Almost every vehicle manufacturer produces Limited Edition vehicles to celebrate a badge milestone, but this 1996 Pontiac Trans Am is slightly different. The good folks at SLP waved their magic wand over this classic to commemorate the twenty-fifth birthday of B.F. Goodrich’s iconic Comp T/A tire. SLP only produced these cars for two years, making them among the rarest Trans Ams to grace our roads. This one is a genuine survivor listed here on eBay in Troy, Michigan. The seller set their BIN at $25,650 with the option to make an offer.
Fourth Generation Firebirds rolled from the factory between November 1992 and late 2002. Pontiac focused on aerodynamic efficiency with its predecessor but ramped up the concept with its latest offering. Our feature car was ordered by its original owner wearing the Sebring Silver paint that was a hallmark of the Comp T/A derivative. SLP enhanced the purposeful appearance with a Graphite stripe, a composite Ram Air hood, and 17″ alloy wheels mounted with the tires that gave these cars their model designation. This Trans Am presents well as an unrestored survivor. The photo quality is not the greatest I have seen, but these reveal nothing beyond minor chips on the front bumper. The rest of the exterior holds an excellent shine, and the panels are as straight as an arrow. The glass T-top found on this Trans Am was an overwhelmingly popular choice on the Comp T/A, with only three cars leaving the factory without one. The stripes and decals are crisp, and the wheels show no evidence of physical damage.
Pontiac pulled out the stops when equipping the Comp T/A’s interior, with the buyer receiving airbags, air conditioning, power operation for the windows, locks, seats, mirrors, and hatch release. Throw in cruise control, leather trim, a premium stereo with a CD player, unique Comp T/A mats, and “Comp T/A” logos stitched into the headrests, and life aboard this classic would be pretty pleasant. Finding anything to fault on this car is seemingly impossible. The outer edges of the heavily bolstered front seats can be prone to wear, but this car has avoided that issue. The mats are intact, and there are no visible cosmetic shortcomings or aftermarket additions.
Lifting the hood reveals the business end of proceedings with this Trans Am. The Comp T/A features many of the mechanical upgrades seen on the iconic Firehawk, including a lighter flywheel and driveshaft, a very effective Ram Air system, and tubular exhaust headers. It allows the 5.7-liter V8 to send 310hp and 335 ft/lbs of torque to the limited-slip rear end via a six-speed manual transmission. Performance is all that you might expect from a car of this caliber, with the ¼-mile journey taking 14 seconds as the Comp T/A winds its way beyond 160mph. The seller claims that this classic has a genuine 19,000 miles showing on its odometer, and while they don’t mention verifying evidence, the spotless state of areas like the underside makes the claim plausible. Potential buyers can consider this Pontiac a turnkey proposition that runs and drives perfectly.
To say that the 1996 Pontiac Trans Am SLP Comp T/A is rare is not an understatement. Only 72 of these cars found homes in 1995, with a further 128 emerging in 1996. This one carries the plaque confirming that is the 101st car built, placing it almost exactly in the middle of that production total. The seller’s BIN figure looks competitive against the few recent successful sales, but their willingness to negotiate may allow someone to score it for less. Does that tempt you to potentially make a play for this classic?
Cool functional Ram-Air hood 😎
If it’s as nice up close as it appears in the photos, it’s seems like a great deal! Very well done for a car that’s almost 30 years old.
Last winter , i spotted an ad for a 95 firebird, it turned out to be a convertible trans am with low miles that i instantly bought for $2600 canadian dollars , (needing a four seater again because of grandkids )
It does need a new top , had so much fun with it that i am in the process of buying a 2002 camaro ss vert anniversary edition of something , i think i will prefer the added output of the LS engine
Now, this slp comp/ta is a gem , powerful, balanced and plain fun to drive and cruise when you decide to pull it out of the garage …
YOLO
In the mid 90s, without question, THE most popular car for drag racing was the Firebird. Pro Stock and Funny cars all utilized its sleek shape. The Toyota Camry has replaced all those Firebirds today.