![]() ![]() Unlike the Cougar, which although sharing Mustang mechanicals had a longer wheelbase and unique styling, the Pontiac Firebird was clearly a Camaro clone when launched in February 1967, about six months after its Chevrolet sibling. Pontiac boss John DeLorean with his new-for-1967 Firebird. Ford’s Mercury division was developing a more upmarket interpretation of the Mustang called the Cougar for ‘67 - so GM wanted a Pontiac equivalent. What GM wanted instead was a Pontiac derivative of Chevrolet's new Mustang rival (later named Camaro) due for 1967 release. However, management saw Pontiac’s proposal as more of a threat to Corvette sales and rejected it. A leader, not a follower.Īlthough GM was embarrassingly late in responding to Ford’s Mustang, DeLorean had visions of a Corvette-style sports car with unique Pontiac DNA to spearhead GM’s response. Under the young and dynamic leadership of John DeLorean, who played a decisive role in creating the original muscle car, the Tempest-based 1964 GTO, Pontiac prided itself on bold engineering advances and a sporty (dare we say it) European character. The Firebird was also created with initial resistance by the Pontiac Motor Division. Put simply, it was perceived as a more overtly styled, slightly plusher and more expensive version of the Camaro, for which the majority of F-body buyers was not enough to pry them away from their resolute allegiance to the bow-tie badge. ![]() Despite Pontiac’s admirable determination to differentiate the Firebird from the Camaro, working within the corporate constraints of General Motors, the Firebird was outsold by its Chevrolet sibling. However, away from the Hollywood glamour, the Firebird’s life was never an easy one. Even so, the Firebird’s big engines, handsome styling and unique character attracted not only a loyal customer base but also movie and TV producers who immortalised it on screen.Īs star of the smash-hit 1970s car-chase movie Smokey and the Bandit, along with popular TV series The Rockford Files and Knight Rider, the Pontiac Firebird’s status as an American muscle car icon is beyond question. The Pontiac Firebird and Chevrolet Camaro shared General Motors’ F-body architecture from their launch in 1967 to their demise in 2002. ![]()
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