Here’s What Happened To The Pontiac Firebird From The Rockford Files

The Pontiac Firebird from “The Rockford Files” was actually a series of Pontiac Firebirds that were used in the TV show starring James Garner as a private investigator in Los Angeles. The show ran from 1974 until early 1980. Garner, who had been trained by race car driver Bob Bondurant and showed that he knew how to handle a Formula 1 racing car in his 1966 film “Grand Prix,” knew a lot about vehicle dynamics. Garner actually did all of his own stunts on “The Rockford Files.”

The various Firebirds that appeared as Jim Rockford’s ride on the show appeared to be low-trim Firebird Esprits, but the demands of the show required an upgraded car. Pontiac’s PR team, which supplied the cars to the production, started with Firebird Formula 400s, which it then stripped of their spoilers, scooped hoods, and “Formula” badges. The high-performance 400-cubic-inch engines and upgraded suspensions remained.

Over the show’s six seasons, new cars were provided each year, with three cars used for each season of filming. This usually included a camera car, a sound car, and a stunt car. Fun fact: the 1978 Firebird carried on through 1979 and 1980, supposedly because Garner didn’t like the restyled headlights of the 1979 Firebird.

What happened to all the Pontiac Firebirds from The Rockford Files?

During the years of the show’s production, the cars were turned over annually so that the current year’s Firebird styling would be on display to the show’s audience. All of the Rockford Firebirds were painted a unique gold color that Garner preferred, which reportedly was a stock GM paint color used on the 1962 Cadillac. With the exception of the few that were preserved for posterity, most of the Rockford Firebirds were likely either wrecked (especially the stunt cars) or sold off as used cars at the end of each season and eventually driven into the ground.

The 1977 Rockford Firebird featured in the photos was recently showcased on an episode of car-lover Jay Leno’s YouTube series “Jay Leno’s Garage.” It was the sound car used for that season’s production, complete with microphone jacks located both inside on the console and scattered around the exterior. The car was acquired by Rockford superfan Pat McKinney in very worn but complete condition. McKinney totally stripped the car, restoring it to showroom-new condition.

The 1977 Firebird Formula that this Rockford car is based on still has its original Oldsmobile 403 cubic-inch engine that was also used in Firebird Trans Ams with their cool graphics. This was the era of GM brands swapping engines. The Rockford Firebird also has its standard-equipment three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, well-suited to rush-hour traffic on L.A. freeways.