[1] Designed as a pony car to compete with the Ford Mustang, it was introduced on February 23, 1967, five months after GM's Chevrolet division's platform-sharing Camaro.

Announcing a Pontiac styling trend, the Firebird's bumpers were integrated into the design of the front end, giving it a more streamlined look than the Camaro.

[2] A "Ram Air" option was also available, providing functional hood scoops, higher flow heads with stronger valve springs, and a hotter camshaft.

By late spring of 1969, Pontiac had deleted all model-year references on Firebird literature and promotional materials, anticipating the extended production run of the then-current 1969 models.

A June 1974 test of a newly delivered, privately owned SD-455 Trans Am appeared in Super Stock and Drag Illustrated.

The 6x4 heads were used on early Pontiac 350 blocks that helped increase the compression and also had hardened valve seats for a higher RPM operating range.

The 1977 Trans Am Y82 Special Edition gained significant fame after its film debut in Smokey and the Bandit, leading to a drastic increase in sales of the Pontiac Firebird in the following years, and its current day collectability.

The decals for the standard Trans Ams changed from the "looping style" lettering to the "block-style" font that would remain on the Firebird until the end of the second generation.

The W72 engine option also saw a revision to the camshaft duration and the tuning of the Rochester Quadrajet which led to a 10% increase in horsepower from the prior year, bringing the total to 220 hp.

The hood decal from the Y88 SE and Solar Gold cars from 1978 became the standard design across the entire Trans Am line and now came in a variety of colors.

This was the last of the line for the Pontiac large displacement V8 engines, and only available with the 4-speed manual Borg-Warner Super T-10 transmission, while also requiring the WS6 handling package as mandatory equipment in conjunction with this driveline choice.

A credit option was available, being the smaller displacement L37 Pontiac 301 4.9L V8, and it could come with either the Super T-10 four-speed manual transmission or the Turbo Hydramatic 350 3-speed automatic.

Standard on the Y85 included mirrored T-Tops, a special hood and paint decal that covered the hood and roof, 15x8-inch aluminum Turbo wheels, the 301 cu in (4.9 L) Turbo, the WS6 handling package, an exclusive embroidered oyster Hobnail cloth interior, a special digital AM/FM ETR stereo, power windows, Tungsten Halogen headlamps, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

A 1980 Turbo Trans Am Y84 Special Edition was featured in the movie Smokey and the Bandit II, but was fitted with nitrous oxide tanks by Marvin Miller Systems to get the desired performance.

This decision was made by Pontiac to prepare dealers for the new ordering and pricing for the third-generation Firebird where RPO G80 was no longer being included as a standard option for the Trans Am.

Problems with the incorrect fitting of the notchbacks to the GTAs at the Van Nuys plant often resulted in delays of several months for buyers who wanted this option.

Because of the poor quality and numerous expensive warranty repairs and repainting, the notchback was subsequently canceled for the 1989 model year, via a bulletin in August 1988, although production records indicate that a few were produced.

While the live rear axle and floorpan aft of the front seats remained largely the same, ninety percent of the Firebird's parts were all-new.

As with the Camaro, major improvements included standard dual airbags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, 16-inch wheels, rack-and-pinion power steering, short/long-arm front suspension, and several non-rusting composite body panels.

[66]: 898  This revised series, also introduced for other Pontiac car lines, featured ergonomically designed control panels with larger buttons and an optional seven-band graphic equalizer.

Firebird performance levels improved for 1996, with the establishment of the stronger 200-hp 3.8 L V6 as the new base engine, and the power rating of the LT1 increased to 285 for 1996, due to its new dual catalytic-converter exhaust system.

Major changes included a new hood and front fascia with dual intakes, retracting quad halogen headlights, circular turn signals and fog lamps, a front license plate pocket, lower fender air vents, unified-style lower door raised lettering for each trim level, and a new "honeycomb" rear light panel, with circular reverse lamps.

An electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) system replaced the old hydraulic proportioning valve for improved brake performance.

An enhanced sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) recorded vehicle speed, engine rpm, throttle position, and brake use in the last five seconds prior to airbag deployment.

Producing over 350 HP (269 KW) and 390 lb-ft of torque (526 N-m), they were the fastest and most powerful regular production Firebirds ever made available through Pontiac dealers (RPO code: B4U).

Featuring 17-inch wheels with namesake Firestone Firehawk 275/40ZR17 tires along with a functional twin-inlet hood above a specific air cleaner box, its rated power increased to 300 hp (224 kW) and 330 lb·ft (445 Nm) of torque.

In 1994, the Firehawk package was expanded to include options for a suspension upgrade as well as a larger-diameter exhaust system that increased power to 315 hp (235 kW).

4-speed automatic transmission, power drivers 6-way seat, security package (includes theft-deterrent system and remote key-less entry), 3800 performance package that included 3.42 gears with "posi-trac" Zexel Torsen T2 limited-slip differential, 4-wheel disc brakes, dual mufflers, and an LS1 steering rack= 14.4:1, 235/55/16 tires, hatch roof, removable, 16-inch chromed aluminum wheels, 50-state low emission vehicle.

For the Firebird's final year, a collector's edition Trans Am was released as either a yellow WS6 convertible or WS6 T-top coupe, with twin black stripes from hood to tail, black-painted five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, and further black-trimmed body details.

For 1989, the 20th-anniversary turbo Trans Am project (originally conceived by Bill Owen of Pontiac) was outsourced to PAS, Inc., an engineering firm led by Jeff Beitzel.