Subject to availability and production requirements, the V8 could be drawn from stocks of Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Buick or Pontiac. The 5.7-litre block lays the power down via a three-speed automatic floor shift transmission. The intention of RTS was to reduce vehicle roll when cornering, along with increasing overall stability and handling of the car. There is great debate as to who actually first came up with this was it Pontiac or was it Holden in Australia? The thought behind it was to tune the spring rates and shocks to allow for the growing use of radial tyres which were increasingly being used by the mid-Seventies, especially by General Motors. The car runs on RTS radial tuned suspension. Trust me, the car needs those twin exhausts to vent that 5.7-litre V8. It’s the little touches that count, such as the twin exhausts popping out below the rear side panel leaving the rear view uncluttered. Curves abound on this car, with the rear window wrapping around and making for a light and airy interior. The rear lights are a triple-strip affair which give it a distinct look, nestled below the full-width curved spoiler. What appeals to most people about this car is that while it looks and sounds stunning, it’s in a state of ongoing preservation and has all the little telltale signs of use that give it character. No matter what angle you view the Pontiac it just screams: “Drive me!”. On the day I photographed the Firebird, the skies were dark and moody and the car just lifted out from the gloom and rain squalls. A single racing stripe runs from the top of the rear door pillar and tapers off the front wing. The curvaceous bodywork is by Fisher, and the curves run smoothly, making the transition from the front spoiler through to the rear boot spoiler. Then there’s the brushed aluminium instrumentation panel with its big clock and speedometer, described in the sales brochure of the day as “rally gauges, clock and tach”. The Morrokide leather interior has stood the test of time well and it’s the thought that went into these cars that makes the difference things like the colour-coded 14-inch Formula padded steering wheel and steering column. This is a 2+2, with the rear seats being single seats separated by the central tunnel which allows for the rear wheel drive shaft. The aesthetics of this car cannot be doubted, with its pristine cream leather interior and petrol green carpets complementing the exterior paintwork. The air scoops were all part of the limited edition ‘Formula Package’ which also included the Formula graphics. Moving up to the hood, the visual signs of a powerful car come in the form of the two air scoops cut into the hood, not over the top, but enough to channel the air into the engine bay.
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