1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula Is What All Barn-Found Muscle Cars Hope To Become

The first pony cars were released in April 1964. The Ford Mustang is generally regarded as America's first pony, but it was actually introduced two weeks after the Plymouth Barracuda. The latter debuted on April 1, while the Mustang went under the spotlight on April 14.

General Motors, on the other hand, needed two more years to join the market. GM's first pony car, the Chevrolet Camaro, arrived in September 1966. Five months later, Pontiac launched its own version using the same F-body platform. The Firebird debuted in February 1967.

Although it wasn't as hugely popular as the Mustang or the Camaro, the Firebird sold nearly 290,000 units in its first three years on the market. And that was good enough for Pontiac to offer a second generation. The Firebird eventually remained in continuous production for 35 years.

Much like the Camaro, the Firebird spawned a few iterations that are now either rare or highly desirable. The Trans Am is arguably the most iconic. A rare rig in 1969 spec, the Trans Am became hugely popular in the late 1970s thanks to the "Smokey and the Bandit" film. It also helped the nameplate reach record sales of more than 200,000 units in 1979.

The 1971 Firebird you see here is not a high-performance Trans Am, but it's a Poncho you can't ignore. Because it looks the part and does justice to a classic that's spotted more frequently in junkyards than on public roads.

Finished in Canyon Copper, a color we rarely see on restored Firebirds, this Pontiac is a spotless pony car in Formula trim. The latter was introduced for the 1970 model year on the then-new second-generation Firebird. It was released alongside the Esprit. While the latter was offered as a more luxurious trim, the Formula was pretty much an alternative to the Trans Am.

Selecting the Formula trim enables customers to order all the options available on the Trans Am minus the fender flares, shaker hood scoop, and fender heat extractors. The option was notably more popular than the Trans Am, but still a slow-selling car. Of the 53,125 Firebirds delivered in 1971, only 7,802 left the assembly line with the Formula bundle. So, we could say this Canyon Copper beauty is a relatively rare classic.

In addition to being a nicely restored gem, this Firebird is also factory stock for the most part. And I say "for the most part" because the 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 engine has a few aftermarket upgrades. The list includes Edelbrock valve covers, a Holley carburetor, and a thinner air cleaner.

There's no word on how powerful it is right now, but it should pack a bit of extra punch. In 1971, the Formula 350 came with either 180 or 250 horsepower on tap. Check out this beauty in the videos below.