Funny Car Of The Day: November 25, 2011

Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Action's 19960 Pontiac Firebird funny car.

The fourth-generation F-body continued the aerodynamic formula initiated by the previous generation, but saw declining sales. As before, the Camaro kept the exposed headlights and the Firebird its pop-up units, with some minor changes. The overall styling of the Firebird more strongly reflected the "Banshee IV" concept car than the 1991 "face lift" received by the Third Generation model.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Pontiac Firebird

We're celebrating Thanksgiving week with A Flock Of Seagulls Firebirds.  I can see you standing outside, see your shadow on the wall by a street lamp.  I've got a manual instructing my brain.  I turn around, cover eyes, I see you.  While the odds are still good that I run out of A Flock Of Seagulls songs to reference before Paul runs out of Firebirds... Yeah, anyone still buying that?  With one day left I don't think that's a concern now.

Firebirds were used in the Trans-Am series in the 1960s and 1970s. When the Pontiac Trans Am came out, there was controversy over the model's inability to compete in the Trans-Am because the smallest available engine was too large for use in the series at 400 cubic inches (6.6 liters). The name also caused controversy because it was used without permission from the SCCA, who threatened suit. GM settled the dispute by paying US$5 to the SCCA for every car sold. When the Trans-Am was last seen, model year 2002 Firebirds were in use. Firebirds were used in the IROC Series until it folded after the 2006 season.

During the 1995, 1996, and 1997 NHRA seasons, 14-time Funny Car champion John Force used a Firebird body to replace the obsolete Oldsmobile Cutlass and Chevrolet Lumina body he had used since 1988. He used it for three seasons, winning the championship in all three years. The Firebird body also replaced the Oldsmobile Cutlass in the Pro Stock class in 1995, forcing drivers Warren Johnson, Jerry Eckman, and Mark Pawuk to replace their body styles for the 1996 year, none of them would win with the first year of the Firebird body, but Pro Stock driver Jim Yates, a second year driver, using the Firebird body, would.