The GMMG Black Birds Were a Fitting Sendoff for the Firebird

In September 2001, General Motors confirmed the dark rumors that the 2002 model year would be the last for the F-Body Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. History has shown that the Camaro returned for a fifth and sixth generation, but sadly, the Firebird would be no more, as Pontiac itself was dissolved in 2010.

As awful as the news was when it broke, the swan song years of Pontiac’s famed pony car saw some of the best variants to ever wear the iconic rising phoenix. Decked out with brawny, intimidating air inlets and aggressive styling, the top factory birds, whether in Trans Am or Formula guise, were WS6/Ram Air-equipped. Pontiac produced a 2002 Collector Edition Trans Am (CETA), too, and if you wanted yet another option you could buy from your local Poncho dealer, there was the unique and formidable Firehawk, produced by New Jersey-based GM tuners–Street Legal Performance (SLP). But there was another very special, limited-run flock of V-8-powered Firebirds that took on legendary status in their day and beyond. They are the GMMG Black Birds.

The fourth-generation Pontiac Firebird saw two iterations over its ten-year run. The 1993-1997 Formula and Trans Am (including those that got the WS6 Ram Air Performance and Handling Package in 1996 and ’97) were powered by the iron block and aluminum head 5.7-liter/350-cid LT1 V-8. Pontiac visually updated the car for 1998, and under their hoods, the Formula and TA were blessed with the all-aluminum 5.7L Gen III LS1 V-8. The LS1 birds quickly made their mark on the street, and it wouldn’t take long for them to earn the moniker “the Last of the Breed.”

Coinciding with the launch of the fourth-generation Firebirds in 1993, Carl Black Pontiac opened its doors in two locations: Kennesaw and Roswell Georgia. In less than a decade, the dealer became one of the most prolific Pontiac purveyors on the East Coast, specializing in high-performance models like the Firebird Formula and the Trans Am. 

Down the road in Marietta, Georgia was GMMG, the brainchild of former Street Legal Performance (SLP) regional manager, Matt Murphy. According to Dave Hamburger, the son of SLP founder Ed Hamburger, Matt was always a heavy-duty hot-rodder who had a profound love for GM’s F-Body. The GMMG acronym itself has been attached to such meanings as General Motors Motorsport Group, or George Murphy Motor Group, which hints at Matt’s original partner, but according to the GMMG registry, who asked Matt Murphy himself, there is no official meaning. Regardless, Murphy opened up GMMG in 1998 and over the next decade built truly legendary cars.

Soon after the news spread of the F-Body’s imminent demise, the ownership at Carl Black decided to send the Firebird flying off into the sunset with a farewell befitting its iconic status. The plan was to offer a limited number of WS6 Trans Am models with exclusive styling and high-performance enhancements. They enlisted Matt Murphy, who since 2000 had been applying GMMG’s special sauce to fourth-generation Camaros, for bowtie performance dealers Berger and Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet. 

With Pontiac’s blessing, the plan came together in the first half of 2001. The official name of the special cars would be the Carl Black Black Bird WS6 Trans Ams. For most enthusiasts, however, they are known as the GMMG Black Birds.

These Black Birds channeled the products of performance dealers from Pontiac’s heyday like Royal and Knafel. Murphy’s influence was strong in this regard—he was not only a master engineer, but a true enthusiast with an innate ability to meld a brand’s sense of history with a modern flair and unmatched attention to detail. As for performance, the Black Birds were a rolling testament to the best F-body bolt-ons of the day, with many unique and exclusive GMMG applications.

At first, Black Bird production was slated to just 50 units. They all started as T-Top WS6 cars, with limited availability for convertibles. Most were six-speed manuals, although a four-speed automatic (4L60-E) could be requested and some do exist. 

Black Bird Phase 1 equipment included: 

• 5.7-liter LS1 V-8 engine with 380 hp/400 lb-ft 
• ECM tuning 
• Cat-back Chambered Exhaust 
• High-flow air box lid/Black Bird decal 
• Front and rear Eibach 1.5-inch lowering springs 
• ARE Torque Thrust II 17-inch wheels with Charcoal Gray Metallic-painted spokes 
• Dimpled front and rear rotors 
• Dual hood accent stripes with horsepower call-out 
• Metallic Silver rear lower panel 
• Black Bird floor mats 
• Black Hurst shift ball 
• ASP-underdrive performance pulley system 
• Horsepower Plaque 
• Car Cover with Black Bird logo 
• Black Bird Cloisonné front fascia and fender emblems 
• Choice of performance paint colors 
• Silver face gauges with Firebird symbol 
• Car number on windshield and rearview mirror 
• Rearview mirror with compass and auto dimmer 
• Mobil 1 Oil Fill Cap & Decal

The most identifiable and coolest GMMG upgrade above a run-of-the-mill WS6 was the stainless-steel cat-back chambered exhaust system, which is fitted to all GMMG cars. With this exhaust, Murphy sought a specific throwback to the golden age of the muscle car. This style of exhaust was originally available on 1968-’69 V-8 Chevrolet Chevelles and Camaros and consists of a dimpled section of pipes routing the exhaust, without mufflers. It emits a throaty lope at idle and a primal howl at open throttle. Not only is the sound like nothing else on the road, but the wide oval polished tips are the perfect fit for the Trans Am’s rear lower valence.

One detail that all Black Birds share that often goes unnoticed is what was removed, rather than what was added. All Black Birds are devoid of their body side moldings to accentuate the fourth-gen Firebird’s smooth, slick shape.

