1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

The 1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am eclipsed the GTO as the automaker's premier performance offering, and sent the rest of the pony field scurrying. This truly was a muscle car to behold: Its weapon was the biggest V-8 ever offered in the pony class.

With just half-a-year production under its belt, Pontiac decided not to tamper with the appearance of the '71 Firebird, so Trans Am was visually unaltered, though new honeycomb wheels joined the options list. Still offered in just blue or white with contrasting stripes, the car kept its functional rear-facing shaker scoop.