Pontiac’s performance legacy is usually tied to icons like the GTO and its flamboyant Judge variant, but one of the brand’s rarest muscle cars was built long after the golden era ended. Produced for only a single model year, the 1977 Pontiac Can Am remained buried in muscle-car history for decades, overshadowed by the more recognizable heavy hitters of the 1960s. Today, the car is gaining newfound recognition as collectors rediscover the limited-run model that slipped quietly into the market at the height of the malaise era.
The Can Am was born at an inopportune moment. Insurance surcharges, fuel concerns and tightening emissions rules had reduced performance to a shadow of what it once was. Pontiac still attempted to preserve some of the brand’s original excitement with a LeMans-based two-door that carried aggressive styling and one of the last meaningful performance packages available from General Motors. Despite its intentions, the timing and lack of marketing ensured the car faded almost immediately from public awareness.
Its production story helped cement that obscurity. Only 1,377 examples were built before the program was abruptly canceled when the mold for the rear spoiler failed. Pontiac opted not to repair it, leaving the Can Am frozen as a one-year experiment. Compared with the 1969 GTO Judge’s 6,833-unit output, the Can Am’s production numbers make it rarer by orders of magnitude.
Under the hood, Pontiac resisted the corporate trend toward shared V8s. Instead of using engines from Oldsmobile or Chevrolet, the Can Am received Pontiac’s own W72 6.6-liter V8. The upgraded camshaft, revised carburetor and altered ignition timing delivered 200 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque—strong numbers for 1977. Paired with a heavy-duty TH400 automatic transmission, the car retained authentic muscle-car credentials even as the segment was being regulated into extinction.
Collectors have begun to notice. Hagerty data shows the Can Am’s average value rising to about $33,500, nearly $5,000 higher than last year and up almost 50% from April 2024. By contrast, the 1969 GTO Judge continues to be more expensive at roughly $144,000, but values have declined over the past 12 months.
The Can Am’s appeal now lies in its mix of rarity, legitimate Pontiac engineering and a price well below the brand’s top-tier collector cars. For buyers seeking something distinctive with a compelling backstory, this one-year-only Pontiac has gone from forgotten relic to one of the market’s most intriguing under-the-radar muscle machines.
