Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Magnante

The first and second Firebirds ever constructed (Lot #747 and Lot #747.1) will be offered as a pair at the upcoming Las Vegas Auction.

You don’t have to be an automotive expert to know what a Pontiac Firebird is. It helps, but even a novice responds to mention of the Firebird name with excitement and, most likely, a mental image of Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields flying through the air in one. Although Firebird wasn’t the first pony car (that point goes to Ford, whose Mustang lit the fuse on the whole thing in April 1964), GM entered the fray in 1967 with the Firebird and its corporate cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro.

Lot #747, a red 1967 Pontiac Firebird convertible, was the very first Firebird ever built.

In that first year, 82,560 Firebirds were sold and an iconic American automotive dynasty was born. Therefore, the upcoming sale of the first and second Firebirds ever constructed (Lot #747 and Lot #747.1) at the 2016 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction will stand as an exceptional event. Completely restored to showroom stock condition, the two cars are being offered as a pair ‒ the thought being they deserve to stay together for maximum historical value.

As an entirely new model in 1967, the Firebird’s semi-unitized construction consisted of a body tub and a bolt-on front sub-frame that held the engine, transmission, front suspension as well as the bodywork ahead of the doors. Like they did for all new models, the GM Lordstown, Ohio, factory workers assembled the first hundred or so examples at a much slower speed to help train technicians and hone in on the best practices of construction. This way, all concerned parties were in full understanding of the car and could do their best work when full speed assembly began.

The engine on the VIN #001 ’67 Firebird.

Located on the driver-side A-pillar and visible with the door opened, each of these very special Firebirds bears a bright metal tag that’s riveted in place. The magic happens when eyes scan to the end of each car’s sequence number and the digits 100001 and 100002 appear. Those with an understanding of automotive history never fail to get goosebumps. These are the first and second Firebirds ever built for retail sale. If the millions of Firebirds built during its 36-year production run were expressed as a stack of silver dollar coins, this pair would be at the absolute base. Not the middle, not the top, but rather at the very root of it all. It’s an astonishing fact to ponder.

Although we’re in a car collecting world where the largest, most powerful engines typically bring the highest dollars, in this case engine specifications aren’t nearly as significant. Both of these early ’birds feature Pontiac’s base 326ci V8, the Number One Regimental Red convertible’s being the 250 horsepower L30 variant with a 2-barrel carburetor and single exhaust. A potent but subtle power plant, it’s backed by a column-shifted automatic transmission.

Lot #747.1 was the second Firebird to ever come off the line.

The Silver Glaze Number Two coupe steps up the ladder one rung with an L76 326 HO (stands for High Output) backed by a sporting 4-speed manual transmission. Its Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust bump output to 285 horsepower. Sure, it’d be interesting if Pontiac had built this pair with Ram Air 400s, but fixating on displacement in this case is to miss the point entirely.

Another opportunity to own a pilot model with the magical 00001 sequence number presents itself in Lot #699, the very first 1969 Firebird to roll off the Van Nuys, California, Pontiac assembly line. Pleasing the horsepower fans, it also happened to be assembled with the muscular 335 horsepower 400 V8. Completely restored with its matching-numbers engine and transmission, this Verdoro Green beauty was built on September 19, 1968, and shipped directly to nearby Nelson Pontiac in El Monte, California.

Lot #699 is a VIN #001 1969 Firebird with a matching-numbers engine and transmission.

Factory-built with virtually every Firebird option offered, it features air conditioning, power disc brakes, power steering, tilt steering column, Rally II wheels, deluxe interior, front shoulder-strap seatbelts, simulated woodgrain steering wheel and even the A90 remote decklid release. With full PHS paperwork indicating it was the very first 1969 Firebird to leave the Van Nuys plant, it truly is one of a kind, never to be duplicated or cloned.

Moving away from the realm of unique VIN tags, there are no famously low numbers affixed to Lot #751 (its serial sequence is 106455), but as a 1969 Firebird Trans Am with PHS paperwork, there’s still plenty to applaud. Standing at the very tip of an arrow that would eventually see well over half a million Trans Ams built, this first-year Trans Am is built on the first-generation Firebird platform and is one of only 697 made.

This 1969 Firebird Trans Am (Lot #751) is one of only 697 first-year Trans Ams built on the first-generation Firebird platform.

Remember, for 1970 the Firebird was totally restyled, so the Cameo Ivory and Nassau Blue T/A offered here is based on the final edition of the Firebird’s first generation. That Pontiac designed and produced specific dual-scoop fiberglass hoods, trunk spoilers and simulated front fender air extractors for a model that wouldn’t surpass the 1,000-unit threshold – and was set for replacement – speaks to its dedication to the SCCA Trans Am sedan road racing series. After all, like the Camaro Z/28, Mustang Boss 302 and other limited-release corner-carving muscle hybrids, the Trans Am was built to legalize similar parts for race use.

