2001 Pontiac Firebird Formula - Formula Flambé

I've often wondered if that particular series of Firebird promotions left such an impression on any other enthusiasts. Since no fellow Firebird owner I've spoken to has ever alluded to the racy late-'90s marketing campaign, I simply dismissed it as a sign that the commercials had faded away into obscurity. I felt very alone in my fascination with it until I met A.J. Viruet of Edison, New Jersey. He revealed in his interview with HPP that Pontiac's aggressive marketing convinced him that he needed a new Firebird.

"When I saw a Trans Am pull up behind an import, swallow it whole, and spit it out the tailpipe, I was immediately in love with the '98 Firebird," the 35-year-old security specialist admits. But A.J.'s love affair with cars, and Firebirds in particular, didn't start at that moment. "As far back as I can remember I've always liked cars," he says. "I was only 5 years old but could name every car on the road back then. Smokey and the Bandit and Knight Rider fueled my Firebird passion and I dreamed of owning one when I was old enough to drive."

True to his word, A.J.'s first was a used '86 Firebird he purchased at the age of 18, and a used '87 Trans Am was its replacement when his first was totaled while parked. His plans of owning a new Firebird were delayed when he joined the Marine Corps in 1995. "I remember seeing the new Firebird in that commercial just before leaving for my first overseas deployment and knew then that I'd own one," he adds.

Upon news of his homecoming, A.J. planned it so that his dream car would be waiting for him on arrival. He wanted to pay cash for his Firebird, so he decided to keep it as economic as possible. "The '01 models were out and it seemed as if every Firebird owner had a Trans Am. I liked the Formula because it was different, but performed just as well, and was cheaper. I considered the WS6 package, but it cost several thousand dollars and I really didn't feel it was worth the extra money. I didn't even want T-tops or leather interior."

Using a military sales outfit that allows deployed servicemen and U.S. diplomats to buy American-made vehicles directly from the factory at invoice cost, A.J. placed his order for a Black '01 Firebird Formula replete with the LS1 engine and six-speed manual transmission in November 2000. He then made arrangements for it to be delivered to a Pontiac dealer in Fairfax, Virginia, where he would be stationed upon returning from his tour.

The Formula was assembled at the Saint Therese, Quebec, plant on March 1, 2001, and shipped to the dealer, where it sat awaiting his arrival. "I couldn't wait to get home. I took delivery of it on March 27, 2001, and paid $23,200 for it. It was everything I dreamed of. When I drove it to New Jersey to visit family, I remember being so excited that I didn't care about having to pay the tolls," he jokes.

A.J.'s Formula was his mode of daily transportation for the next few years, racking up over 105,000 miles on its odometer in that time. "I retired it in September 2005," he says. "It was mechanically sound, but the exterior needed to be refinished, and I wanted to add an aftermarket Ram Air hood and airbox assembly from www.ramairhoods.com and a Wings West rear spoiler."