 |
Built in the year everyone blames for killing the muscle car, this all-black 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula 455 still hides real teeth: a 335-horse HO big block, 480 lb-ft of torque, and a heavy-duty three-speed for anyone who ordered it to be driven hard. Overshadowed by its Trans Am sibling’s spoilers and stripes, the Formula was and remains the second-gen Firebird’s best-kept sleeper secret.
A restored 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula carrying a genuine 455 HO under the hood is asking $34,999, and with round-port heads, 480 lb-ft of torque, and Pontiac now permanently discontinued as a brand, the math behind that number is more interesting than it first looks. Read on to find out why serious collectors have started chasing Formulas over flashier, pricier Trans Ams from the very same model year.
1979 was the biggest sales year the Firebird ever had, and the Formula sat in an interesting spot between the budget-focused Esprit and the flashier Trans Am. This example carries the shaker hood and dual exhaust that made Formula buyers feel like they’d gotten the enthusiast’s Firebird without paying Trans Am prices. Read on to find out what made 1979 such a pivotal year for the second-generation Firebird lineup.
This 1978 Pontiac Firebird Formula shows just over 47,000 miles and still wears its factory interior, which is no small thing for a car built during Detroit’s smog-choked malaise era. Formula buyers that year actually had a real decision to make between three different V8s, and this car’s 350 split the difference between the base 305 and the range-topping 400. Read on to find out whether that choice was actually the smart one.
Beyond the well-known bargains, plenty of affordable muscle car ownership still hides in plain sight. Cars like the Chevrolet Nova, Dodge Dart Sport, and Buick Skylark deliver real small-block performance for a fraction of what a comparable Camaro or Mustang costs. The simple reason: fewer buyers chase these badges, which keeps demand, and prices, refreshingly low.