In all layers of the car hobby, there are subtle outliers of vehicles that represent excellent value but seemingly fly below the radar. They offer some combination of features or desirable mechanical components that aren’t immediately obvious when looking at the car’s exterior, but undoubtedly improve the driving experience. Because these changes are subtle, the vehicle in question often doesn’t rise to the top of collectors’ must-have lists – and this 1991 Pontiac Firebird Formula with the WS6 package is an excellent representation of this concept. Find the low-mileage Firebird here on eBay with bids to $9,000 and a Buy-It-Now of $19,997.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip. Recently, Hagerty Insurance published its annual “Bull Market” list, which is effectively a run-down of cars and trucks it feels are poised for a jump in value. We the owners and collectors of such cars and trucks have been sleeping on a batch of vehicles that will soon no longer be cheap. I often take issue with some of their selections, mostly because at least half of the vehicles chosen have been expensive to own for some time – they’re just going to become more expensive. To my mind’s eye, this isn’t particularly helpful advice, especially when you have vehicles like this WS6 package Firebird available for $20K and still almost new in the wrapper. This is a car worth having on your radar, as it could be out of your price range by this time next year.

When talking about features that fly below the radar, this era of the Firebird is loaded with them. First, you have the Banshee concept-inspired nose design, which set the Firebird apart from its Camaro sibling in a big way. Pontiac was always the brand that got the in-your-face treatment, whether it was the billion button steering wheel or a Bonneville sedan with color-matched wheels and a snout featuring two pronounced driving lamps. However, with many muscle car buyers awaiting the fourth-generation Firebird and Camaro, these Banshee-inspired cars didn’t find a lot of takers, and they pop up fairly infrequently today – especially with 21,253 miles on the clock.

As such, the interior is in excellent condition, and the engine bay presents as new. The WS6 package got you some meaningful chassis upgrades including stiffer springs, Bilstein shocks, and bigger sway bars, and those performance-oriented shock absorbers are likely still installed given the low mileage. Engine-wise, the truly hot ticket is finding one of these with the optional 5.7L 350, but this example has the standard 305 5.0L V8, good for 170 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s a respectable number for a 1990s muscle car, and it will still make the right noises today. If the reserve is a few bucks shy of the Buy-It-Now, this low-mileage WS6 car looks like a great buy to me – regardless of what Hagerty has to say about it.