The movie Tron must have had a profound effect on GM’s marketers, who apparently decided that the semi-computerized Quadrajet on the Firebird’s 305 engine was really a time machine! More »
Be Sure To Dress In Pleather For The Future: The 1982 Trans Am! [Classic Ad Watch]
Related Posts
Leave a comment
77 Comments.
Leave a Reply
I see your Firebird commercial and raise you a Corvette commercial.
Best. 80s. commercial. EVER
PeachFingers
@Matt White: mine had the tired 305 replaced with a 350 at .030 over, with a 750 Quadrajet, headers, heads, camed up, 700r4 4 speed auto with overdrive. Stock yea, it was slow, and the way I had it… it was not the fastest thing but it would outrun 02 Mustangs all day long, and churp em when the auto hit second so that was something.
zeeboid
@M44Power: “I eventually ruined the image by sitting in a G3 Camaro, though.”
I can imagine the scenario going through your head: “Cool! A Camaro! I loved these when I was younger! Man, I can’t wait to sit inside and….NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
FamilyCarGuy
@FordTuffMcgruff: Never…before
Buicktech
Crack Pipe
Buicktech
@Nick Maneri: Nothing sexier than an orange firebird, especially the ’67
Bazza, Delta Blues Man
Dated or not that was a badass advert…
Bazza, Delta Blues Man
@Steve Neill: The only American car you like the look of?
I certainly don’t approve of this.
Bazza, Delta Blues Man
@alexander_the_car_salamander: LASERS! WORMHOLE GENERATORS! AM/FM STEREO!
grizzle
@alexander_the_car_salamander: It looks like a spoof… but then this car was for Australia I think.
zekestone
@kick_in_the_teat: And then their afterburners kick in and they almost catch you.
But then your VTEC kicks in…
zekestone
@boomshadow: Well it’s hard not to look at that ass and hourglass figure as she goes by, eh?
zekestone
@SchwarzeEwigkt: Mullets are the future!
zekestone
@alexander_the_car_salamander: you know, i somehow think that this commercial may not be 100% legit.
meatbag_pussrocket
@Elhigh: So that’s why she always gave me those dirty looks when I passed by her in the hallway.
boomshadow
This, and the Camaro of the same generation, were the most desirable cars in the world when I was a kid. Between KITT on Knight Rider and Thunderhawk on M.A.S.K. (image of the most awesome toy ever-attached), this generation of GM was pretty much tops. I eventually ruined the image by sitting in a G3 Camaro, though.
M44Power
I can’t watch an 80′s car commercial anymore without “In a Duster – MY DUSTER!!” getting stuck in my head.
jbeale53
@Angry Picard: Better yet, Counselor Troi knows, without asking, what you really like.
Elhigh
@DeadBuick: Check out EBAY. Its not uncommon to see C4 vettes for $5000 and even less. And, check out Dick Guldstrand on Jay Lenos Garage to see what can be done. Its a hell of a cheap project car itself and crate motors and such still make it reasonable.
ishigakisensei
@FordTuffMcgruff: I want one of those as a daily driver project bad. Unfortunatly I have others waiting for funding. In the long run I will get myself one of those ‘Vettes, I love ‘em.
DeadBuick
I’d rock one, given the right price.
DeadBuick
If you could add the theme song from Beverly Hills Cop to the commercial, it was a terrible car.
TxBrumski
@alexander_the_car_salamander: Haha, WTF was that?! If that wasn’t a spoof then someone in Ford marketing must have been high as a kite when they thought that one up.
Atimaxx
The Firebird silhouette was fairly sportscar classic. What made this model really become dated fast was the details and the proportions. The cheap plastic grill sections, black vinyl lower body color treatment, and alloy wheels that look like plastic hub caps combined with the too long front overhang keep this from really being a design classic. It did get better in later versions though.
KaBoomBOX
I always liked the look of the 3rd gen Firebirds. I had a 90 Formula with a 305 As a project car a few years ago. About 200 hp with a few slight mods. Got 17 mpg, which matched the 345 rwhp 4th gen Camaro I replaced it with.
Pavement clawing maniac
Even the woman driving it in the commercial has a mullet.
SchwarzeEwigkt
I remember getting up Sunday mornings as a 5 year old to watch KR circa 1994.
That show had alot of influence on my love of cars, which is likely why I respect that Trans Am so much.
