The biggest thing to happen to the Pontiac Firebird in the 1970s was probably its role in the Smokey and the Bandit movies. Though the Trans Am was popular in an era where muscle car demand was waning, sales went through the roof after the first Smokey film. To squeeze out every drop of renewed consumer interest in the Firebird, Pontiac created three special appearance packages for 1977-80. Those would be the Skybird, Redbird, and Yellowbird and their names were a giveaway to their colors. The seller’s car is a 1978 Redbird, which was produced for only two years. It looks to be in good condition and original except that the interior has been redone. Located in Huntington Beach, California, this limited production Firebird is available here on craigslist for $13,700. Thanks for finding this interesting Pontiac, Pat L.!

The Skybird came first in 1977-78 and was powder blue all over. Maybe the idea was for the car to appeal to feminine buyers who might find the Trans Am too macho. The Redbird came next, and it went in the opposite direction, being more masculine with special red paint on the exterior that wasn’t otherwise available (at least in 1978). The Redbird was based on the Pontiac Firebird Esprit and came with 350 V8 and automatic transmission. Production numbers are fuzzy: 4,000 Redbirds are thought to have been built in 1979 and followers think the 1978 numbers were much lower.

This Redbird was purchased by the seller two years ago in Washington State. It was modified to suit the emissions requirements in California, such as the addition of a catalytic converter to pass the smog test. Since he acquired it, fewer than 2,000 miles have been added to the odometer. Since the car sits in the garage more than it’s driven, the seller’s wife wants to reclaim that space. We can all probably relate to that.

The odometer hasn’t yet crossed the 80,000-mile mark and we’re told the Pontiac runs well. The carburetor was rebuilt just before or after the seller bought the car. The tires are almost new, too. The paint is original and looks good although there appears to be a blemish on the trunk lid in one of the photos (and speaking of photos, if you’re going to list a car for sale, please take photos in landscape rather than portrait mode; in this case, there are a lot of photos and none of them show the entire automobile).

Once inside the car, we’re told that the seats have been reupholstered and the carpeting and headliner are also new. The Pontiac came with air conditioning, but it no longer blows cold and may need a recharge. Because the Redbirds and the rest of the flock were special editions rather than models, it’s not clear if the packages add anything to resale value more than 40 years later. But they certainly make for cars that are scarcer than other Firebirds of the day.