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What Does GT Mean?

  • By Michael McKean
  • 5 min read

Ever wondered where the term GT comes from? A GT badge can be something that's

a GT logo on a car

Hola, amigos!

Ever wondered what's in a name?

Usually quite a lot. But if the meaning of that name gets blurred overtime, then it can often be practically nothing as well.

Sadly, that's sometimes the case with 'GT'. It's a term which you've probably seen slapped countless times onto car titles and badges, often with the hope of making that particular car appear more desirable to a potential buyer or leaser – you, in other words.

A GT badge can be something that's well sought-after. Maybe you associate it with a certain sportiness, or maybe it makes your mind wander to the iconic 'GT' or Gran Turismo video game racing series, which does actually derive from the term (more on that below). Unfortunately, despite the first two letters being the same, there's no relation with the rather more sinister GTA or Grand Theft Auto franchise – which, nevertheless, also happens to be car-related (Auto = car).

As well as the standard GT, you might also come across variants like 'GTI' and 'GTS' in the course of your car searches (the Volkswagen Golf GTI springs to mind). Bottom line is: GT can mean a lot of things for a lot of different people nowadays, but that wasn't always the case.

Let's dive a little into the history behind it.

Grand Tourer Definition

We all love a sports car, right? They go fast, look flashy, and are generally pretty fun to drive.

Problem is, sports cars aren't always particularly high on comfort, and nor can they always be described as luxury. They also aren't usually the type of vehicle you'd want to rely on for particularly long trips. You know, the marathon trips that might end with you and possibly a few others broken down in the middle of nowhere . . .

That's why the GT was born.

The original late 1920s/early 1930s definition of GT was clear: it was a vehicle that was supposed to be both comfortable and powerful over long distances – so something between a sports car and a luxury car. The term literally comes from the Italian phrase gran turismo, meaning 'grand tourer', which is what GT stands for.

OK, And What is a Grand Tourer, Exactly?

To make it simple, let's break the name down into its two parts:

  1. 'Grand' is anything high-quality, so something like a Ferrari or an Aston Martin.

  2. 'Tourer' relates to adventure and sightseeing. On a deeper level, the name has its roots in the so-called 'Grand Tour' of Europe, which was essentially a long pleasure trip across Europe on horse and carriage for wealthy people seeking adventure. They were travelling long distances and were enormously comfortable in the process of doing so, and a grand touring car was supposed to replicate that experience in automobile form, which undeniably it did and still can do.

So, bringing the two terms together, a grand tourer or GT car was meant to be powerful, comfortable, and capable of long-distance driving without fault. That's what made it a sort of halfway house between a sports car and an even more higher-end luxury car.

A grand tourer was supposed to be fast and handle like a sports car, whilst also being just as accommodating as a luxury car. They had to have a big engine, a high-luxury interior, and elegant bodywork. Most importantly, they had to actually offer a comfortable ride on top of all of that.

Unfortunately, unlike with a lot of other car-related history and terminology, we don't quite know who came up with the term. Sadly that's been lost to history, but it probably won't take you a lot of brainpower to narrow it down: (1) whoever it was must have been Italian, and (2) they were involved in some way with Ferrari, Alfa Romeo or one of those other distinguished (or dodgy!) Italian car makes. Probably Alfa Romeo though, as you'll soon find out.

What Was the First-ever GT Car?

That's easy.

The first automobile to bear the name of GT was the Alfa Romeo 6c 1750 GT, which came out waaaay back in 1930. It came with two engine variants, the less powerful of the two being the Touring version, which actually participated in major racing events with high podium finishes.

Go GT!

Where Are You Meant to Drive a GT?

In the same places that the old-fashioned gents and ladies on their Grand Tour of Europe would go on horse and carriage. In other words, a long road or mountain pass with stunning scenery to behold, preferably a long way away from your hometown. Sadly, a visit to your local shops won't pass.

Most countries tend to offer at least one long, scenic road that's worth driving just for the sake of it. Think of the San Bernardino Pass in the Swiss Alps, or if you want something warmer, why not the Seven Mile Bridge over the Florida Keys? (Just mind the crocodiles.) Then there's China's Guoliang Tunnel, which basically involves a perilous drive along the edge of a mountain if you fancy that.

Of course, as we all know, it's also about the journey as well as the destination, and as long as a GT keeps you comfortable in the process of travelling those long distances, then it's doing what it says on the tin.

What Isn't a GT?

By the 1980s, or even a tad earlier, the original GT name and purpose became blurred and it's now a term that gets misused and thrown around a lot, even by car manufacturers who really should know better. It all means that in this day and age, 'GT' can often mean practically anything depending on the whim of the person or persons applying the term.

A case in point is the so-called Volkswagen up! GT (yes, there is an exclamation mark in the name). It's a fine car, but it was designed for city driving, not the slips and turns of a long Alpine pass, and therefore the name is sort of inaccurate.

What Grand Tourer Cars Are Around Today?

In spite of that, there are still genuine grand tourers out there like the Bentley Continental GT and the Maserati GranTurismo, so even in this convoluted day and age, it's still possible for you to pick up your first GT car.

Happy grand touring!

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