In an incredibly rare moment for the show, Jay Leno’s Garage recently aired an episode featuring a legendary muscle car. This 1979 Pontiac Trans Am is not only rare to be seen on the show it is just simply rare in general. It is a completely original numbers matching car with only 20,242 miles on the clock. While there is not a whole lot rare about the Trans Am, finding one in this kind of condition that has not been modified, beat on, or massively over restored is.
This particular car was last sold on Bring a Trailer for around $40,000 and is now owned by the Audrain Auto Museum. It came complete with every piece of documentation you can think of, from the original window sticker stating its original $8,200 selling price to service records.
The beautiful black Trans Am is equipped with the WS6 package, a 400-cid engine, and a 4-speed manual transmission. The phoenix decal on the shaker hood is in perfect condition and the snowflake wheels add a bit of nostalgia. As Leno drives the well-preserved car, it becomes apparent that what viewers are witnessing is the funny man falling in love with a car that he has long since dismissed as a niche made popular by a cheesy graphic and an iconic film. An opinion that Firebird enthusiasts will have to forgive him for, as it seems all that he needed to come around was to see what driving in 1979 was like for Pontiac owners.
For those that live near Rhode Island, the Audrain Auto Museum is home to an incredible collection of cars. They often drive their cars and rotate their collection. While the Audrain is a small museum in comparison to some, they usually have themed scheduled exhibits so attendees can see more of what appeals to them.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
