-gallon mark. A high-output setup included tuning and timing tweaks that upped capacity to 360 horsepower and made the engine about a mile and a half per gallon thirstier. The $77 HO package also included an upgraded exhaust system, a hot cam, and a high-flow air cleaner. Fewer than 14,000 of the 82,000 or so '67 GTOs had the HO option. The next step up was the $263 Ram Air package, which included beefier valve springs and all the gear needed to connect the previously ornamental hood scoop to the air intake. The '67 GTO is a pop culture iconThe '67 GTO's sweeping lines and timeless appeal have made it a staple on television and movie screens. It appeared on contemporary shows like "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Mannix," in movie classics like "The French Connection," and even as the chosen ride of faux bad boy George Costanza on the fourth episode of "Seinfeld" Season 8. The GTO was also immortalized in song, although there are two common misconceptions surrounding the best-known ode to the GTO. The song is usually referred to as "Little GTO" based on the phrase used throughout, but the song is actually simply called "GTO." While the Beach Boys' version is likely familiar to many, the song was originally recorded by Ronny and the Daytonas, who took it to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September of 1964. Their version even earned gold record status by selling more than a million copies.