Firebird car7/22/2023 The top-of-the-line Firebird 400 featured a 400-cubic-inch V8 engine and was available with either a three-speed automatic or a four-speed manual transmission.Ĭar Life magazine (June 1967) tested a Firebird 326 with an automatic transmission, achieving a quarter-mile time of 16.1 seconds at 88 mph. models were powered by 326-cubic-inch V8 engines, with the H.O. Engine options ranged from a 230-cubic-inch inline-six to a 400-cubic-inch V8. It was offered in five different models: the base Firebird, Firebird Sprint, Firebird 326, Firebird H.O. The 1967 Firebird marked the beginning of an era for Pontiac, featuring a distinctive Coke bottle styling that set it apart from its competitors. 1967 Firebird The 1967 Firebird marked the debut of this iconic American pony car with its sporty design. Let’s look at the Firebird and Trans Am during the Muscle Car era, shall we? The most iconic and high-performance variant of the Firebird was the Trans Am, introduced in 1969, which came to represent the pinnacle of performance and styling for the Firebird line. The Firebird was available in various configurations, including coupes and convertibles, with several V8 engine options that offered varying levels of power and performance. It was built on the F-body platform, which it shared with the Camaro. The Pontiac Firebird was introduced in 1967 as a pony car designed to compete with the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Notable racing success in the Trans Am Series, particularly with the Trans Am model in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The V8 engine options and performance-oriented models like the Formula and Trans Am demonstrate Pontiac’s focus on performance and power. Production numbers varied yearly, with some models (such as the 1969 Trans Am Convertible) being particularly rare and sought-after by collectors. The Trans Am model was introduced in 1969, enhancing the Firebird’s performance image.įormula Firebird was introduced in 1970 as a performance-oriented model between the base Firebird and Trans Am.Ī range of V8 engines was offered throughout 1967-1974, including the 400 CI, 400 CI Ram Air IV, and the powerful 455 CI Super Duty.ĭiscontinuation of the convertible option from 1970 onwards. The convertible body style was available only from 1967 to 1969. The engine produced 365bhp at 26,000rpm, making it even higher revving than a lightly modified Honda Civic.Pontiac Firebird Highlights Introduced in 1967 as a pony car to compete with the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. The wheels were designed with drums outside rather than inside the wheel, to help cooling (there’s no engine braking to help here, but there are giant air brakes on the fake delta wings), and rather terrifyingly the 35-gallon fibreglass fuel tank sits in the nose in front of the driver. Compressed air is shot into the engine at 3.5 bar, mixing with kerosene in the two combustion chambers and set on fire, the exhaust gases powering the turbine that compresses the air in the first place, then being sent towards the second turbine that powers the rear wheels via a two-speed transmission. You ready for the mildly complicated part? This is literally rocket science. The powertrain was developed by Charles L McCuen, head of GM’s research division. Instead of a giant afterburner, the energy from the main engine was directed through the car, powering turbines that powered the wheels. Technically there's no bonnet, it's a glassfibre reinforced plastic cover behind the cockpit, but that's a mere detail. GM said that its Whirlfire Turbo-Power unit ‘closely resembles a jet engine’, which is fairly spot on.
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