Imagine it is 1971 and you drive downtown and there is a Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Plymouth dealership side by side. As you visit each showroom, you get to examine a Ford Mustang Mach 1, Chevrolet Z28, Pontiac Trans Am, and Plymouth Cuda. Each car is equipped with the top-performing engine option. Which one would you select? Well, the original buyer of this 1971 Pontiac Trans Am selected this car and now it is for sale here on eBay. The car has 4 days left in the auction and is bid to $27,123. The reserve has not been met and the car is being sold by Dan in Denver, Colorado.
I have to warn you that it must have been a humid day because all of Dan’s pictures from here on out are cloudy. All 1971 Trans Ams were equipped with the top engine option for 1971 from Pontiac. The HO455 cubic inch V8 engine was rated at 335 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a Turbo 400 automatic transmission. The car is well optioned including air conditioning, tilt steering, power steering, power brakes, and 8 track player.
The interior looks very nice and the car is said to have 136,000 miles on it. There are two cracks in the dash at the same place that my 1971 Trans Am has cracks. This car is in nicer condition than mine and it has the numbers matching engine. In 1971, you could order cameo white with a blue stripe or lucerne blue with a white stripe. The door panels look to have been repaired or replaced because they should have built-in map pockets.
Even with fuzzy pictures, this is a beautiful car. The Trans Am was known as the complete package with power and handling. As much as I like Mustangs, Camaros, and Cudas, I would pick the Pontiac Trans Am in 1971. This car has new tires, an older repaint, and the correct exhaust system. I think this one will sell for close to $40,000. What do you think?
If I ever get to own another Trans Am in my life, please let it be this one……
I liked it then and I like it now. I appreciate your preference between the other cars. These had something special. I am a Trans Am and can hurt the best from Europe! I know I felt special riding in one at the time. I would call it hot rod royalty.
yep early trans ams are sweet, lastnights golden cruz The original owner brought out his 69 4 speed TA…..69 was a special year but the 71 would be gre
at too. Running at Bandeneres at 5800 foot altitude and my 354 gear 4 speed AMX 2 seater runs 13 flat at 106…..
I liked 1970 even better. These where a better car to drive and better performance then the same year Vett.
Regarding performance, i would think the lighter ’70 vette with the hi po 454 or even the solid lifter 350 could keep up with or even beat the ’70 t/a ram air 4 400, depending on options or lack therof in each car.
If only it was a 4 speed…….🤔
Interesting question, what would I pick in ’71, well to be honest if it was real performance I was after I’d of bought a used ’69 or even a ’70 of which ever brand I was into. For less money too, to afford the insurance, but most of all to have a harder running machine that could smoke off any “new” ’71.
If forced into buying a ’71 model year maybe this TA in lucerne blue with a white scoop, torque thrust d or similar wheels installed right away. Orrrr,,, possibly the Boss 351 Mustang, with its stiff 11.5 to 1 compression ratio and huge air pump four barrel heads. Nah,
I’d buy used.
In 1971, I was able to buy a brand new car (family financed) which severely limited my choices. I ended up with a 71 Beetle.
Now, in retrospect . . .
Not so humid here, but we have seen a lot of nearby forest fires, which are contributing to ash, smoke, and haze.
I really enjoyed the nostalgic comment about heading to “Dealer’s Row” back in the day! Delaware Ave, Main Street and Bailey Ave in Buffalo were the places to shop. In 1985 my wife and I shopped for a small SUV. In one evening we walked to Ford, Chevy and Toyota dealerships in two blocks to check them out. Don’t get me started on the 1960’s/1970’s.
Frank, stop into Bailo’s for a beef on weck and a cold one?
Absolutely! And check out the many used car lots on Bailey. I got the first round and sandwiches. My wife is a California girl. First time I took her to Bailo’s she said “Yuck” and brushed the salt off the kimmelweck roll. I said “Are you trying to get me killed ??”
If the question was for 1970, I wouldn’t have made it out of the Ford dealer, Boss 429 if I could afford it, more likely a Boss 302 or Mach 1 351 C w/ 4speed. But in 71 the ‘Stang got too fat, unless I had the scratch for a Hemi Cuda I’d have been at the Pontiac dealer. But may have selected the Formula 455 with a manual and the TransAm suspension for that sleeper look.
a nice example with honeycombs just no-saled at $45k last weekend at Mecum…….
Phor Phorty Thousand dollars, I would buy a BMW.
I remember being a kid, and going to the NY auto show, and sitting in these in 71, and going home w the brochures and filling out order sheets on how I’d option the car, I always wanted a/c even at 10, the 455 motor and am/fm stereo w the case nails mounted 8 track, I flipped between automatic and 4 speed, and always wanted white interior
In 1971 I would find a nice 1969 T/A with a 4 speed.
Think the 71, is a better handling car than the 69, but a 69 T/A now we talking, it’s all up to taste, I just like the 80 thru 81 bodies, and boy did the handle
In 1971 and thinking new domestic only (as described), a 1971 ZR1 Corvette in steel cities grey would be my 1st choice, money not an object of course. It has to be near top of the heap. Stock 370hp with the M22 ‘rock crusher’, aluminum driveshaft and posi and only 8 cars made for ’71, ZR1 all the way!
the 71 corvette ZR-1 was the low compression version, 330hp was the factory rating, and yeah, only 8 made …
Those are the correct lower door panels with no map pockets used on early 2nd gen birds.
Steering wheel has a seam running around the outside perimeter – either a ’77 or newer wheel, or aftmkt one.
Very strange that for ’70-72 Pontiac did not install fender to radiator support connectors. Camaro had em. In ’73-76, birds got huge leaf spring connectors(lol) & in ’77-81 got much smaller lighter connectors.
Gotta give seller credit for not saying 36k miles.
those are the 70/71 non deluxe lowers, the deluxe interior had the map pocket lowers
Nice….there year 1971 started the TA chick magnet decade…..or about that….didn’t hurt there were a bunch of movie starts driving them either !
If I could pick one car from those dealerships with the top engine option, sorry, it would be the ‘Cuda with the Hemi option.
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy were these pictures!!
Oh man, my dream car, but switch out that auto right now!!! And paint it dark black avocado green, I saw one in my hometown, most beautiful colour I’ve ever seen!
Green was not avail in ’70 & oddly the only other color – blue with white stripes – is a lot rarer than the reverse color of this t/a. There was a one year brewster green t/a avail in ’73 – i believe the same color as John Wayne’s t/a in “McQ”. But not sure if its the shade of green you are talking about.
& not sure if green was ever offered again in later years on a 2nd gen t/a.
Winning bid of $35,900.00 made with 9 secs to go in auction at 5:17 pm cdt. There were 38 bids.
If I had to walk down dealership row in ’71 it would either be a Lucy Blue TA or a Cuda. Now if I had to do that very same thing in ’70 I think my head would explode! Way too many great options from all makes. My brother had a Lucerne Blue 70 TA with ram air 4 and 4 speed with black deluxe interior back in the 90’s, been a fan ever since.
Being a Pontiac man, all my life, but knowing what I know now, I’d order a few 454 Chevelle convertibles, a few Hemi Cudas and a few Trans ams