After the sale of rare unrestored 1970 Pontiac Trans Am a surprise put in by the factory was found
- This 1970 American Pontiac Trans Am is pretty rare
- Pontiac produced only 3,196 units that year
- However, it has one touch that makes it even more collectable
Published on Oct 22, 2024 at 2:42 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 23, 2024 at 7:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
1970 is still considered the early days for this American Pontiac Trans Am – plus it’s pretty rare.
In fact, Pontiac produced only 3,196 units that year.
One has just been sold on eBay.
However, look a little closer at this example and you’ll discover it’s even more rare than you thought.
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The 1970 Pontiac Trans Am
It was the base Firebird as well as the Esprit that dominated 1970.
To put that into context, 18,874 and 18,961 units were sold, respectively.
The Trans Am was available with the Ram Air III and IV packages.
The latter was the rarest and – eventually – the most sought-after by classic car collectors.
Find out how to maintain and preserve a classic car collection here.
Why is this example so rare?
A mere 3,108 of the L74Trans Ams rolled off the production line.
Fewer still, only 1,729 were fitted with a manual gearbox.
That’s what was just sold on Throttlestop via eBay for $77,900.
Per the dealer, it’s a Southern car and due to the proper TLC all over the years, it’s flexing a survivor-grade package that is ‘few and far between’.
It’s still largely original and wearing its Lucerne Blue shade (factory code 26) in an old repaid (not the factory-sprayed coat).
Meanwhile, the solid undercarriage is in its original Red Oxide Primer plus the OG floors have the listing labeling it a ‘time capsule’.
Beneath the hood the lucky new owner will find a 400ci V8 engine with the Ram Air III and it’s safe to assume they didn’t need a trailer when they picked it up from Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
It came complete with its PHS documentation, original factory door edge guards, and a mere 25K miles on the odometer.
Check out this classic Ferrari from an era when car names mattered which just sold for $148,000 on SBX Cars.
Want more? This super-rare 2013 Rally Fighter from ‘Fast & Furious 8’ also sold on SBX Cars for $118,000.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
