Here’s how the Pontiac Firebird became one of the greatest TV and movie icons

In this episode I provide the history of the Pontiac Firebird, along with its most famous trim, the Trans Am. Introduced in 1967 along with the Chevy Camaro in response to the successful Ford Mustang, the Firebird would become well known in pop culture, thanks to roles in the Rockford Files, Smokey and the Bandit, and Knight Rider. These TV and movie roles would help make the Firebird one Pontiac's most profitable cars, especially after the first Smokey and the Bandit movie in 1977. However despite its futuristic turn in Knight Rider, that show only lasted 4 seasons, and interest in sport coupes started to wane by the mid 90s. The final generation became one of the wildest looking Pontiacs by the end of its run in 2002, and unlike the Camaro, which returned in 2010, the Firebird could never return, thanks to Pontiac itself being discontinued that same year.