Who owns the name GTO - Pontiac or Ferrari?

I guess no one. Like GT - how many cars are called GTs? From VW Golf to Maserati... I'm no expert, but I guess such common abbreviations can't be registered as trademarks

 

Yup, that's what finished Porsche off and thrust Peugeot to its current dominant position.

Presumably no one. Part of it is that I don't think there's much overlap between Pontiac shoppers and Ferrari shoppers. It would be hard for either company to claim that one has stolen sales from the other.

 

As an aside, can anyone confirm what GTO stands for?

IIRC, it is Gran Turismo Omologato or something like that in italian, which means Grand Touring Homologated, which certainly fits with heritage of the Ferrari 250 GTO, which was produced in a quantity which fit the standards of homologating a chassis for qualification to race.

How far off am I?

 

You are correct - Gran Turismo Omologato...

 

Generic term, like toilet paper. No one owns it, too late to try and TM it now.

Dave

 

In addition to my 328 I also have a 1967 Pontiac GTO, so in a way "I" own the name as much as anyone.

But my licensing terms are fairly generous. If you can spell it you can use it.

 

The defunct Pontiac GTO is being replaced with the G8 GXP.

 

John Deloren took GTO from Ferrari and put it on the Tempest with the optional big motor. Back in the days you could get away with it with out the army of lawyers after you.

 

Not true. The G8 replaces the Grand Prix and Bonneville.

 

true story. every time i go to a muscle car show, or see a pontiac GTO, i offer the owner $100 if he can tell me what it means. this week my mechanic had one in the shop and i made him the same offer. Still waiting.

 

I own both in 1:18 scale models. Does that count?

 

remember Beretta [Oldest corporation in the world/gun maker] suing Chevy for using their name. Infringe on their good PR of machine guns I guess.


akin to Madonna suing Britney because SHE was more like a virgin.
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Whenever I show mine there are always a few people who sincerely ask what it means. So far no one has offered me any money for the answer. I would love it if some smug know-it-all would offer me $100 for the answer. I would think the odds of actually being paid would be slim to none, guys like that usually are dicks. Or I say it stands for "Gas Tires & Oil because those are the things it consumes in massive quantities.

I love it when the Chebbie guys ask if it's a big block or a small block. Trivia question - Can you tell me why that is funny?

 

And don't forget that the Mitsu 3000GT was called the GTO in Japan.

But I can't imagine what they might have Omologato'd it for.

 

Hahah, as a Chevy guy during my high school years, I know the whole "big block" "small block" thing is Chevy territory only. The GTO's I'm aware of, all had the same size engine physically. It all the 3xx/4xx ci displacements were all internal.

The whole Ford thing is another world(Found On The Road Dead). You either had a Clevland, Windsor engine or xxxxx which meant nothing was cross-compatable for the engine when it came time to buy parts.

 

Hey, I resemble that remark

Though the automotive journalist elites bashed the car into the ground with no remorse, the car, during its time could out accel a Corvette ZR-1 and out-corner an Esprit.
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Wasn't it Get That Out of here!

 

Exactly. All Pontiac V-8's are externally identical in size. Same physical size for displacements from 326 to 455 cubic inches. Even after I explain it some of those guys still look at me, puzzled, and ask "So is it a small block or a big block?"... At that point I usually just say "big" and they walk away happy.

Ford engines never held a lot of interest, everyone I knew during my misspent youth were GM fans. No Fords, no Mopars, and absolutely none of that snotty foreign stuff!

 

If you search the TESS database and sort through the live, abandoned, and dead trademarks, General Motors current holds the US trademark (word mark) for GTO for the use on automobiles.

Word Mark GTO
Goods and Services IC 012. US 019 021 023 031 035 044. G & S: Motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles, sport utility vehicles, trucks, vans, engines therefor and structural parts thereof. FIRST USE: 20031218. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20031218
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 78116485
Filing Date March 21, 2002
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1B
Published for Opposition October 22, 2002
Registration Number 2833094
Registration Date April 13, 2004
Owner (REGISTRANT) General Motors Corporation CORPORATION DELAWARE 300 Renaissance Center P.O. Box 300 Detroit MICHIGAN 482653000
Attorney of Record Charles H. Ellerbrock
Prior Registrations 1703111;2522859
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

 

how would you know that if no one has ever offered? I've always thought guys that owned Pontiac GTO's and don't know what GTO means were usually dicks. And I'm right. Again!

 

That is exactly right!!!

I thought GM had registered GTO earlier, when John DeLorien, was Boss, at Pontiac Division, in the 1960's.

The Beretta, situation was settled, I believe in US Courts, but the GTO name, how was that handled between GM and Ferrari?

Ciao...Paolo

 

Well... except for the 301. =-)

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

 

I don't think Ferrari ever used "GTO" in the official name of the car, simply 250 GT. Can someone confirm this? Like the "Daytona", it was the automotive press that tacked on the name.