The Chevy Camaro debuted in September of 1966 in response to the stellar success of the Ford Mustang. Not wanting to be left out of the pony car game, Pontiac demanded and got the Firebird five months later. For the 1969 model year, the Pontiac Trans Am Performance and Appearance package bowed, taking its name from the SCCA Trans Am racing series featuring pony cars limited to five liters of displacement. That first year of the Trans Am saw limited production, with only 689 coupes and just eight convertibles leaving the factory.
1970 marked the last year for the first generation of big-power GM performance and muscle cars. Federal emissions and economy standards, as well as insurance companies that balked at covering young drivers in powerful, factory-built hot rods, combined to bring an end to the horsepower party. However, Pontiac was the Excitement Division, and they found ways to continue carrying the horsepower flame despite the obstacles. The Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty of 1973 and 1974 made more power than Chevy’s flagship Corvette, and the 1977 Trans Am with its 6.6-liter engine wound up being the star of Smokey and the Bandit, driving sales to more than 117,000 units in 1979, surpassing the Chevy Camaro for the first time ever.
Our feature 1977 Pontiac Trans Am is twin to the car that kicked off T/A fever in Smokey and the Bandit. Finished in Starlight Black with gold decals and pinstripes, it has been the subject of a complete rotisserie restoration by Kraft Automotive Resources in Brighton, Michigan, and with stunning results. The exterior, interior, and drivetrain were all refurbished during the restoration. It is powered by a 400 cubic-inch V8 backed by a four-speed manual gearbox and Safe-T-Track limited-slip rear differential. Spent gasses exit through a full dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. The Trans Am is equipped with removable T-tops, power steering, power brakes with front discs, air conditioning, a Hurst shifter, AM-FM radio, power windows, power locks, tilt steering, analog clock, and rear window defroster. The whole affair rolls on fifteen-inch gold-finished snowflake wheels. The Trans Am is accompanied by photos of the restoration and a reproduction window sticker.
This stunningly restored 1977 Pontiac Trans Am sold recently on Bring a Trailer for $136,000.
Comments
Where’s the Bandit lettering on the driver’s door?
The lettering on the door was only in Smokey and the Bandit 2.
John Kraft is notorious for buying up any and all 2nd gen Pontiac F-bodies to turn them into S/E (aka Bandit) cars.
There are enough people in the Pontiac and Trans Am communities that do not care for what he does to the cars and the hobby.
Way too much money for a 220hp car.
Interesting. I originally thought the TA 6.6 engine was only available with the WS6 suspension/wheel upgrade which this car doesn’t have based on the non-dished (narrower) wheels in the photo. A quick check and sure enough in 1977 you could in fact order the TA 6.6 engine without getting the upgraded suspension. I stand corrected.
I suppose a car is worth whatever some buyer will pay for it but $136k seems WAY over valued for this car. Last I looked, you could get a much more desirable, primo condition, 455 Super Duty TA for less money. A much rarer and much faster car.
For the good old American life: For the money, for the glory, and for the fun… mostly for the money.
The price is about 130.000$ more then back in 1977 (in the US)…
I should have never sold mine, I‘m a darned idiot..
On the other hand, it was not the perfect car here in Germany as the bird almost started to actually fly over 200kph, the hood warped badly…😬