by American Automotive Ambition
Among the 1300 classic cars being auctioned from an Alabama collector is a true time capsule of American automotive ambition. Within this impressive hoard lies a piece of muscle car history that combines nostalgia and lost opportunities.
Controversial Powertrain
The 1980 Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am certainly looks the part with its iconic “screaming chicken” hood graphic and T-top roof, but beneath that famous bird hides one of the most controversial powertrains ever fitted to a Trans Am.
End of the Big Engine Era
The second-generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am built and maintained its legend throughout the 1970s by sticking with large V8 engines at a time when competitors were either downsizing or disappearing altogether. This was aided by the halo effect from the movie “Smokey and the Bandit,” where Burt Reynolds drove such a car.
But by 1980, emissions and fuel economy requirements sent the 400 cubic inch (6.6-liter) V8 engine into retirement. It was replaced by a relatively small 301 cubic inch (4.9-liter) V8 engine, but with a turbocharger. If this technology made the Porsche 911 legendary, why wouldn’t it work here?
Theoretical Advantages and Real Results
On paper, the numbers looked decent for 1980: 210 hp and 468 Nm of torque made it significantly more powerful than the standard 403 cubic inch Oldsmobile V8 that was standard for the 1979 Trans Am. But on the drag strip, things looked different.
Turbo in Name, But Not in Essence
Hampered by a three-speed automatic transmission and a tall 3.08:1 rear axle ratio, the Turbo Trans Am needed about 8.2 seconds to reach 60 mph and covered the quarter mile in 16.7 seconds at 86 mph according to Car and Driver measurements.
A year earlier, the same journalistic team tested a manual W72 T/A, which accelerated to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, covered the quarter mile in 15.3 seconds, and reached an epic-for-the-period top speed of 97 mph.
Design Features and Options
Testers also complained that there was no longer enough power to break the rear tires loose on dry asphalt, although handling was still praised, and at least the car looked the part. The turbo version received a new hood bulge with a side-facing, fake air intake that housed optional lights which illuminated as boost increased.
And you could still get the bird decal on the hood, though, as before, it was technically an option. The owner of this auction car obviously thought the giant sticker was worth the $120 premium on top of the $350 that Pontiac charged for the turbo engine. If you forgot to tick that box, you got a detuned naturally aspirated 301 cubic inch V8 that produced only 155 horsepower.
Other desirable options on this example include the removable T-top roof, which is reported to show slight wear due to age, as do various other parts of the car.
Preservation Condition
But overall, it has survived its 45 years incredibly well, partly due to having covered only 49,930 miles since new. It even has some interior parts from the rare black and gold Y84 SE model, but lacks others, such as the gold bumper inserts, and bears no Y84 code on the tag or any mention in the auction description, so we assume it’s just an imitation.
Historical Significance
SE or not, this turbocharged bird may not represent the peak of Trans Am performance, but the Turbo is an important part of Pontiac’s history, showing how hard Detroit was working to preserve a hint of power during the “malaise era.” And it paved the way for the turbocharged 20th Anniversary Trans Am of 1989, a car that truly set the road on fire.
The car has been preserved in impressive condition for its age, demonstrating how American manufacturers tried to adapt to environmental demands without losing their sporting spirit. Although the turbocharged version did not achieve the expected performance figures, it became an important stage in the evolution of American sports cars, showing the potential of forced induction under constraints. Today, such examples are valued by collectors precisely as testaments to the technological searches of the automotive industry during a transitional period.
