In 1977, the same year that the macho-image Trans Am appeared in the first Smokey and the Bandit movie, Pontiac cooked up another edition that would appeal to the opposite spectrum. The Skybird was an appearance package that came on a Firebird Esprit and targeted female buyers, so they say. It was painted Lombard Blue, like the sky above, which would help explain the moniker of the car. This ’77 version looks to be well-used and is going to need at least a bunch of cosmetic work. Located in San Diego, California, this rarity is available here on craigslist for $12,000. Thank you, Pat L., for a most interesting tip!

Patterned after a show car called the Bluebird, the Skybird was the first of several specially trimmed Firebirds of a luxury nature (the others would be called the Redbird and the Yellowbird; guess what colors they were painted). Production numbers are a bit sketchy, and assemblies also spilled over into 1978, but the seller believes the number to be around 4,000. So, given typical survival rates after more than 40 years, there can’t be that many left, regardless of condition.

Pontiac’s marketing team worked overtime to position the Skybird as the “Women’s Muscle Car” to attract female buyers to the fold. Based on the Esprit model, the additional cost of the Skybird was only about $400 depending on the choice of upholstery material. Besides the light blue paint job, the rest of the exterior trim was adjusted to match, along with Skybird graphics. The same attention was applied to the blue interior, right down to the custom seat belts.

Though the seller’s car is in California, it looks to have spent time in a climate that is more conducive to rust. Though the seller refers to some surface rust that is “totally expected” there could be holes in the top of the right front fender and an even bigger opening below the rear window on the passenger side (maybe the other side, too). So be prepared to allocate an appreciable part of the restoration budget to fixing sheet metal.

At more than 89,000 miles on the odometer, this car has been well-used. The interior has the look of wear in the front seats, door panels, and carpeting. Because special materials were used to make the Skybird what it was, we must wonder about the availability of replacement trim today. On the other hand, the seller says this is a good running car that’s all complete, with its 350 cubic inch V8, 4-barrel carburetor, and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. Once restored, wouldn’t this make an interesting addition parked next to a Burt Reynolds black Trans Am from the same era!