'Trans Am' was also a known name in fact, Pontiac had to pay a $5 royalty per car to the SCCA due to the vehicle being named after this popular SCCA Trans-Am racing series. The name 'Firebird' was not new it had been used by GM on 1950s and early 1960s concept cars. It shared its platform with its GM Chevrolet sibling, the Camaro. The Pontiac Firebird was in production from 1967 through 2002.