The only American car I can truly say I love the look of, especially in Knight Rider form.
Even as a kid, my invisible best friend was KITT.
God I loved that show.
Steve Neill
I see your Firebird and raise you C4 Corvette!
You’ve never seen anything like this before.
FordTuffMcgruff
@srbiff: Well, I must admit it has some 80′s charm, but I don’t know if that’s true aesthetic beauty or just novelty. I loved it when it first came out, but hated it later. Maybe I should wait a while. Everything old is new again.
pussyenergydrink
@alexander_the_car_salamander: Was that a real add? For everyone that lived through the 80′s I dearly hope that was a spoof.
Pete84
@pussyenergydrink: I guess i’m in the minority, but I like the looks and think they’re aging nicely.
srbiff
@Cross Plane Stank Shaft: I believe the TA had a drag coefficient of .32. Pretty good for the early 80s.
srbiff
Florida amusement park (Universal? Disney? Who knows!), circa ’94. Knight Rider ride. Black T/A. Ride operator in black leather jacket. Looked exactly like this video.
Wunno Sev
Now we have no Ponitac, no Trans Am, no nothin!
Maxx Cracker — sponsored by Peniston Oils
@Angry Picard: Dang.
Maxx Cracker — sponsored by Peniston Oils
@Elhigh: I lied. Nothing is as exciting as Counselor Troi and Dr. Crusher lying naked in a pool of chocolate sauce.
Angry Picard
Shortly after this, Patrick Stewart became the voice of Pontiac, so you had the ringing tones of Captain Picard informing you that Pontiac built “excitement.”
Engage!
Elhigh
……..So I’m having this dream, I’m a turbo Z.
And these guys are after me…
…but they can’t catch me. So they get a car…
…but they can’t catch me! So they get a plane…
…just as they are about to catch me…
The Twin
Turbos
Kick
In…..
kick_in_the_teat
Gotta love those 80s commercials.
alexander_the_car_salamander
I still think they are a good looking car 25 years later, and although the interior is now dated the exterior is still fresh.
That commercial is like an episode of Night Rider and an episode of MASK rolled into one though lol
Nick Maneri
Are these cars really that aerodynamic?
Cross Plane Stank Shaft
While It’s not my favorite iteration, styling wise I don’t think it’s awful.
Anything less than 350ci is an insult to the name. I do miss my 403, that thing was loads of fun.
Oh, and this is both fitting and hilarious…
ferric oxide
Love the shot of the tach winding out to a screaming 4500 rpm…
wheelspin
Was that voice-over done by James Earl “Darth Vader” Jones himself?
BullittFan_Fords4Life: Now Featuring More Caffeine!
It’s comforting to know that an 80′s Firebird has enough power to conquer the wind.
LandofMinos. Sebastian Vettel cried like a little girl.
@Maxichamp:
[scanimate.zfx.com]
More likely it was one analog machine that doesn’t even really qualify as a computer.
TechnoDestructo
I used to have one, it was an ’86. I definitely wanna get another one.
Gino Camaro
@zeeboid: That actually isnt a bad looking car. can’t speak to the performance, which I’m guessing was less than great, but it looks cool.
Matt White
Pontiac: We build…. Oh, I guess we don’t anymore.
accipiter
This really was a striking design when it first came out, but the appeal quickly faded. As a child, I remember thinking to myself “when did this become so ugly?”
The design is space-ship, obviously influenced by the visions of movies and TV. But that does not explain why the design aged so poorly. After all, futuristic cars from other decades are now considered classics.
I think the primary design influence here was high-end consumer electronics. Compare the Firebird’s styling cues to that of a Bang and Olufsen Beomaster 1900: flat expansive surfaces, tightly spaced linear grill work, lit buttons, and things that pop-up.
That’s why the design wilted so fast. It was a stereo disguised as a car. When the consumer electronics industry moved on, any “style” the Firebird had died with its references.
pussyenergydrink
I was 19 and thought they were gorgeous. Of course everyone knew they needed an old 350 swap straight off the showroom floor.
cargogh
I’m getting more of a Blade Runner vibe…
laylaholic
BACK…to the fuuuuuuuuture!
I swear, it sounded like he said “experience a car like pleather before”…ah, the power of suggestion (and bad video compression!)
bygeorge
@zeeboid: For some reason I believe you.