Like the GMMG Camaros, customers could order their Black Bird in standard (Phase 1) form, or with a myriad of additional high-performance upgrades as part of higher Phases. This was in emulation of the Yenko Chevrolets from the late 1960s and early ’70s. (Keen-eyed fans of GM muscle will also note that the GMMG badge is almost identical to those on Don Yenko’s supercars.) If buyers wanted to step beyond the Phase 1 baseline, the sky was the limit for Black Birds. Power started at 435 hp in Phase 2 guise, Phase 2X yielded 475 hp, while Phase 3 jumped to 500 hp. And then came Phase 5’s 600-630 hp and Phase 5X with the highest horsepower available: 680. For Phase 3X/5X, a 427- or 455-cubic inch (a famous Pontiac engine displacement) C5R LS6 racing engine was used. Just to be clear, these were engine-rated power numbers, but all of GMMG’s builds were naturally aspirated, and these figures were considered massive back in 2002. Although most of the Black Birds were of the Phase 1 variety, over the years, up until GMMG’s demise in 2009, many owners had their Black Birds upgraded to higher Phases.

The list of power and performance enhancers, above and beyond the 380 hp/400-lb-ft Phase 1 package is quite impressive. They included:

• A modified mass air meter
• Modified and ported cylinder heads
• Performance camshaft
• Coated long tube headers
• Ported/polished throttle body
• 160/180-degree thermostat
• GM Performance Parts plug wires
• 3.73 or 4.10 rear axle ratio gears
• Fully built, larger displacement engines for Phases 3X/5X

So extensive were the modifications that they required emissions recertification and anything beyond Phase 2 voided the factory vehicle powertrain warranty.

The performance stats for a factory stock 2002 WS6 Trans Am were impressive for its day. Mainstream magazines reported zero-to-60 in around five seconds flat and quarter-mile times came in the mid-13s at just under 110 mph, but some specialty publications were able to consistently break into the 12s with a good surface and a talented driver. According to the GMMG registry, a Black Bird with the Phase 1 380-hp/400 lb-ft package could launch to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and through the quarter-mile in the low 12s, pushing 114 mph.

As the final year of Firebird production commenced (2002) and the Black Birds were flying out of GMMG’s shop, Murphy and Carl Black Pontiac offered additional unique and exclusive variants.

As mentioned, Pontiac released the 2002 Collector Edition Trans Am (CETA) to celebrate and commemorate thirty-three years of the iconic pony car (1969-2002). All 2,391 special birds were dipped in Collector Yellow exterior paint and featured an array of rising phoenix and flowing feathers graphics on the exterior and inside the option-laden cockpit. Ten such cars made their way to Georgia to be outfitted as CETA Black Birds. Six are convertibles, and one is powered by the 680-hp 455-cid C5R motor, making it the most powerful of all the Black Birds.

Carl Black and GMMG followed suit with their own 35^th Anniversary Edition Firebird, represented by a run of nineteen Trans Ams. Although the TA was born in 1969, this was in commemoration of the Firebird itself (1967-2002). The 35^th Anniversary Black Birds were unique in that they had cloisonné badges similar to Pontiac’s CETA badges, with “35 Years” script. The same phoenix graphic was stitched into the headrests. They also rolled on ARE 200S “Daisy” wheels with Charcoal Gray Metallic spokes instead of the usual Torque Thrust IIs.

Murphy used performance products from many reputable vendors to make the Black Birds a reality–ASP pulleys, Kooks/Dynatech Headers, Stop Tech/Baer brake rotors, Eibach springs, American Racing wheels and GM Performance Parts, among others. He also teamed with a main supplier of them all—Year One—to create the Year One Edition Black Birds.

According to the GMMG registry, 10 Year One Trans Ams were built. They were mostly identical to the original Black Birds, but with a Charcoal Gray Metallic-painted rear wing to match the lower valence and a Year One badge. There was also Year One script on the white face gauges and stitched into the headrests.

GMMG also built a handful of Year One Edition Formulas. Since Pontiac did not offer a WS6-equipped Formula after the 2000 model year, GMMG would build a regular V-8 Formula up to WS6 spec, before the Black Bird transformation. Like the 35^th Anniversary Edition Black Bird Trans Am, the Year One Edition Formulas rode on ARE 200S (Daisy) rims, with Charcoal-painted spokes and wore the same cloisonné fender badges with “35 Years” script. Also unique to the YO Formula was a Pontiac arrowhead symbol on the nose rather than a Black Bird badge, and instead of the hood stripes, the Formulas received color-matched “Formula 350” body-side stripes. The Formula’s specific rear valence license plate surround was also painted.

According to the GMMG Registry, this is the breakdown for all GMMG Black Bird variants:

• Regular Black Bird: 2001-2002, 50 + 2 prototypes or public relations cars
• 35^th Anniversary Black Bird: 2002, 19 + 2 prototypes
• CETA Black Bird: 2002, 10 +1 prototype
• Year One Black Bird: 2002, 10 +2 prototypes. Only 8 confirmed
• Year One Edition Formula: 2002, 14 + 2 prototypes

Total = 112

The rarity of the Black Birds is such that not all have been confirmed, so it’s possible that these numbers may vary by a few. 

After a run of creating some of the most potent and memorable F-bodies around, GMMG closed up shop in 2009. The GMMG Black Birds are true legends and have become highly sought after by Pontiac Firebird fanatics and collectors alike. When they do come up for sale, which is not often, they fetch top dollar—an 1100-mile CETA Black Bird Phase 2X convertible sold at Mecum Harrisburg in 2022 for $62,700, while the sole CETA 5X convertible, having covered just a thousand miles, brought a staggering $117,600 including fees on Bring a Trailer in early 2024. The Black Birds are indisputably the finest of the “Last of the Breed” and in the opinion of many, the greatest Firebirds ever built.