In 1969, Jim Wangers, Pontiac’s PR Manager and overall GTO enthusiast, was looking for a way to give the Goat even more publicity than anyone thought was possible. There were already songs, giveaway promotions, and a Pro Stock racing program well underway by that point. The head honchos at GM thought Wangers was crazy, and that the PR machine had reached it’s limits.

Boy, were they wrong. Wangers come up with the idea of “The Judge” based on the Laugh-In TV show character that many of the “young kids” could identify with.

Honestly, we don’t think the potential buying public made the connection. We believe they just knew a good thing when they saw it, and with the bold striping, graphics, and tall rear spoiler they bought into the image of the car more than anything else.

The available Code 52 Carousel Red paint gave the GTO additional attention-grabbing attitude and appeal that made everyone notice. Combine that with a advertising campaign that included a new track from Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the car became an instant hit.

The Judge would go on for two more model years after 1969, and all of them are rare, highly sought-after vehicles today. Earlier this morning, we ran across this ’69 Judge convertible on eBay, with a total of 108 examples for the 1969 model year.

For over $45K, you get a very rough '69 Judge convertible with a trunk load of random engine components. We don't care, if we had the coin to purchase and fix this thing up, we would.

It looks rough, but it’s very restorable, and very much worth bringing it back to showroom condition. Despite the fact that the original engine has parted ways from the shell, there is several remnants from 400 Pontiac motor included with the car. The seller was kind enough to include photos of the components, along with all of the part numbers and the trim tag for skeptics to analyze and review.

The current top bid is up to $45k as of this writing. For a car this rough, that seems like a lot. But considering what it is, you’re author is not entirely surprised. Steep, yes. But I’d be happy to get it running and drive it as is. Call me an eccentric, but it’s a ’69 GTO Judge convertible after all.