Pontiac’s 1968 LeMans redesign brought a bigger V8, a reworked six-cylinder, and styling upgrades that made it a legitimate GTO alternative for buyers watching their budget. This teal example, fully photographed at Gateway Classic Cars, shows off the changes that made 1968 a turning point for the model.
1968 Pontiac Lemans 350 CID V8 Automatic
MCF thanks Gateway Classic Cars for the images displayed here.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why did Pontiac call this engine a “350” when it actually displaced 353.8 cubic inches? It’s a mystery that’s followed the LeMans for decades, and it says a lot about how GM’s badge-engineering worked in the muscle car era. This teal 1968 LeMans, photographed in full at Gateway Classic Cars, packs exactly that oddly-named V8 paired with an automatic transmission — a combination that made 1968 something of a turning point for the model. The LeMans had started life in 1964 as a compact, but by this point it had grown into a genuine performance contender. What changed under the hood to get it there?
The Engine Nobody Can Quite Explain
Pontiac’s 350-cubic-inch V8 actually measured out to 353.8 cubic inches, built by stretching the earlier 326’s bore from 3.72 to 3.875 inches while keeping the 3.75-inch stroke shared with the 389 and 400. For 1968, buyers could choose a mild 265-horsepower two-barrel version running 9.2:1 compression, or the high-output 320-horsepower four-barrel with compression bumped to 10.5:1 — genuinely strong numbers for what was still technically a mid-size Pontiac, not the flagship GTO.
A Redesign Year That Reshaped the Whole Lineup
1968 wasn’t just about the engine — it was a full generational redesign for the LeMans, bringing concealed windshield wipers, an all-new rear-end treatment, and an expanded Morrokide interior that made the cabin feel considerably more upscale than earlier models. Pontiac also reworked the base six-cylinder that year, growing it to 250 cubic inches and offering both single- and four-barrel versions. Seen together in this gallery, the teal LeMans shows off exactly why 1968 buyers cross-shopped it against pricier GTOs — most of the styling and performance upgrades, at a friendlier price.
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related posts:
Dodge Challenger SRT8 2008 images
Buick Riviera 1963 images
Plymouth Satellite 1967 images
Lincoln Town Car 1977 images
Chevrolet El Camino 1966 images
Ford light duty pickup truck 1993 images
Plymouth Barracuda V-8 1965 images
Avanti II 1978 images
Jaguar XKE 4.2L Inline 6 1966 images
Buick Roadmaster 75 Riviera 1957 images
