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Pontiac thunderbird1/1/2023 ![]() ![]() But, in the days of disco, most folks were more concerned about looking suave while K.C. This is all well and good if your idea of a fun road trip is outfoxing a corpulent Southern sheriff while smuggling beer across state lines. When it comes to late second-gen Firebirds, the Smokey and the Bandit Tans-Ams steal all the attention. Probably for the best, since in this writer’s opinion, butter-yellow interiors really only work on Lincolns, Cadillacs, and Imperials. Unlike its predecessors, the Yellowbird’s cockpit was tan instead of color-keyed. The Yellowbird that followed in 1980 would be the last of the series. Red Birds also featured color-keyed wheels and interior trim and special striping but were otherwise just like other Firebird Esprits. Building on the Sky Birds’ success, a Red Bird replaced it in 1978 and it ran through till the following year. The exterior was enhanced with optimistic-looking striping specific to the car. Sky Birds were a lovely pale blue hue and had color-keyed interiors and snowflake wheels. Gender equity aside, the cars were very attractive. However, the 1970s were a very different time. From today’s vantage point, it’s very easy to dismiss Pontiac’s marketing of a pastel-colored, not very fast, car to women as misogynistic and patronizing – and it was. ![]() These would be the so-called “Color Birds,” the first of which, the Sky Bird, was shown in 1977 and sold well. They could also be specified with that most 1970s of options, T-tops.Ĭapitalizing on the fashion-forward mood of the day, Pontiac designed special versions of the Firebird aimed specifically at women, who it was estimated made up 30 percent of Firebird buyers. They were usually bedecked with creature comforts like tilt-wheel, air conditioning, and other luxuries like extra sound insulation. Given their role, Esprit’s powertrains varied depending on the year, but they couldn’t be ordered with Trans-Am level engines. The Firebird lineup had its own personal luxury touring car, the Esprit. The 1970s were glory days for personal luxury coupes, even the humble Pontiac Sunbird (sibling to the Chevrolet Monza) could be ordered with a quarter-vinyl roof and other broughamizations. Secondly, the clean coupe shape of the cars responded better than most to the installation of federal impact bumpers by using a molded one-piece bumper-cum-nosecone. Handling was good across the lineup, too, thanks to “Radial Tuned Suspension,” as betokened by a plaque on the dash of Firebirds and Trans-Ams. First, even though power was down, a 6.6-liter Trans Am was still among the quickest cars of its day. ![]() Pontiac countered this assault in several ways. ![]()
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