Few cars capture the swagger of late-1990s American performance quite like the fourth-generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, and this 1997 WS6 convertible heading to Barrett-Jackson's 2026 Columbus auction is one of the more desirable ways to own one. Offered at No Reserve as Lot 58, it pairs the most potent factory hardware of the era with open-air motoring and a remarkably low odometer reading.
At the heart of the car sits a 5.7-liter LT1 V-8 rated at 305 horsepower, sending power to a limited-slip rear end through a four-speed automatic transmission. The coveted WS6 Performance Package adds a functional Ram Air hood and a sport-tuned suspension, the combination that transformed the standard Trans Am into one of the quickest American cars money could buy at the time. This example rolls on chrome factory Pontiac Performance wheels, while the cabin features premium leather bucket seats and an Alpine audio system. A power convertible soft-top finishes the package.
What really sets this car apart is its rarity. Pontiac built just 493 WS6 convertibles for 1997, the first year the package was offered on the drop-top body style. Add in the genuine 64,959 actual miles, and this Trans Am stands out from the many fourth-gen Firebirds that were modified, driven hard and racked up six-figure odometers over the years.
So what is it worth? According to the Hagerty Valuation Tools price guide, a 1997 Trans Am WS6 convertible in #3 (Good) condition currently carries a value of around $14,500, a figure that has climbed 2.8 percent recently and already factors a 10-percent adjustment for the automatic transmission. Hagerty pegs the average good-condition example with typical spec closer to $16,514, while the strongest WS6 sales over the past three years have reached as high as $40,005. With 132 examples changing hands at public auction in that span, these cars trade often enough to establish a clear market, and low-mileage, well-documented convertibles like this one tend to sit at the upper end of the range.
As the last of a long line of Pontiac performance, the fourth-generation Firebird has aged into a genuine modern classic, offering Corvette-rivaling pace with four seats and a folding roof. For anyone who has been watching these cars appreciate, a No Reserve, low-mileage WS6 convertible is exactly the kind of opportunity worth circling on the docket.
See it here.
