This 1987 Pontiac Firebird commercial is a perfect fit for the 80s, with no real message – but it is still an interesting spot.
Most car commercials focus on the vehicle in question, but plenty of automakers try unique angles with their advertising campaigns. This week’s Throwback Thursday video is a fine example of that, as this 1987 Pontiac Firebird commercial doesn’t offer any information about the car. In fact, we don’t actually see the 1987 Firebird until the very end of the commercial and even then – it hardly showcases the car in any way.
This classic Pontiac Firebird commercial starts off with a well-dressed couple strolling down the sidewalk past a leaking fire hydrant when what appears to be a mid-1970s GM A-body car drives past (it looks like it might be a Pontiac Grand Prix or a Chevrolet Monte Carlo) – swerving into the pool of standing water created by the leaking hydrant and spraying both of these folks with water. As you might imagine, they are none too happy about this, running into the street to shout at the hooligans. Not surprisingly, the troublemakers in the old GM immediately stop, jumping out of the car to chase the couple – who begins to run from the hoodlums.
Leaving their 1970s GM behind, the bad guys chase the couple through the dark streets, between rows of cars sitting in traffic before arriving in an empty alley. They celebrate getting away from the guys who splashed them, but at this point, we still haven’t seen any mention of the 1987 Pontiac Firebird.
As the couple gets friendly in the dark, steamy alley, the bad guys burst around the corner, once again leading to a chase on foot and at this point, it seems unlikely that they will escape. However, as the commercial ends, the couple happens upon what appears to be a magically placed Pontiac Firebird Trans Am hardparked in this alley – in the perfect spot for them to get in and drive to safety.
The video ends when they get to the 1987 Firebird, so we don’t get to see if race off into the sunset or anything, but we can only assume that this oddly placed muscle car saved the day.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
