Vehicle Description
Those who know true rare American speed machines will want to take
note. This is an ultra-low mileage 1989 Pontiac Firebird Turbo
Trans Am 20th Anniversary special edition. While all the cars in
this extremely short run were considered Indy 500 Pace Car
replicas, this one has proof that is a Festival Car used around the
race! That's why it's such a well-preserved and award-winning time
capsule.
This Turbo Trans Am (TTA) was purchased by a GM employee, and he
knew exactly how rare and unique this car is. That's why it's a
cherished machine with less than 3,300 miles on the odometer. There
were only 1,555 examples of this special edition...That's all!
There were no other turbocharged Trans Ams of this generation. That
numbers gets even more tantalizing when you know that this is #113
of only 150 official festival cars used in conjunction with the
1989 Indianapolis 500. The 20th anniversary cars were not only
special for their motor, but also for the fact they were based on
the already rare GTAs. That means a more aggressive look with a
full body kit, vented hood, and rear spoiler. And these TTAs were
the only ones that got the official Indy 500 decals. The white
paint has a porcelain like glow on this well-respected machine. And
since the panels were treated like precious metal, it just makes
the expensive gold crosslace wheels look even more impressive. The
exceptional preservation on all of this is more than just what you
can see in the pictures. It was a concours gold winner scoring
398/400 at the Buick GS nationals as recently as 2017.
The interior is just as original and nicely preserved as the
exterior. It starts with the GTA-exclusive Ultima bucket seats with
power adjustable bolstering for the best in comfort. The sports
steering wheel is different than most other cars you see, because
this was the year Pontiac started to embrace their technical side
with the premium cars. So you have full stereo controls right in
the middle. Beyond that is a full set of clear analogue gauges.
Because this was the top-of-the-line car for Pontiac, it comes
loaded with features like power windows, power locks, power
steering, remote trunk opener, cruise control, an AM/FM/cassette
stereo, and four-speed automatic transmission w/overdrive. The
T-tops store in their proper factory bags, and when you take them
out, the factory air conditioning will keep you comfortable while
being open to the world.
If you were wondering about why this Pontiac gets scored at Buick
events, the proof is under the hood. It has the Buick-based
3.8-liter turbo motor that was eating the streets in cars like the
Buick Grand National and GNX. This setup is stock, right down to
the decals, and so it's easy to believe the claim that this is
still the full original package. GM was worried that Buick had a
Corvette-killer on its hands with the GNX, but Pontic really turned
it up a notch. They had their own variation on this hardy turbo
setup. So while they claimed this was making 245 horsepower (the
same as the C4 Corvette) the number was really closer to 300. That
kind of power made it the one to beat out on the street. Of course,
it was the other examples that helped give the Turbo Trans Am its
reputation, because this one remains exceptionally preserved over
every inch. But if you do decide to enjoy this car to its fullest,
the GTA setup means a terrific all-around package with four-wheel
disc brakes, limited-slip rear end, and the desirable WS6 sports
suspension.
The sale comes with all the best documentation and paperwork,
including the Indy 500 log book, the original bill of sale, owner's
manual packet, promotional material, magazine articles, and its
concours award. This is one of the rarest and most desirable cars
of its era. So if you're a true collector, you know this is the one
you can't let slip away. Call today!!!
