Pontiac built the Firebird between 1967 to 2002 with the first Trans Am coming in 1969. The model would go on to become an extremely successful American performance car - as well as a pop cultural reference point from the Rockford Files to Smokey and the Bandit and beyond.
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Firebird sales peaked in 1979 at 211,454 sold (that year also marked the pinnacle of Trans Am sales at 117,109) and there are plenty of nice ones out there today – however, there aren’t many low mile cars around which brings us to this 1981 model; incredibly it has just 3,774 miles (6,115km) on the clock - and it is for sale.
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Bought at the Cawood Auto company of Port Huron, Michigan, it remained with the first owner until its recent acquisition by the selling dealer, so technically, it is a one-owner car and still has the original window sticker.
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The Trans Am was always a potent muscle car but by 1981, due to emission laws, it had had its wings clipped; it looked like it was going 250kph when just standing still, but under the bonnet was Chevrolet’s small-block LG4 (305 CID) 5.0-litre V8 which only made 145 horsepower – but the good news is it came with a mandatory dour-speed manual transmission and standard 3.08 rear gears meaning acceleration was actually spirited.
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Even though the ‘81 Trans Am was big by Eighties standards it was a great handling car that was very light on its feet and this one is equipped with the desirable WS6 Special Performance Package, meaning it has power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes hiding behind those beautiful factory gold-finished Turbo Cast 15in aluminium wheels.
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Other features include the bright red paint, chrome trim, and removable T-Top panels.
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And of course the huge Firebird decal on the bonnet along with the shaker hood scoop.
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The rear design consisted of one big blacked-out tail light bar which only turned red when the brake pedal was applied.
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The interior is upholstered in red vinyl, to go with the matching door panels and carpets, whereas the dashboard and centre console are trimmed in maroon. The car also comes with electric locks and windows, air conditioning and a Delco AM/FM radio.
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As for the V8, it was factory rated at 145 horses and 325Nm of torque but if that isn’t enough power the good news is it can be cheaply and easily modified to produce well over 200 horsepower, since it shared many parts with Chevrolet’s other small-block V8s. 1979 was the last year for the large displacement 6.6-litre V8 under the hood - but this is an extremely low mile ’81 model in perfect condition and that is what is most appealing about it.
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The 1981 Trans Am may have been forgotten by most car enthusiasts and that is a shame because even today it is a special breed - and this low mile example has a high potential for collectability. It is being getting auctioned off through Bring a Trailer so head there and get bidding!
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