We’ll begin our breakdown with the Pontiac Trans Am because that vehicle ultimately beget the Macho T/A. Ironically, Trans Am enthusiasts can tell you the original T/A is not a wholly original creation itself and is, in fact, a slightly modified version of the Pontiac Firebird. The automaker’s Firebird debuted in 1967 and could be outfitted with a 3.8 L6 engine that delivered 220 horsepower. The first Trans Am arrived two years later with a surname inspired by the beloved Trans-American Cup road-racing series and boasting a 400-cid V-8 engine with a brake horsepower of 335.
Despite its power, the first-generation Trans Am struggled to find favor outside the muscle-car-loving public. The big engine beauty also didn’t yet front the classic Trans Am look enthusiasts would come to adore in the 2nd Generation model. Those 2nd Gen T/As arrived in 1970, and even if their 4.9-liter V8 engines brought the vehicle’s horsepower down to a sub-muscle 210, the body design became almost instantly iconic, as did the deliciously gaudy “Screaming Chicken” decal Pontiac began offering as a hood adornment in 1973.
A year later, Pontiac also began fitting Trans Ams with their fabled Super Duty 455 engine, a muscle car era all-star if there ever was one. Unfortunately, federal regulations meant Pontiac could not continue to use the gas-guzzling 455, with some naming the ’74 Trans Am the last of the American muscle cars.
