Written by Russ Muller Photography
Eagle, Falcon, Firebird, Lark, Phoenix, Roadrunner, Sunbird, Skylark, Thunderbird. From the earliest days of the Model A, birds have been a part of automotive history. Henry Ford suggested using a quail as a hood ornament on the Model A, to symbolize the swift acceleration the car exhibited. Well, swift for 1928, anyway…All the Big 3 automakers, and several of the smaller ones, chose real or mythical bird names to represent the power and/or beauty of their cars. Let’s take a look at one example from each of the Big 3 automakers:
Ford Falcon:
Falcons are birds of prey that are known for their hunting skills, and they symbolize freedom, vision and swiftness. The Ford Falcon, manufactured from 1960 through 1970, was a bit humbler than its namesake. It was the first compact car offered by the Big 3 and offered a myriad of body styles including 2-door and 4-door sedans and station wagons, a convertible, and a pickup truck style body called the 
Ranchero. There were three generations of Falcons, with engine offerings ranging from the 144 cubic inch inline six through the 302 cubic inch V-8. The second generation, 1964 and 1965, are considered the most desirable by collectors. The Ford Mustang, introduced in April of 1964, used many of the Falcon underpinnings. Without the Falcon, there may have never been a Mustang…Over 435,000 Falcons were sold in 1960. By 1969, that number had dropped to just over 63,000. The Falcon was replaced by the Ford Maverick in 1970.
Plymouth Road Runner:
Beep-Beep. The roadrunner is a ground cuckoo bird that, although capable of flight, generally runs away from its predators and is capable of running at speeds of up to 20 mph. Warner Bros. made the bird famous, and Plymouth paid them $50,000 to license the character for use on their B-body intermediate. Produced from 1968 through 1980, the Road Runner went through four generations, starting out as a budget-
friendly muscle car and ending as a trim package. The first and second generations offered engines ranging from the 335 horsepower 383 cubic inch V-8 through the legendary 426 Hemi. For 1970, to meet NASCAR regulations, Plymouth produced the aerodynamic Superbird and made 1,935 of them. Ironically, these now desirable cars were a sales flop, and some dealers converted Superbirds back to plain Road Runners to get them sold. The third generation was a one-year-only trim package offered on the Fury. Only 7,183 were built, and more than half were powered by the 318 cubic inch V-8. By 1980, the Roadrunner name was a trim package on the Volare coupe, with the 318 cubic inch V-8 the largest engine offered. 1969 was the highest production year for the Roadrunner, with over 84,000 made. By 1980, just 496 Volares were ordered with the Roadrunner trim. When the Volare was discontinued after 1980, the Road Runner name was retired.
Pontiac Firebird:
Firebirds (according to Miriam-Webster) are any of several small birds having brilliant orange or red plumage (as the Baltimore oriole, the scarlet tanager, or the vermilion flycatcher). The Pontiac Firebird, manufactured from 1967 through 2002, was offered in a whole palette of colors. The Firebird was produced through four generations and started life as an upscale companion to the Chevy Camaro during the pony 
car explosion. First generation Firebird engine options ranged from a 230 cubic-inch inline six cylinder to a 345 horsepower Ram Air IV 400 cubic inch V-8. 1969 also saw the introduction of the Trans Am trim package, an option made famous in 1969, and again in 1977 when Burt Reynolds drove one in the movie Smokey and the Bandit. The Trans Am was used as pace car for the Indianapolis 500 in 1980 and 1989: the 1980 featured the 210-horsepower turbocharged 301 cubic inch V-8, and 5,700 were produced. The 1989 featured a 250 horsepower turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6, and 1,555 were produced. 1981 was the last year that a Pontiac V-8 was available in a Firebird. The third-generation body style was released in 1982, and for the first time a 4-cylinder engine was offered. The anemic, 90 horsepower Iron Duke 2.5 liter was the base engine that turned 19.2 second quarter mile performance but returned up to 34 mpg. Any V-8 engine options in 3rd and 4th generation Firebirds were Chevrolet engines. Due to declining sales in the sports car market, and the rising popularity of SUVs, GM ended production of the Firebird (and Camaro) in 2002. Unfortunately, for Pontiac fans, GM ended production of all Pontiacs in 2010.
Those are just a few fun factoids about three cars whose names were inspired by birds. There is a lot more history behind each name, and I’d encourage you to do a deeper dive into the bird car of your choice. Remember, as the Trashmen sang in their 1963 hit Surfin’ Bird: well bird-bird-bird, the bird is the word. Don’t you know about the bird? Well. Everyone’s talking about the bird…
