1989 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Coupe

Pontiac was asked to pace the 73rd running of the Indianapolis 500 in 1989, creating the perfect reason to produce something spectacular. With assistance from Performance Automotive Systems (PAS) in City of Industry, California, the turbocharged, intercooled 3.8-liter V6 engine used in the Buick Grand National was modified and installed into the engine bay of the Trans AM. The exterior was painted white, complemented by a tan interior and gold mesh wheels with specialized badges and decals. These modifications brought about the 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am, and 'Car and Driver' declared the 'TTA' to be the quickest and fastest American production car with 0-60 MPH accomplished in just over 4 seconds and a top speed of over 160 MPH.

Production was limited to 1,555 units, with most receiving a leather interior and T-tops. The 3.8-liter V6 engine produced approximately 250 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque, although the actual figure was probably closer to 300 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. Standard equipment included an AM/FM cassette stereo with a graphic equalizer, air conditioning, a WS6 suspension package, and a four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.

The 1989 Pontiac 20th Anniversary Trans Am was the first car ever to pace the Indianapolis 500 race without needing any performance modifications.

This car is number 8 of the 1,555 Turbo Trans Am cars produced in 1989. It is also one of 187 examples fitted with a cloth interior and T-Tops.