Unearth Treasures at the 1971 'Hoard' Auction, Highlighting a Target-Practice 1970 Pontiac GTO

 

An authentic 1970 Pontiac GTO would usually command fantastic prices at classic car auctions. It probably won’t be the case with this derelict example since it was mistaken for years as a regular LeMans. And it also served as target practice.

Well, it is Texas we are talking about, so it should not come as a surprise that a couple of brothers used to shoot a derelict car whenever they came to the farm on weekends... That’s one way of putting the good ol' muscle car drag strip pedal-to-the-medal shootout into a different perspective! And it’s exactly what John and Howard Haney did back in the 1970s and 1980s with this LeMans-oh-no-it's-actually-a-GTO.

On the other hand, John was also responsible for the incredible collection of 270+ vehicles left under the Texan sun to gather up dust, rust, and cool stories. Now they’re gathered up under the “Great Texas Mopar Vehicle Hoard Auction” banner and include vehicles from way back in 1937. The dearly regretted John is no more, but his legacy endures, with cars, trucks, engines, toys, parts, literature, and memorabilia that needs “to be seen to be believed.”

It's not necessarily a secret treasure trove since all of them are going under the hammer this fall (October 13th and 14th) at no reserve. There are many “rare, one-of-a-kind, historically significant provenance vehicles,” but even so, the most interesting probably remains the shot-out 1970 GTO. Sure, we also have the entire list available, and it’s clearly a match made in heaven for anyone with a passion for all things Mopar.

Back to the 1970 Pontiac GTO, all we can say is that when Lone Star guys love a different automaker... these things can happen. In a background video (embedded below), Haney shares the fond memories that are tied to the shooting practice days... and even makes a demonstration on the spot! Wow, is this going to increase or decrease the value of the GTO relic at the upcoming auction?!

Never mind, as we found out its lovely story, which has nothing to do with its performance – although the interviewer confirms this is an actual 1970 GTO with a 400ci V8 engine and an automatic transmission. But anyways, one can easily find out this was a literal case of shooting first, asking questions later...