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History Of The Pontiac Firebird

1968 - Building Performance

   By the 1968 the Firebird production topped 50,000 units within three months of its introduction and finished off the partial model year with sales of 83,000 units against 300,000 Camaro's. The Firebird mystique had begun to grow. Road & Track, not always known for its praise of domestic cars in this era, spoke highly of the Firebird. “Fortunately, for variety's sake and for Pontiac's sake, the Firebird is different from the Camaro in more respects than its appearance would indicate. In fact, it may be the first step toward a true four-passenger GT car in the best European sense.”       

   That little touch of class seemed to catch on with groups both inside and outside Pontiac. Outside the corporation was former Mercedes-Benz and Corvette team driver John Fitch, who had previously devoted himself to modifying Corvairs. The "Fitchbird," as his new Pontiac-based creation was called, meshed Lotus Euro like vertical fins sprouting above the rear fenders with a series of suspension modifications of Fitch’s own design. At the same time, enthusiasts within Pontiac were wasting no time enhancing the Firebird's already solid credentials. Working as a Skunkworks Special Projects group on both production and competition vehicles, they would create some Firebirds that were special indeed, including one named for the racing circuit in which it competed, the Trans Am.
 

 CONTINUE READING - 1969 The Best Yet 

  

Photo's Courtesy: The Premier Firebird Trans-Am Gallery.

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