1970 Pontiac Firebird Photos, engines & full specs

Pontiac introduced the second generation of the Firebird in February 1970, which was a re-badged version of the Chevrolet Camaro.

In 1979, GM needed to change the production line where the Camaro and the Firebird were produced to start the second generation of these vehicles. Due to several problems, that process was delayed until late 1979, and the Camaro was the one that entered the market, followed by its sibling.

The new model featured a front fascia adorned by two round headlights in squared scoops and, between them, large air intakes for the grille, with a vertical slat in the middle that sported the Pontiac badge. This styling replaced the previous four-headlights design sported by its ancestor. Moreover, the new had sported a sloped-down roofline towards the rear, replacing the coke-bottle design element featured on the original Firebird. Depending on the engine version, the car received scoops on the hood and an integrated spoiler on the trunk.

Inside, customers were greeted by a sporty dashboard with round dials in individual clusters. In addition, for specific models, the tachometer featured a 5,500 rpm red-line. Still, it was marked up until a stratospheric (for those times) 8,000 rpm. Moreover, the speedometer went up to 160 mph (261 kph). The low-mounted seats with high seatbacks offered a sporty driving position. In the back, the automaker installed a bench for two, but the lack of leg- and headroom made them mostly unusual.

The Firebird was designed and engineered to be a sports car, not just a drag racer. Thus, although it featured the same wheelbase as its predecessor, the revised GM F platform allowed better cornering speeds. Under the hood, Pontiac installed a wide choice of engines ranging from a 155 hp inline-six to a mighty L74, 345 hp.