Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 22:13:37 +0000
Reply-To: rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Todd Last <rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Was 1984 VW Vanagon Camper Now GTO
Seems Ferrari does keep records after all. :-)
Note that this info is for the 350 GTO, not the 1984 GTO.
Part of the lure of the GTO is its exclusivity; only 39 were built. In theory at least 100 should have been built, as this was the number required to qualify the car at the time for international sports car racing. In fact the letters "GTO" stand for "Gran Turismo Omologato" which translates into "Grand Touring Homologated" or "approval" for racing. It was either Enzo Ferrari's name or his inscrutable charm that enabled the rule makers to let the technicality slip by.
You may have heard conflicting accounts of exactly how many GTOs came from the Ferrari factory, with 40, 36, 33 or 32 as oft heard numbers. For the record, this is the breakdown:
* 32* 250 GTOs with the series 1 body
* 3 330 GTOs with the series 1 body
* 3 250 GTOs with the series 2 body
* 1 250 GTO with LMB bodywork
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "mike ." <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
> GTO was the designation that Ferrari used and that was indeed what it meant.
> [I think O was Omligato but that's homologated was what it meant] Even
> though they only produce 53 or 54 [Ferrari doesn't believe in keeping
> records]
>
> Then Pontiac borrowed it, and GT 2+2. Don't know of anyone else who used it
> actually.
>
> GTO run about $10 million right now.
>
> I don't.
>
> MikeWasw
>
>
> On 5/7/07 2:04 PM, "joel walker" <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
>
> >> What does the "GL" designation mean?
> >
> >
> > nobody really knows ... and vw never said.
> >
> > but it goes back to the semi-olden days of cars ... when the
> > manufacturers wanted to designate their luxo models from the plebian
> > grocery-carriers. ;)
> > L - usually meant Luxury or some form of that word - more 'stuff' than
> > the base models.
> > GL - was then Grande Luxury; more better than just the L.
> > GLS - was Grand Luxury Sport!! more better than L but more
> > sporty/racey than the GL.
> > GT - Grande Touring. not sport, but not luxury ... sort of comfy
> > trip-taking.
> > GTO - was Grande Touring Obligato or however you say Olbigatory in
> > Italian. :) it meant that at least 100 of these cars had been produced
> > to meet the rules of racing in certain classes under the regulations
> > of some european racing organizations. if you didn't build at least
> > 100 of them, you had to race against a different bunch of folks (who
> > usually had lots more money and bigger engines!).
> >
> > don't think i ever saw a just-G label. but there were LS, and later
> > the japanese started up the XL and XLS ... Xtra Luxury? :)
> >
> > so basically, it's just a trim/interior/accoutrements difference
> > designator ....
> > an L might have carpet (instead of the rubber mats that were used in
> > the base models)
> > but a GL might have carpet AND leather seats AND power mirrors.
> > whereas a GLS would have carpet and leather seats but a manual
> > transmission and more hp in the engine.
> > a GT might have carpet and leather seats, manual transmission and more
> > hp, but air conditioning (as standard. already figured into the
> > price), and fog lights or driving lights or both.
> > and a GTO might have almost nothing ... since it was expected that you
> > were going to fit it out with your own seats and if you're racing, you
> > don't want/need carpet, and so on.
> >
> > so it kinda works this way:
> > no letters - cheap car.
> > the more letters, the more expensive the car.
> > :)
> >
> > simple, yes?
> >
> > hope it helps. ;)
> > unca joel
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