1980 Pontiac Firebird Yellow Bird

Trying to explain anything from the 1970s can be challenging. Like the fact that the enormous, garish vehicle pictured was what General Motors was marketing to women. You see, the Pontiac Firebird was considered the epitome of cool in the late 1970s, most especially in the form of the black Trans Am model. So GM decided that what the ladies needed was the same car in color-coordinated "Sky Bird", "Red Bird" and "Yellow Bird" editions.

Why were cars like this so popular? How did Ford manage to sell 352,000 gargantuan, land-yacht Thunderbirds in 1978 in the middle of an energy crisis? I guess one might as well try to understand why men wore leisure suits.

Observations:
* Most of these were sold with V-6 engines making only around 100 hp, so I hope you're not in a hurry.
* GM sold a vast number of cars with these expensive t-tops. I have seen someone driving around with their t-tops off about once in my entire lifetime.

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1968 Pontiac Firebird convertible

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1968 Pontiac Firebird 'Tiger Super Tuned' 428 Ram Air

This car is so rare that enthusiasts debate whether it actually exists. There is no such thing as a factory-built Firebird with 428 engine. But this was the 1960s, a time when it was normal to have your local dealer or mechanic sell or build you a race car which you could then drive on the track, on the street, or both. If you don't believe me, watch the movie Two-Lane Blacktop.
The Firebird 428 was a 'conversion' offered by a dealership called Royal Pontiac. The car got enough attention that it was featured in Motor Trend, and at least one other dealer copied the idea. That black thing on the hood is Pontiac's hood tachometer, because when driving a car like this you need to have your eyes on the road, not the dashboard.

Update 6/30/18: I met the owner of this car today, and this is NOT a true 428 Firebird; it has the engine and 428 badges from a '69 Bonneville.

    

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