The last of the old and the first of the new.
Pontiac will be remembered for styling and shtick -- Wide-Track, Ram Air, body cladding, screaming chickens. Behind the juvenile antics, though, there once existed a capable group of engineers. Pontiac Motor Division ran its own successful racing efforts, had its own chassis-tuning group, and fielded its own engines, including an overhead-cam in-line six and a V-8 family that was distinct from Chevrolet's small-block. If that sounds redundant, ask Porsche executives how they'd feel about putting a Volkswagen four-cylinder in a 911. The sun was already setting on Pontiac's golden age, however, when the engineers turned out their greatest effort: the Firebird Super Duty 455. The SD-455 has been accurately described as Pontiac's last stand and the last real muscle car. It also prefaced the dawn of the performance era we enjoy today.
Photo Gallery: 1973-1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455 Collectible Classic - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 1973-1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455 Collectible Classic - Automobile Magazine