Execs at GM decided Pontiac needed a car to match the Ford Mustang and rushed a new car, the Firebird, into production. It took several years and a redesign for the Trans-Am to be perfected, but it became a worthy entry with the 1970 model. The Firebird created household American design elements like the double-scooped hood, honeycomb wheel, and of course, the screaming eagle badge. Sadly, it didn’t last long, since the 1970’s were the beginning of the end for the American Muscle Car. The economy was stagnating while insurance premiums and gas prices were increasing, and people simply weren’t buying them like they used to.