Sometimes you stumble on people who are doing very, very cool stuff. This was the case for me when I spotted a call-out to a Florida company called Trans Am Worldwide. Among other things, these guys have taken Camaros and turned them into modern versions of classic Pontiacs.
The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am disappeared from showrooms decades ago, but its reputation refuses to die. That appeal is what inspired a small American outfit, Trans Am Worldwide, to bring the nameplate back to life after Chevrolet rolled out the fifth-generation Camaro in 2010.
Ah yes, the legendary Firebird Trans Am! The iconic “screaming chicken,” evocative of an era when hood decals were actually in vogue. And in Pontiac’s case in 1973, when the option first appeared (following some internal debate in GM’s styling department), an extra that folks would pay $55 for. Trans Am Worldwide transformed a Camaro into a 1,000-horsepower, yellow beast, put the bird on the hood, added some other goodies, and called it a “Super Duty.” Just 50 were made, and the last one could now be yours for $279,000.
What happened to Pontiac, by the way?
An American Classic
The Trans Am has a following, combining those who appreciate its distinctive design and those who admire its flamboyant, uncouth, and sort of redneck-y 1970s charms (We were all a bit rougher back then, weren’t we?). I count myself among its fans and make it a point to snap a photo and spend a few moments in study whenever I spot one in the wild. It’s certainly not surprising to me that Trans Am America would build a business out of, well, massively upgrading the original. In addition to the Super Duty versions, the company has also offered a take on probably the most famous Trans Am ever, the car that appeared in Smokey and the Bandit. Vehicles in this “Bandit Series” were, no kidding, signed by Burt Reynolds himself.
If you do want to drop considerable coin on Super Duty #15, you’ll be getting the Trans Am that was, according to the company, customized to the highest level of any car it produced. Power comes from a 7.4-liter supercharged V8, with the considerable oomph piped through a six-speed manual transmission. Just over 16,000 miles, with 2,238 added after it was converted. The interior is done up in a fetching red and black, with contrasting yellow stitching on the seats. The wheels are flashy chrome, and the motor looks like a work of modern art. It has freaking T-tops!
You’ll stop traffic, and honestly, I’d rather have one of these than a Lamborghini any day.
