Car Spot: 2002 Pontiac Firebird

The end of the line for a really fun car

Its hard to image but the Pontiac Firebird has now been gone for 16 years. Debuting in 1967 just five months after its sister car the Camaro hit the road it became an iconic muscle car that helped define the genre. This week’s spot, a 2002 marks the end of the line for the car and what I believe is the best looking one of all four generations.

This 2002 Pontiac Firebird has a Corvette-derived LS1 V8 engine that produces 310 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. Mated with a Hurst 6-speed manual, it can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just over five seconds. It was factory limited to 162 mph although modified ones have gone much faster.

Since there’s no decal on the hood or back bumper, I believe this is not a WS6. These were the quickest and fastest Firebirds ever produced and they represent the final gasp of Pontiac’s screaming chicken. Many are now more than 20 years old and collectors have begun to understand their significance. Values are on the rise.

GM stopped building Camaros on August 27, 2002 because the Camaro and Firebird would not meet federal head impact standards that were going into effect on September 1, 2002. In fact, any Camaro or Firebird that was still on plant property as of 12:01 AM on September 1 would not be saleable and would have to be scrapped.

While Pontiac still kept its hand in the performance game with US versions of Australian built Holdens, the market started to change and GM turned its primary attention toward trucks, SUVs, crossovers, hybrids, and electric vehicles. In 2010 the whole brand was shut down by GM. According to Transamworld.com there were 23,330 Firebirds that came off the assembly line at the St. Therese plant in Canada. The Camaro would return in 2016 and then end production again in 2024. Rumors have it returning as a silly EV. In the end the Mustang didn’t kill the F-bodies, it was a change in buyer demand and government laws that killed the F-bodies.

RELATED Spot: 89 Trans Am Pace Car.

What are they worth now? Ones in #3 Condition according to Hagerty will be in the high teens to mid-20s with a W6 fetching just south of $30K. With only 1,555 ever made, the 1989 Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am remains one of the most sought-after muscle cars on the market.

Looking back now on the history of the pony car, in the beginning there was of course the Mustang but then followed were the Camaro, Firebird, Javelin, Barracuda, Challenger, and Cougar. As of the 2025 model year, the last one standing is the Mustang. So sad.

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my latest spot. Come back next week for another one of my finds along with some of its history. Have a super weekend.