20 hours Ago By Nicholas Maronese
Article content A rare 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible could fetch big bucks when it crosses the auction block in Indianapolis mid-May, with the firm behind its sale, Mecum, estimating the hammer will come down between the US$300,000 and US$350,000 mark (CDN$415,000 and CDN$485,000). If it does, that’d put just outside the list of the top 10 most expensive Pontiacs ever to publicly trade hands. What this gorgeous Goat rag-top really has going for it is its unbelievably low mileage; apparently, in its 55 years on this planet, the Judge has put just 656 miles (1,055 km) under its tires.
It presents absolutely immaculately, with no visible wear on its tan upholstery, nor any chips in its Pepper Green paint. It doesn’t hurt that 1970 GTO Judges with roofs that go down are exceedingly uncommon—Pontiac built just 168 examples of the things, and even fewer the year prior. If you’re recalling our coverage of two years ago, when another ’70 Judge ‘vert crossed the million-dollar threshold and set a record for the model , and wondering why this example’s not quite up there, here’s the key: yes, it has the über-desirable four-speed manual and air conditioning options, but both are hooked up to a 400-cube V8 with the Ram Air III.
Now, we’d kill for a Ram Air III car, but the Goats that get the most come with the top-dog Ram Air IV package equipped on their engines. We’re talking dirty nerdy details, here, but at the end of the day, collectors want the cars that had the biggest horsepower ratings. Still, the strong sales of that GTO Judge and others recently means we wouldn’t be surprised if this car exceeded its US$300k to $350k pre-auction estimate, especially being a low-mile survivor as it is.
Classic-car insurer Hagerty says a mint condition example optioned like this car is will on average net about US$210,000 (CDN$290,000) but one or another, that average is about to be dragged upwards. If it does land within that estimate, it’ll just miss the top-10 list for the world’s most expensive Pontiacs, a list that starts on the bottom end around US$400k and is largely populated by early ’60s drag-racing-spec Catalinas; late ’70s Pontiac Trans Ams with direct ties to Smokey & the Bandit ; and, yep, you guessed it, ’69 and ’70 GTO Judge convertibles. We’ll update this post with the sale price after Mecum’s Indianapolis event on May 16, 2025.
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on Instagram , Facebook and X to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice..
