Tag: Leno

The

Pontiac GTO
is often regarded as the car that sparked the

American muscle car
revolution. However, because of its powerful V8 engine and aggressive styling, some have even refered to the GTO as the world’s first Supercars
. Though that may be a little doubtful, the GTO is still considered to be “The Goat” of Muscle Cars
, and it became an icon during the golden age of muscle cars. Jay Leno is a big fan of all historic cars, and in his recent video, he took a very rare Pontiac GTO for a spin, and went back in time to an era of forgotten legends.

1965 Pontiac GTO Royal Bobcat Took Performance To A New Level

Jay Leno’s
latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage puts the spotlight on the 1965 Pontiac GTO Royal Bobcat. The car, owned by Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jordan “Joker” Smith, features a rare Royal Bobcat package developed by Royal Pontiac in Royal Oak, Michigan. Known for turning factory GTOs into street-racing legends, the Royal Bobcat upgrades added horsepower and performance through a range of tweaks, including Tri-Power carburation, enhanced ignition systems, and advanced tuning techniques. While the GTO was already a pretty amazing car with its 389 V8 pumping out around 360 hp, this tweaked-up version could churn out around 400 hp, putting it in supercar territory for that era. This is also one of the reasons why Jay Leno says that this car is often hailed as one of the world’s first supercars.

1965 Pontiac GTO Royal Bobcat Specifications

A Rare Pontiac With A History

Smith, who is an avid car enthusiast, recounted his journey to acquire this rare GTO, which was previously part of Pontiac legend Jim Wangers’ personal collection. Jim is often considered to be considered the ‘Godfather’ of the GTO, as he helped to market the vehicle. The original price of this GTO in 1965 was around $3,500, but because of its legacy and significance, as of January 2025, a well-preserved or meticulously restored example can command significant prices at auction. Right now, a 1965 Pontiac GTO Royal Bobcat is listed for auction at Mecum’s Kissimmee 2025 event, with an estimated value between $100,000 and $125,000.

“Modern cars feel like 60 at 100, but this makes 60 feel like 100—and that’s where the fun is!”

Jay Leno also claims that “this was the car that made fast cars fun and attainable.” The Pontiac GTO legacy carried over through the years until the car went out of production. In fact, the Pontiac GTO was one of the fastest muscle cars in the 2000’s.

Fast Facts About The Pontiac GTO Royal Bobcat

• It Was a dealer-tuned beast
• It could secretly exceed GM’s horsepower Limit (General Motors imposed a corporate limit of 400 horsepower on its cars)
• It came with a How-To Kit
• Pontiac engineers sometimes collaborated with Royal Pontiac, using the Bobcat as a testbed for experimental performance features