![]() ![]() Pontiac offered the Firebird as either a convertible or a coupe, and it resided on GM’s F-body – which it shared only with the Camaro. Performance was outstanding for the Firebird, and at a $2,700 cost for the coupe it was a great deal. The first generation Pontiac Firebird lasted from 1967–1969, and had engine options ranging from a 230 cid inline-six to a big-block 400 cid V8. At the time, the market was dominated by the Ford Mustang and to a lesser extent the Plymouth Barracuda, and the entry of the Camaro and Firebird easily started cutting into Ford and Chrysler’s bottom-line. Pontiac created the Firebird in 1966 to coincide with the Chevrolet Camaro, as General Motors’ entry into the pony car market. Read on for more information about the first and second generation 1967-1981 Pontiac Firebird, or check out our other article for the third and fourth generation 1982–2002 Pontiac Firebird. The second generation ended in 1981, with the third generation kicking off in 1982. The first two generations of the Pontiac Firebird span from 1967–19–1981. The Trans Am sold incredibly well, at times selling as many units as the other three trims combined. Pontiac introduced the Trans Am option package in 1969, but it eventually became its own model the next year. The Firebird earned a reputation as one of the most potent pony cars around, and it led the way for performance in the 1970s. Pontiac introduced the Firebird in 1967, and kept it around all the way until the new millennium in 2002. Unfortunately, much of the performance gained would be killed throughout the early 1970s by government regulations and rising insurance prices.The Pontiac Firebird stands out as one of the most iconic pony cars of all time. ![]() Many of the pony cars would be restyled for 1970, which marked the time when performance really started to grow for the pony cars, including the Firebird. At the bottom of the pony car sales numbers were the AMC Javelin and the Plymouth Barracuda. Firebird sales trailed both the still best selling Mustang and the Camaro, though they did run close to (albeit a little behind) that of the Mercury Cougar. Pony Car Competitionġ969 was one of the best years for all of the pony cars that were available at the time ( Dodge Challenger would be introduced the following year), and as such, it was a great year for the Firebird. The convertibles sales numbers were dropping faster than those of the hardtop, and 11,657 were produced through the 1969 model year. Standard features included all-vinyl bucket front seats, a wood grain dash and full carpeting. The base MSRP for these cars in 1969 was $2,831. Of the total production, 76,051 were hardtop models. The number still represents a very strong showing by Pontiac as it prepared to roll out the second-generation Firebirds. While total production was down over the previous year to 87,708, this only represented a drop of about 18 percent. Lastly, the 400 Ram Air SD topped them all at 345 horsepower. Ram Air upped that to 335 and was standard in the Trans Am. The first produced 330 horsepower, while the 400 H.O. There were three models of Pontiac’s 400 CID V8. This could be upgraded to a 4-barrel version of the same engine that produced a solid (for a six-cylinder at the time) 230 horsepower.Īs the buyer moved up into the V8 options, there were two versions of a 350 CID engine, a 2-barrel that produced 255 horsepower and a 4-barrel that produced 325 horsepower. The base cars came with a 250 CID six-cylinder engine that produced 175 horsepower. It also was distinguished by its larger tires.Įlsewhere in the line, engine options were nearly identical to the 1968 models. The car featured a special scooped hood, a deck spoiler, fender vents and, that year, a white with blue stripe paint scheme, exclusively. The packages weren’t more powerful than other available Firebirds, but the looks and the handling of the Trans Am set them apart from the others. Though only around 700 Trans Ams were sold, they represented a preview of what was to come for the Firebird. Otherwise, the car shared many features with the 1968 models.īut the big news was the new Trans Am package, a name that would stick with the Firebird for decades to come. The broader fenders and wider look gave the car a more muscular look. ![]() This also helped distinguish the Firebird from the similar looking Camaro. The most striking change to the Firebird occurred at the front of the car with the fact that the headlights were now separated from the grille and the use of a new bumper. But both cars were still selling relatively well, so the move paid off for GM. Both the Firebird and its General Motors cousin the Camaro did a rare thing in 1969 and underwent significant restyles even though a full restyle was coming the following year. ![]()
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