Originally sold at Ray Carver Pontiac in Costa Mesa, California, this example spent its next 40 years in sunny southern California. The restoration didn’t involve the usual rust repair, and most of the original GM sheet metal and body panels remain in place. Caring owners also preserved the original drivetrain, including the Muncie 4-speed transmission and Ram Air III 400 engine. Of the 697 T/As built in 1969, 520 were 4-speed-equipped, a testimony to the enthusiastic individuals that cars as exciting as the Trans Am attracted – and continue to attract today.

Lot #699.1 – a matching-numbers 1974 Trans Am Super Duty 455 – is one of only 212 built with a 4-speed manual transmission.

By 1974 a funny thing was happening at Pontiac dealerships nationwide. Despite a fierce anti-performance climate in Washington, D.C., and Detroit alike, the kettle was starting to boil. The Trans Am’s spoilers, scoops, stripes ‒ and birds ‒ attracted buyers like never before. For the first time, T/A sales broke the 10,000 mark, with 10,255 sold. It was just the beginning. Through the remainder of the decade, Trans Am sales exploded through 1981, the final year for the second-generation Firebird.

Through it all, it was no secret the low-compression 400, 455 and Oldsmobile-sourced 403 (1977-up) V8s under the T/A’s non-functional Shaker hood scoop were essentially station wagon engines, with one exception: the 455 Super Duty of 1973 and ’74. Based on a unique four-bolt main cap block with provisions for a dry sump race oiling system, the SD 455 was the only factory-built Firebird engine with forged connecting rods. Other standard goodies included round-port heads with 2.11/1.77-inch valve heads, an 800 cfm Quadrajet carburetor, streamlined exhaust manifolds and lots of other components that guaranteed a strong basis for further tuning by the customer.

One of a pair of fully restored Pontiac GTO Judge convertibles set to cross the block in Las Vegas, Lot #710 is dressed in Verdoro Green.

Lot #699.1 is a matching-numbers 1974 455 SD that was purchased new by a Pontiac Engineering employee, which explains the lack of the typical hood graphic. Yes, deleting the large “screaming eagle” was possible for those who didn’t want the attention. Fully verified with full PHS paperwork, it is one of 212 built with the more desirable 4-speed manual transmission. The remainder of the 943 (total built) carried automatic transmissions. The 455 SD was recently rebuilt to stock specifications (with 290 net horsepower) and the Admiralty Blue paint was resprayed once. Otherwise this carefully maintained Super Duty is largely original and comes with many 455 SD blueprints and engineering documents gathered by the original owner through his association with Pontiac. For Trans Am enthusiasts who demand performance to match the image, nothing but a Super Duty will suffice.

This Judge, Lot #722 – powered by its standard Ram Air III – was part of a production run of only 168 cars.

With all this discussion of Firebirds, let’s not forget The Great One, Pontiac’s GTO. Of all the varieties produced, Judge convertibles are among the most desirable. This pair of fully restored beauties (Lot #710 in Verdoro Green and Lot #722 in Atoll Blue) was part of a production run that saw only 168 cars built. Though the big 455 V8 was added to the 1970 GTO order sheet, each of this pair is powered by the Judge’s standard Ram Air III, with blacked-out hood scoop inserts being a new visual attraction for 1970. And while the smooth-shifting Turbo 400 automatic transmission was also available, these two carry soul-stirring Muncie 4-speed manual transmissions. Most muscle car fanatics agree, few things in life are as fun as rowing through the gears aboard a drop-top GTO!

The Verdoro Green soft-top was built on November 26, 1969, at the assembly plant in Pontiac, Michigan. It was then exported to GM of Canada in Oshawa, Ontario, for retail delivery. The Atoll Blue offering was also built in Pontiac, but several months earlier on April 30, 1969. From there it rode the rails to Massachusetts for retail delivery to a customer at R.H. Long Motor Sales in the city of Framingham. These facts are known through the existence of Pontiac Historical Services, which has the paperwork to show each car is a legitimate Judge convertible. The only verdict required is which color to choose.

Pontiac Motor Division may have left us in 2010, but during its 85 years of operation, millions of exciting and innovative vehicles were produced. Barrett-Jackson is proud to offer this selection of rarities for your consideration at the 2016 Las Vegas event. Let the bidding begin!

For more information on these and other vehicles on the 2016 Las Vegas docket, click HERE.