Once upon a time ... the GT
09/09/2023
In the fifties or sixties, everyone knew what a GT or Granturismo vehicle was, namely a sports car that had to prove itself both in racing and on the "big journey". Accordingly, at least two, but preferably two plus two seats were mandatory, as was a usable trunk and, of course, an engine suitable for sporting purposes.
Typical GT sports cars at the time were the Maserati 3500 GT or the Ferrari 250 GT, but also the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT or the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupé. Most of them even had the "GT" in their name.
However, the attractive "GT" lettering was also discovered by the marketing people and soon adorned vehicles that no longer quite matched the original "description". After all, even in the early seventies, most GTs were still reasonably nippy coupés, but by the time the VW Golf GTI came along, the GT lettering was also used on a hatchback compact car. Now the fast Golf could also perform well in slalom, on hills or on the circuit, so the GT abbreviation was still acceptable.
Over the decades, GT vehicles became more and more comfortable and suitable for everyday use, and soon only very few people remembered their purpose on the racetrack. This probably explains why the "GT" badge can now also be found on the rear of an SUV (e.g. Peugeot).
However, the GTs of the late fifties to mid-seventies remained legendary and are still popular today, which explains the relatively high listings for many of these cars, especially as they usually looked really good and were a lot of fun to drive.
Let's see how the story continues ...
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