By 1969 the muscle-car era was in full bloom and near its peak, so it wasn’t unusual for a U.S. automaker like Pontiac to have some fun with one of its top models. Remember Plymouth’s Super Bird?

Well, Pontiac had The Judge, a souped-up GTO, which was already a legitimate muscle machine. The Judge featured twin air scoops on the hood, a small wing in back and this one adds Pontiac’s muscular 370-horsepower Ram Air IV V8 under its massive hood. That was a $390 option at the time.

If you want to download the March 2011 Model Retailer, please enter your subscriber number or subscribe below, it's free!