In 1993 I bought a 1983 black T/A in mint condition for $4000. It was fun but T-tops always leaked and sucked air. It ate alternators like they were candy. Goodyear Eagles were like a slip and slide in the rain or snow. It was most fun to drive after it got smashed in one side and totaled by the insurance company and I bought it back for salvage. I got $4000 from insurance minus $200 salvage price. Still drove just fine. Beat the snot out of it for a couple weeks then sold it for $1200. That guy had it only a couple months before he took out the other side of the car hitting a guard rail swerving to miss a deer. He turned around and sold it for $900!
almost_hectic
I could rock a very clean, and only very clean, one of these for irony’s sake, but god I don’t like these cars or these times. I’d rather have a Dodge Daytona.
mattmacklind
@zeeboid: Or maybe this bargain of a 2000 CVPI for 7500 Euros (10k$)? I could go on forever. [suchen.mobile.de]
Schaefft
@zeeboid: Id be not surprised, stuff like that (including the cars) have horrendous prices over here
Or would you like to buy a used 4 year old Crown Vic Cab for 22900 Euro (30k $)? [suchen.mobile.de]
Schaefft
@Vavon: fake. no PMD Seats.
zeeboid
1982 Pontiac Trans am. My Second car. WHen I re-did the interior, I sold the ratty PMD seats for $600 plus shipping, to Germany. I shit you not.
zeeboid
I think that spot may have cost more to develop than the car!
maintmgt
Crossfire injection WAS worse than the E4MC, somehow. The bowling ball hubcaps are a rare option, though, and coveted by KITT replica makers.
hobocline
While the 1980s may not have had the best cars, music, or fashion, it did have the best porn. Speaking of porn, I believe I’ve seen that pleather-suited woman before.
Angry Picard
@Vavon: I knew you’d say that.
I’m more interested in the 308-5dr or the 308 SW, or the 406 from 98 or a current 407 (from TAXI, naturally).
Tossed Mazda3hatch’s Chicken Salad all over Accord’s face with a plate of croutons and Bleu Cheese dressing
@ranwhenparked: In Europe, that Trans Am is a hundred times cooler than any boring, common Alfa.
facelvega
@ranwhenparked:
My thoughts.. exactly. (Probably isn’t even real carbon fiber.)
Tossed Mazda3hatch’s Chicken Salad all over Accord’s face with a plate of croutons and Bleu Cheese dressing
@Tossed Mazda3hatch’s Chicken Salad all over Accord’s face with a plate of croutons and Bleu Cheese dressing:
You can have them both! I’ll take the 206!
Vavon
When you crank the volume all the way up and put on your headphones, you can hear the car creaking and squeaking over the music.
CRXPilot; In fast, out backwards
@Tossed Mazda3hatch’s Chicken Salad all over Accord’s face with a plate of croutons and Bleu Cheese dressing:
In this case, and only this case, the Trans Am, as unpainted carbon fiber hoods are tacky.
In all other cases, the correct answer is always Alfa Romeo.
ranwhenparked
@Vavon: Hmmm…
Do I pine for the Alfa behind it.. with the carbon fiber hood.. and the intake.. or the 82 TA in front, with the black on black body, with the tan interior..
Hmmmm….
Tossed Mazda3hatch’s Chicken Salad all over Accord’s face with a plate of croutons and Bleu Cheese dressing
I miss Pontiac and their excitement.
HycoSpeed
Even European kids dreamt of having a car like that!!!
Vavon
I’d like to re-iterate, after watching the above, that I am the best product of the 80s. That is all.
DeadinSide Inc.
All it needs is a Blocky David Hasslehoff (a’la Dire Straights “Money for Nothing” video) to be complete.
AlienProbe
They had to do *something* to make the car look exciting. After all, the top engine option in 1982 was a measly 165 hp.
Tron wasn’t released until July 1982, so if this ad was influenced by Tron, it must have been a real quickie job.
tonyola
Michael….
Michael Knight…
Hello.. Paging Michael Knight..
Err THE HOFF..
Stage 1 please..
Your Pontiac is calling you.
Tossed Mazda3hatch’s Chicken Salad all over Accord’s face with a plate of croutons and Bleu Cheese dressing
and sadly, pontiac is no more.
toyotaboy02
Don’t laugh, that probably took two Cray supercomputers and a 10 foot stack of punch cards to produce.
Maxichamp