1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Convertible

By 1953 Pontiac was producing a half million cars annually when stodgy designs torpedoed sales and Semon 'Bunkie' Knudsen was brought in to breathe new life into the beleaguered brand. He eliminated the venerable 'suspenders' (a styling cue since 1935) and supported motorsports.

Pontiac's new-found performance focus continued through the 1960s. SCCA road racing had become popular and the Detroit manufacturers all backed factory teams in the Trans Am series that formed in 1966. The series is best remembered for exciting races at storied road courses like Sebring and Laguna Seca among American V8 sedans: Mustang, Camaro, Barracuda and Challenger, Cougar, and Javelin.

Firebird was born in 1967, and for 1969 underwent major restyling. With visions of racing victories dancing in their heads, Pontiac honchos introduced the Trans Am in the spring of 1969. It was a little-publicized $725 option package; all 689 coupes and eight convertibles were dressed in Polar White with blue racing stripes, rear spoiler, and decals. The hood had functional air intakes and fender scoops served to vent heat from the engine bay.

The Trans Am moniker was controversial in-as-much as the SCCA never approved it - until GM agreed to pay a $5 per car royalty. Ironically, in that era the Trans Am never won a race in the series for which it was named.

This car was originally sold new in Canada and was the first of the eight convertibles produced.