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The Forgotten V12 Pontiac With A Firebird Body And Ferrari Soul
By ALEX HEVESY
Before Pontiac’s untimely demise, the car manufacturer was responsible for some of the most exceptional pieces of automotive history, such as the Pontiac GTO, one of the first-ever muscle cars. In 1971, Pontiac unveiled a concept car, the Pegasus, a model that was a far cry from beefy V8 muscle cars like the GTO.
The Pegasus concept was based on the 1970 Pontiac Firebird and was led by GM’s design president Bill Mitchell. The car shared more than looks with a Ferrari, as the Pegaus was powered by a 4.4-liter V12 from Enzo Ferrari himself and had a five-speed transmission and exhaust system from the Italian manufacturer.
In addition, the Pegasus’ interior was also the work of Ferrari and had four-wheel disc brakes from a Corvette and wire wheels. The Pegasus spent most of its days being driven by Mitchell until his unfortunate death in 1988; after being repaired from a racing wreck, the car was finally retired to General Motors’ own heritage collection.