Autoblog

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1970 Pontiac GTO 455 HO Convertible - #6733 Sold at $126,500
1970 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV - #6660 No Sale

This stunning duo of jet-black goats had a huge crowd around them at Russo and Steele, and we were proud to be among them. Absolutely perfect cars mechanically, and that black paint looked like liquid. Despite their similarities, they are two very different cars. The convertible is one of only 158 GTO convertibles built with the 455 H.O. engine and 4-speed transmission. It's a complete frame-off rotisserie restoration job done by Level One Restoration in Colorado. Lots of awards and photo documentation of the restoration were included with the car at the auction. It was an all-original, numbers-matching, H.O. with an original build sheet and full Pontiac Historical Service documentation (PHS). The 455 H.O. was conservatively rated at 360hp and 500ft-lbs of torque.

The coupe was the even more rare and powerful Ram Air IV. Like the ultra-rare and desirable LS-7 or ZL-1 options from Chevy, or Stage III Buick, the RA IV is like the holy grail to Pontiac buyers. Here's where the numbers game starts. One of only 10 XP coded 370hp/400 RAM AIR IV cars built in the US and shipped to Canada, it's also one of only 140 RAM AIR IV cars built with an automatic transmission. It was special ordered with a black exterior and dark blue interior to represent a Canadian dealership in drag racing. It also has the cool hood tach and those mean-looking steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps. Another nut and bolt rotisserie restoration with PHS docs and lots of photos and trophies.

[Source: Russo and Steele]