Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
When it launched, the 1979 Pontiac Firebird was touted to be “a new breed of wow.” One period advertisement said, “Firebird first touched pavement 12 years ago, sharpening corners and shortening straightaways. It was the brainchild of engineers and designers who never lost their love for the road.”
Some 45 years later, this “Starlight Black” Firebird is still eating up the pavement – and doing so in style. The car is being sold by a dealer in Atlanta, Georgia, and the auction will end on Monday.
Sharing the F-body chassis with its sibling, the Chevrolet Camaro, the second-generation Firebird made its world debut in February of 1970. Unlike the prior version of the Firebird, it was offered exclusively as a two-door coupe (no convertible) throughout the generation (which concluded in 1981). A restyle took place in 1979; one of the new design features was a louvered black taillight panel that spanned the entire width of the rear deck. “As exciting going as it is coming,” Pontiac said.
One of the most striking characteristics of the car, aside from that stunning Starlight Black paint job, is its gold accents around the exterior. The treatment starts at the nose with the famous Trans Am hood decal and extends to the window surrounds, wheel arches, roof, decklid, and even the inserts for the iconic “snowflake” alloy wheels. Also, notice how the exhaust system is unique compared to other vehicles of the era in the sense that it uses twin outlets which exit behind the rear tires. Pretty slick design!
Moving to the interior, the listing notes that the original trim code for the car specified a Carmine (74N) combination, but the theme is now all-black. The Firebird-logo floor mats are a nice upgrade and the car comes with air conditioning and a Delco stereo for cruising comfort.
Up front, power for this ‘bird comes from an Oldsmobile-sourced “L80” 403ci V8 (a legit option at the time) mated to a three-speed Turbo Hydra-matic 350 automatic transmission. The listing says that the oil, air conditioning system, and fuel system all received service earlier in 2024. In addition, the front brakes are newer, the parking brake cable was replaced, and the rear sway bar links have been changed.
If you have a love for the road like many of us, then look no further than a Trans Am that will let you “shorten those straightaways.”
The auction for this 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am ends Monday, September 23, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. (PDT)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
