Doug's '72 Formula 455 H.O. makes the factory-freak category because it's painted black. "Wait a minute," you say, "There are thousands of Firebirds painted black. What makes this one so freaky?"
In '72, the Firebird came with the choice of 15 exterior colors, but black was not one of them. In order to get your Bird painted the color of night, you had to put in a special order and hope that the factory would approve it.
This Formula was built at the Norwood, Ohio, plant on March 30, 1972 (just days before the GM labor strike on April 7, 1972), and sold new at Wilson Pontiac in Silver Spring, Maryland. According to Doug, "It still bears the factory original drivetrain-the ultimate in high performance for Pontiac for '72-the 455 H.O. engine, connected to a Muncie M22 four-speed transmission, residing beneath a fully functional Ram-Air Formula hood.
Other factory options include a black interior, Rally gauges, center console, power windows, rear spoiler, and one of the seldom-seen options in a 455 H.O. car with a four-speed -air conditioning. It currently has 60,000 miles on the odometer.
"The original owner truly knew what he was doing when he put together this particular option package, and then had the good fortune of having his car order accepted and built," Doug says. "Not exactly a sleeper but rather a slightly toned-down version of the Trans Am, the car continues to draw plenty of attention whenever it is out and about."
Factory Freak: '72 Formula 455 H.O.
Why It's a Factory Freak: Non-production color
Owner: Doug Hunt
City/State: Overland Park, Kansas
Brett's unrestored '67 Tempest Custom wagon was factory-built with a ZL-code 230ci, 215hp overhead-cam-six, and is backed by a two-speed, air-cooled Super Turbine 300 automatic trans. It's equipped with the ride and handling package, performance rear gears, deluxe steering wheel and seatbelts, deluxe wheel covers with whitewalls (when new), and a power rear window. Brett tells us, "Many people thought Pontiac never built station wagons with [the OHC-6] engine, let alone a Sprint." Nonetheless, this factory freak was built the first week of April at the Fremont, California, plant and bought new August 29, 1967, by F. Woodson at Gianera Pontiac in La Crescenta, California. According to Pontiac historian Fred Simmonds, only 60 Tempest wagons, 62 Tempest Custom wagons, and 33 Tempest Safari wagons were built with this engine.
Factory Freak: '67 Tempest Custom Wagon
Why It's a Factory Freak: Sprint OHC-6 engine in a Tempest Custom wagon
Owner: Brett Hershey
City/State: Hollister, California