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Every barn find has a story, but few come with a sequel. A one-owner 1979 Pontiac Trans Am 10th Anniversary Edition with just 421 miles is up for grabs on Bring a Trailer, and the seller says it was tucked away for 47 years after leaving the dealership. The no-reserve auction ends Monday, October 26, at 4:13 p.m. ET, and the high bid stood at $40,000 on Tuesday morning.
A Barn Find With a Plot Twist
According to the dealer consigning the car, 911r (a Bring a Trailer Local Partner based at Avant-Garde Collection in Portland, Oregon), this one started with a different Trans Am. A family had a 1979 Anniversary Edition that was parked for roughly 30 years, and tracking it down led to a surprise: a second, nearly identical Anniversary Trans Am that had been hidden away for 47 years. The seller describes its only road miles before coming to them as the drive home from the dealership.
The listing itself is a little more careful, saying the car was reportedly purchased new by the current owner and has remained in storage since. It also notes the car comes with its factory build sheet, which documents both the 10th Anniversary and WS6 packages, plus 2026 service records and a Montana title held by an LLC.
What's On the Car
This is the full Anniversary treatment. Pontiac sold roughly 7,500 of the 10th Anniversary Trans Ams for 1979, all finished in Platinum silver with a big Firebird graphic across the hood, and this one wears it on a shaker hood with T-tops overhead. Inside, the seats and door panels are silver leather and vinyl, and the equipment list includes air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and locks, a Formula steering wheel, and a factory stereo with an eight-track player.
Under the hood is a 403-cubic-inch Oldsmobile V8 (rated at 185 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque per the listing) with a three-speed automatic and a Safe-T-Track limited-slip rear end. The WS6 Special Performance Package adds four-wheel disc brakes, quicker steering, and a larger sway bar, and the car rolls on 15-inch turbine-style wheels with white-letter Goodyear Polysteel tires that are said to be factory installed.
What's Original, and What Isn't
The seller told bidders in the comments that the car is stock, that all of its emissions equipment is present where it left the factory, and that it still has its original tires. What it doesn't have is a fully untouched mechanical system, which is exactly what you would expect after nearly half a century. Bringing it out of storage meant repairing the radiator, flushing the fuel lines, and replacing the heater core, fuel tank, fuel filter, spark plugs, and shocks. The seller says the tires should be replaced before regular road use.
The listing also discloses a few flaws: the HVAC controls work intermittently, the windshield washer sprayer does not work, and there is a blemish on the right taillight. Bidders have already asked for more photos of the headliner. One caution for anyone sizing up the story: the listing does not include a vehicle-history report, so the storage history rests on the seller's account and the paperwork provided. The dealer says in-person visits and independent pre-purchase inspections are welcome by appointment in Portland.
The Twin Is For Sale Too
The car that led to the discovery has its own no-reserve listing, ending Monday, October 26, at 4:41 p.m. ET. It is a 42-years-owned 1979 Trans Am 10th Anniversary Edition WS6, titled to one owner in Washington since 1984, that spent nearly three decades in storage. The seller puts it at about 97,000 miles, and the high bid sat at $30,079 on Tuesday morning. Recent work includes new brake calipers, pads, hoses and fluid, an oil change, new spark plugs, and a battery mount. The seller says it would be fun to see someone keep the pair together, and with two Platinum Trans Ams on offer the same afternoon, that is possible.
How It Stacks Up
Low-mileage Trans Ams have a following on Motorious. We recently covered a pristine 1978 Trans Am that emerged after four decades with its original owner, and a 1956 Corvette that sat in a New Jersey garage for more than 50 years. If you want a look at how far the Trans Am goes back, our Pontiac Firebird history and the coolest Trans Ams on Motorious are good places to start. A time-capsule car from the same decade is this original 3K-mile 1985 Camaro Z28 IROC-Z.
Bidding Details
The 421-mile Trans Am is lot #270594 on Bring a Trailer, offered by 911r with no reserve and no additional dealer charges listed. Bidding closes Monday, October 26, at 4:13 p.m. ET.
