Photo: vengeancegraphix / Instagram
Formally known as the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors, this renowned American can brand lived and died less than 100 years ago, between 1926 and 2010, when it was closed down due to GM's Chapter 11 reorganization.
It was home to numerous beloved nameplates over the years – including the Bonneville, Grand Am or Grand Prix, the iconic GTO or LeMans, plus the Firebird. The latter, produced across four generations, was manufactured between 1967 and 2002 with great success – it was a pony car designed to fight off the legendary Ford Mustang as a counterpart of the equally iconic Chevrolet Camaro.
Coinciding with the release of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, Ford's own upscale, platform-sharing version of the Mustang, the Pontiac Firebird was always closely related to the Chevy Camaro but just a tad more exclusive. Of course, it also reached unbelievable cult status levels thanks to Hollywood and its portrayal of the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in Burt Reynolds' Smokey and the Bandit series.
Back in 1977, at the time of the film's release, General Motors introduced the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Y82 Special Edition – and upon gaining significant fame thanks to the marketing tie-in, the company saw a dramatic increase in sales of the Firebird range and the subsequent advent of the series' collectability.
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever – especially fame and fortune. As such, after a great run, the Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am were retired from production in 2002, a few years before the company was sent to car Valhalla after GM's own near-death experience. Still one of the most notorious car series ever and a beloved brand, Pontiac and the Firebird Trans Am make the rounds of the automotive realm from time to time.
Sometimes, it's a bar find; other times, it's a cool sale, and maybe even restomods work like a charm. But nothing can bring back the Pontiac and Firebird Trans Am into the car world. However, that's not a problem for those dwelling around the parallel universes of vehicular CGI – the imaginative realm of digital car content creators don't care that a brand is dead and their models are long gone.
Here, let us give you a greatly eloquent example. Vengeance Graphix, an automotive service outlet specialized in 'next level car show boards,' also has a side passion for car CGIs - so here's their recent 'Pontiac is back' side gig. Naturally, the resident pixel master has decided to make Pontiac great again with a Firebird Trans Am revival in the proper gold and black colors.
Also, it's pretty obvious that this design project is based on the 650-hp sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which has been defunct since December 2023. So, don't get your hopes up for an official resurrection of the Pontiac brand and its beloved Firebird Trans Am series from General Motors. However, seeing the details makes us wonder – what if an aftermarket outlet takes this as inspiration and creates a retro-flavored project?
Obviously, it would be pretty hard to respect all the little details of this hypothetical project – the eagle and front fascia aren't hard to do, but the great-looking T-tops and the curved rear window are something else entirely. Still, we have seen a lot of marvelous things from builders lately, so let's hope this unofficial design project attracts the right kind of attention from the right kind of people!
Coinciding with the release of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, Ford's own upscale, platform-sharing version of the Mustang, the Pontiac Firebird was always closely related to the Chevy Camaro but just a tad more exclusive. Of course, it also reached unbelievable cult status levels thanks to Hollywood and its portrayal of the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in Burt Reynolds' Smokey and the Bandit series.
Back in 1977, at the time of the film's release, General Motors introduced the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Y82 Special Edition – and upon gaining significant fame thanks to the marketing tie-in, the company saw a dramatic increase in sales of the Firebird range and the subsequent advent of the series' collectability.
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever – especially fame and fortune. As such, after a great run, the Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am were retired from production in 2002, a few years before the company was sent to car Valhalla after GM's own near-death experience. Still one of the most notorious car series ever and a beloved brand, Pontiac and the Firebird Trans Am make the rounds of the automotive realm from time to time.
Sometimes, it's a bar find; other times, it's a cool sale, and maybe even restomods work like a charm. But nothing can bring back the Pontiac and Firebird Trans Am into the car world. However, that's not a problem for those dwelling around the parallel universes of vehicular CGI – the imaginative realm of digital car content creators don't care that a brand is dead and their models are long gone.
Here, let us give you a greatly eloquent example. Vengeance Graphix, an automotive service outlet specialized in 'next level car show boards,' also has a side passion for car CGIs - so here's their recent 'Pontiac is back' side gig. Naturally, the resident pixel master has decided to make Pontiac great again with a Firebird Trans Am revival in the proper gold and black colors.
Also, it's pretty obvious that this design project is based on the 650-hp sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which has been defunct since December 2023. So, don't get your hopes up for an official resurrection of the Pontiac brand and its beloved Firebird Trans Am series from General Motors. However, seeing the details makes us wonder – what if an aftermarket outlet takes this as inspiration and creates a retro-flavored project?
Obviously, it would be pretty hard to respect all the little details of this hypothetical project – the eagle and front fascia aren't hard to do, but the great-looking T-tops and the curved rear window are something else entirely. Still, we have seen a lot of marvelous things from builders lately, so let's hope this unofficial design project attracts the right kind of attention from the right kind of people!
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