Pontiac built just 17 examples of the 1971 GTO Judge convertible, and this white, unassuming-looking survivor from The Brothers Collection is one of them. Sharp-eyed viewers spotted honest rust on its rear quarter panel, proof this is a preserved original rather than a show-polished restoration. Commenters still debate why so few were ever built. Watch Muscle Car Of The Week’s 202nd episode take a close look at one of Pontiac’s rarest configurations.
Posts Tagged: The Judge
Only 17 Pontiac GTO Judge convertibles were built for the 1971 model year, and this white example, from The Brothers Collection, is one of them. A commenter details a sister car restored in Oregon with a 455, four-speed, and Super Duty upgrades. Others argue over which cars carried the rare Ram Air IV engine. Watch the full episode to see the wing and stripes that give it away.
Pontiac’s chief engineer reportedly named this option package after a punchline from a 1960s comedy show, and it became one of the most collectible names in muscle car history almost overnight. This particular 1969 GTO Judge wears a documented Verdoro Green paint job backed by PHS paperwork confirming its factory drivetrain. Read on to see what set the Judge’s debut year apart from everything that followed.
The Pontiac GTO sits near the top of any credible list of great muscle cars, and its most theatrical variant took its name from a comedian’s catchphrase on a late-1960s sketch show. The particular 1970 Judge that ended up in Jay Leno’s garage carries a 366-horsepower engine, a four-speed, a hood-mounted tachometer, and an owner who runs one of the biggest names in classic tire manufacturing. The naming story alone is worth the detour.
