27. 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 400 Ram Air Convertible
This is an interesting muscle car since it was largely forgotten for many years. In fact, not many people were aware of its existence. It all started in 1967 when Pontiac introduced the Firebird as a competitor to the Mustang and the Plymouth Barracuda. Interestingly, the Firebird and Chevy Camaro were basically the same cars. They built them on the same platform but with different engines and designs. Fast-forward to 1969 and Pontiac wanted to present a model they could homologate for Trans-Am racing. But the factory, as a part of GM, was still under the racing ban. However, some fans and private teams used many Pontiac products.

So the factory wanted to introduce a version they could easily modify for racing. That’s how the Firebird Trans Am came to be. To mask its intentions, Pontiac introduced the Firebird Trans Am as a loaded version. It featured big-block power from the famous 400 V8 engine with a Ram Air III or IV intake system. But the difference between those engines was significant since the Ram Air IV featured a lot of improved engine internals and components. However, they both had a 366 HP rating, which was an understatement. This special version with its signature white paint, blue stripes, Rally II wheels, and other equipment proved to be a tough sell. As a result, they only sold 634 Firebird Trans Am. Among those, only eight were convertibles.