The 1964 Pontiac GTO, the car that launched the ’60s muscle car movement, is a direct descendant of the 1962-63 Tempest LeMans.
1962 Tempest LeMans Convertible
The 1964 Pontiac GTO and the 1962-63 Tempest LeMans are very different cars: different platforms, different powertrains. Still, it’s difficult to imagine the birth of the GTO without the LeMans to precede it. Introduced on September 21, 1961 with the rest of the ’62 Pontiac line, the original LeMans followed roughly the same pattern as the Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Cutlass, two more General Motors senior compacts with special features. All three were no doubt inspired by the success of the Corvair Monza, which demonstrated that many potential compact buyers had a clear preference for sporty deluxe versions.
1962 Tempest LeMans Convertible
As a Tempest, the ’62 LeMans used the same unique Pontiac bent driveline and transaxle system, a fascinating setup if there ever was. (See our feature on the so-called rope drive here.) The LeMans also offered the same selection of Tempest inline fours and 215 cubic-inch aluminum V8s with up to 190 hp.
Where the LeMans differed was in its exterior trim and snazzy interior. Bucket seats were standard in the all-vinyl Morrokide cockpit with an elegant monochromatic theme that was available in five colors. In contrast, the Tempest offered multicolor schemes in cloth and vinyl. LeMans Body styles were limited to two: a two-door post Coupe and a Convertible.
1963 Tempest LeMans Convertible
For 1963 the Tempest and LeMans were given all-new styling with five inches added to the overall length, now 194.3 inches. Overall, the new look was far more big-car conventional, but the wheelbase remained the same at 112 inches. The LeMans received an exclusive rear end treatment in which the four round tail lamps of the Tempest were replaced by a full-width bright-metal panel with rectangular lights.
1963 Tempest LeMans
In 1963, the Tempest and LeMans were split into two separate series, as LeMans sales were claiming a growing chunk of the total volume. That year, the LeMans brought in 61,000 of the combined Tempest/LeMans sales of 131,000 vehicles. Interiors were much the same as before, but now there was a floor-mounted shifter for the two-speed automatic versions to match their stick-shift (three or four speeds) siblings. The two body styles, Coupe and Convertible, continued. Unlike Buick and Olds, Pontiac never offered its senior compact as a pillarless hardtop.
1963 Tempest LeMans
Another addition for ’63 was the new 326 cubic-inch Pontiac V8 with 260 hp, which provides one more interesting factoid in Motor City lore. Except for its smaller displacement, the 326 was a virtual carbon copy of the familiar 389 CID Pontiac V8, with the same 3.75-in stroke but a smaller 3.78-in bore. But hold on: That works out to 336.66 cubic inches, not 326. As the story goes, there was a GM corporate limit for the GM senior compacts of 330 CID. Pontiac simply stepped around the edict by declaring the new V8 a 326 for marketing purposes. In the following year, the bore was reduced to 3.7187 inches for a genuine displacement of 325.83 cubic inches.
The Pontiac V8 added 260 lbs to the Tempest/LeMans, mainly over the front wheels, producing an unhappy 54/46 percent weight distribution. The original Tempest platform had reached the practical limit for power and handling. But fortunately, the ’64 product was a totally different package with a perimeter frame, longer 115-in wheelbase, and conventional driveline with rear live axle and four-link suspension. The new platform was easily capable of handling more power. Pontiac engineers Russ Gee, Bill Collins, and John DeLorean knew instantly that if the 326 would fit, so would the 389, and the 1964 GTO was born.
1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans
I suppose the Tempest/LeMans=GTO could be compared to the Falcon=Mustang, Valiant=Barracuda, Rambler American=SCRambler.. It was a phenomenal way to boost sales without massive retooling. It should be noted, the ’61 Tempest was a huge seller, over 100K cars, ’62 bigger yet, but in ’63, as mentioned, “only” 61,000, and only half that for ’64, including the GTO. I have a Tempest story, now the details are sketchy, but true. I have a friend in N.Wis. that in the 50s-60s his dad and uncle ran the local garage in a small N.Wis. town. He claims his dad helped shoehorn a 389 Bonneville motor into a new, at the time, ’62ish Tempest. He claims it pre-dated the GTO by a couple years. He wasn’t alone. The GTO came out in late ’63 for the ’64 year, and Ronny and the Daytonas hit “Little GTO” was months away, it took a spell for the GTO craze to kick in. In 1964, I read 32,450 LeMans/GTOs were sold. In ’65, that number was almost 76,000 GTOs, not including the almost 40,000 non GTO Tempests,( that probably became GTO clones). I bet many ordered a Tempest long before the whoo-ha of a GTO set in, blissfully unaware of the Tempests role in one of the biggest automotive adventures ever, the muscle car, and Aunt Gladys had it 1st, go figure.
Yes, the Pontiac V8 will certainly fit in the early Tempest without much trouble. The Tempest slant 4 is the right bank of the 389 V8. In a similar way, a big-block Mopar V8 will fit in an early Valiant/Lancer with a bit of remodeling. But it won’t fit in there via the Chrysler factory method, up from the bottom between the rails.
When I was a boy, a kid across the street had a ’65 LeMans hardtop with a 326 and a four-speed. Silver with a black interior. It was much the same car as a GTO, just slower and he could afford the insurance.
My aunt has a le mans it was a 326 3 speed stick on the floor. She used to drive it fast n hard and not was it quick. I used to like to ride with her lol. Great car no problems
The Tempest competed at Daytona and did really well (deserves a story of its own). Allegedly Mercedes bought the car and it was never seen again.
A replica is on display at the Daytona Speedway museum.
A friend of mine built the ’63 Daytona Continental replica. It’s nice. I signed the valve cover.
As a lad of 14, next door neighbor traded his 55 Nomad in for a new 64/326/4 sp Tempest hardtop, w/the checkered flag themed 326 emblems on the front fenders. He was very disappointed when the GTO came out about a month later.
I bought a ’63 Lemans coupe with the 326/automatic in late ’63. I have to tell you that was a fast car, beating 327 Chev’s all the time.The only modification I did was putting a dual exhaust system in since it was a 2 bbl version.
I still have my dad’s 65 GTO that he bought new when he got out of the navy.