Though that was only half Camaro's volume, it pushed combined F-car sales well over the projected quarter-million breakeven point to the delight of GM accountants. With prices starting about $200 upstream of six-cylinder Camaros - $2,666 for the base hardtop and $2,903 for the convertible- the 1967-1969 Pontiac Firebird generated strong 82,000-plus sales despite an abbreviated debut season. Go to the next page to learn about the 1967-1969 Pontiac Firebird's prices, styling, and performance. Of course, no Firebird wanted for options, which were expected in 'ponycars,' with plenty for both show and go - everything from extra instruments and front-disc brakes to short axle ratios and full-house power equipment. 250 lively horses on regular gas' (and two-barrel carb).Ī further notch up was the Firebird H.O., boasting a four-barrel 326 that Pontiac said made it a '285-hp light heavyweight.' Topping the line was the Firebird 400 with 325 bhp and available Ram Air induction. One step up was the V-8 Firebird 326, billed as a 'family sportster. Next came the Sprint, with 215-bhp ohc six, floor shift, and 'road hugging' suspension. The base Firebird carried Pontiac's year-old, 165-bhp 230-cid overhead-cam six.

Each was available in Camaro's convertible and hardtop coupe body styles. Where Camaro achieved four models through options, Firebird arrived with five separate offerings keyed to engines. The most notable were engines set further back for better front/rear weight balance, and standard rear traction bars to minimize axle windup under hard acceleration.Īnother distinction involved marketing. Moreover, Pontiac's pony benefited from some engineering lessons learned too late to affect first-year Camaros, which went on sale some five months before Firebird's February 1967 debut.

body had all the Chevrolet sheetmetal and all the same exterior hardware except for the grille and taillamps.' Even so, those elements - split-theme grille, 'slot' taillamps - were distinctly Pontiac, thus differentiating Firebird from Camaro to a surprising degree. Pontiac engineer Bill Collins later stated that the '67 Firebird was 'just kind of inherited from Chevrolet.' The. Firebird was a good name choice, signifying power, beauty, and youth in American Indian mythology and recalling GM's gas-turbine experimentals of the late '50s and early '60s. Pontiac was aware of the effort all along, and asked to be cut in once management vetoed DeLorean's two-seater. So DeLorean settled for a 'Pontiacized' version of Chevy's four-seat Camaro - which was hardly bad.Ĭamaro stemmed from the 'Panther' or 'F-car' program that aimed at a direct Ford Mustang-fighter to replace the Corvair Monza as Chevy's mainstream sporty compact.

But GM was hard-pressed to support one sports car, let alone two, and 'Banshee' didn't test well with the public. Had division chief John DeLorean gotten his way, it would have been a two-seat sports car called Banshee, a low-cost sister to the Chevy Corvette. That was true even in the carefree '60s, when GM almost owned the market. General Motors may be the world's biggest automaker, but it's always had limits.

1967 pontiac firebird