1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Coupe (LHD)

Pontiac’s Firebird left behind its roots as one of GM’s first Pony Cars in the late 1960s to become an automotive icon, famous for its starring roles in Smokey and the Bandit and Knight Rider.  The second-generation model introduced in 1970 maintained the Firebird’s performance image while adding a European-inspired level of sophistication.  The Oil Crisis may have taken stolen some of the muscle car’s mojo by the Seventies, but Pontiac made up for the lack of horsepower in other ways, adding bold new graphics (including the famous ‘Screaming Chicken’ bonnet decal) and popular options like the T-bar roof.  The Firebird was extensively restyled for 1977, featuring an aggressive new front end with a recessed black grille and four rectangular headlamps.  Four models were available, ranging from the entry level Firebird to the more upmarket Esprit and Formula variants, but the legendary Trans Am remained the most popular by far, accounting for almost half the total sales.  Fitted with a new shaker hood, the Trans Am still had a massive 400-cid (6.6-litre) mill as standard, rated at 200 horsepower and an abundance of low down torque.  Inside, the Trans Am’s cabin featured a machine-turned dash finish, additional gauges and Formula padded steering wheel, while the Turbo Hydramatic transmission was standard equipment, along with power front disc brakes and radial tuned suspension.  The release of the smash hit Burt Reynolds movie Smokey and the Bandit in 1977, second only to Star Wars at the box office that year, gave the Trans Am an enormous publicity boost and as a result black and gold TA’s from 1977 remain hugely collectible today.