How Much Horsepower Does A 1988 Pontiac Firebird Have & What's One Worth Today?
The 1982 Pontiac Firebird, a close kin to the Chevrolet Camaro, founded the model's third generation proudly displaying its pop-up headlights. The 1988 Pontiac Firebird saw the return of the GTA trim package for its second year and was as near to an American-made muscle car as you could get in the late 1980s.
Third-generation Pontiac Firebirds gained notoriety from a starring role as KITT in the television show Knight Rider. However, the 1988 model sits firmly between the 20th Anniversary 1987 Firebird and 1989 Firebird Trans Am – a position that didn't earn a lot of attention from automotive reviewers in 1988.
The horsepower rating of the 1988 Firebird depended on which engine was installed in the car and was somewhat limited by model. The base two-door Firebird came with a 2.8-liter V6 that generated a modest 135 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque, whereas the top-trimmed Trans Am GTA featured a 350 cubic-inch 5.7-liter small block with 225 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque.
[Featured image by Bigtow via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]
What's a 1988 Pontiac Firebird worth today?
The price of a 1988 Pontiac Firebird today varies by model, just as it did on dealer lots in 1988. J.D. Power lists the original MSRP for a base 1988 Firebird at $13,999. Today, the same car in average condition could sell for nearly $11,000 and a fully restored or extremely well-kept model could bring in over $17,000.
Hagerty lists values exceeding $27,000 for Concours condition and nearly $20,000 for excellent condition 1988 Firebird Formula models equipped with 215 horsepower 305 cubic-inch V8 engines. The 225 hp 5.0-liter V8 1988 Firebird Trans Am GTA values, listed on a separate page, range as high as $38,500 for top condition specimens.
For comparison, Concept Carz lists its highest recorded sale at $36,300 and lowest value for a fair condition model at $2,850. The highest auction-priced Pontiac Firebird listed on Classic – a 1969 Trans Am Ram Air IV — sold for $440,000 in 2023. Of course, that's a first-gen Firebird.
[Featured image by Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]