The 1970 Humbler

[Frosty]

Interesting little article about the 1970 Humbler and the rare VOE option. If you have not seen the 1970 Humbler commercial before, I encourage you to watch it. The commercial link is embedded with in the article.

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/07/21/humbler-1970-pontiac-gtos-vacuum-operated-exhaust-was-ahead-its-time.html

"Excessive humiliation" is not the true or whole reason the option was shelved. It was the TV commercial itself, which only ran for 30 days or less in November of 1969 before it was yanked from national and local television. GM executives who saw this commercial saw it as a blatant attempt by Pontiac encouraging illegal street racing (which they were).

The young man is driving around this circular restaurant. The restaurant happened to be on Woodward Ave which was "the illegal street racing capital of the Untied States" in those days. The restaurant has since been torn down BTW. The driver opens the VOE, guns his engine as he passes by several  people, Corvettes, Camaros, Chevelles, Mustangs, and 442s. He is clearly looking for a street race. This was a huge corporate marketing no-no. Plus there were several other GM cars in the ad, again marketing against GM's other divisions was another big no no too. So GM executives ordered Pontiac to remove the ad and to get rid of the VOE (a.k.a. the Tiger button) option altogether.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Frosty

[Ringo64]

Here's the video. I love the growl of that GTO though  

[TWO LANE BLACK TOP]

Seems like I remember seeing that commercial during an episode of the Brady Bunch....When I was 8 years old..Reason I can remember...There was someone with a green GTO..In our neighborhood. Pretty sure it a 68 model with loud mufflers..We used to try to race it on our Schwinns..(that I still have) The women who drove it had big Dolly Parton hair among other things..and would rev the engine and smile at us whenever she went by...Of course all us kids thought it was the coolest thing ever...Strange...The things you never forget .

Edited November 2, 2017 by TWO LANE BLACK TOP

[indymanjoe]

Thank QTP we have electric cutouts now. At one time Tom Hand was making these i thought,the VOE mufflers?

[Frosty]

Joe - Waldron's Exhaust in Centreville MI makes their VOE-2 / Driver Controlled Exhaust muffler and control kit. If you car had an original VOE, you only need to buy the mufflers.

Here is their YouTube video

 

 

[indymanjoe]

Boy that sounds sweeeeeeeet!

i think my car sounds like the open as it is now?

[Frosty]

Here is another article regarding the discontinuation of the VOE. Most of the facts are generally there but again, it was the fact that the ad:

1.  Was encouraging illegal street racing - a huge corporate no-no

2.  Advertising against siste cars like Corvettes, Carmaros, and 442s - another huge corporate mistake

That had the GM brass pull the plug on this ad. I also understand the car originally used in this ad has now been found and it is being restored.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/the-story-of-the-1970-pontiac-gto-humbler-the-car-that-angered-gm-management-184359.html