It took an intra-corporate battle during 1965 for Pontiac's newly installed general manager, John Z. DeLorean, to win the right to produce the Pontiac Firebird. And his win only earned him the right to slightly tweak the Chevrolet Camaro's nose and tail. But when the Pontiac Firebird went into production (as a coupe and convertible) for 1967 it had an appeal all its own.
During its entire 35-year production run, the Pontiac Firebird was always brother to the Camaro. But where the Camaro developed a reputation as a rowdy adolescent, the Firebird was the composed, athletic collegian. But the Pontiac Firebird didn't really come into its own until the release of the second-generation early in 1970.
Introduced as a 1970 1/2 model, the second Pontiac Firebird was more stylistically distinct than before, even if all its engineering and assembly plants were shared with the Camaro. No convertible was offered, but this generation of Firebird included such greats as the 1973 and 1974 Firebird Trans Ams powered by the mighty SD455 V8. And the 1976 Firebird Trans Am Special Edition done up in black with gold trim and a giant screaming chicken on the hood. And, of course, the 1977 version of the Trans Am Special Edition that showed up as the ride of Bo "Bandit" Darville (Burt Reynolds) in Smokey and the Bandit. Thrown in everything from The Rockford Files to McQ and Hooper, and the 1970s were the decade for the Pontiac Firebird.
The third-generation Pontiac Firebird appeared for 1982 featuring the first four-cylinder engine offered in the line, and generic GM V6s and V8s instead of Pontiac-specific engines. Still this was the generation of the great 20th anniversary Turbo Trans Am of 1989 and the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that talked to David Hasselhoff on Knight Rider.
The fourth and, alas, final Pontiac Firebirds were produced as fourth-generation cars between 1993 and 2002. The Formula and Trans Am Firebirds built during this generation with 5.7-liter LT1 and LS1 V8s under their hoods are the quickest ever.
With the death of Pontiac after the 2010 model year, there's no chance of a Pontiac Firebird revival.
