Pontiac Turbo Trans Am
Photo: nakhon100, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vehicles · Vintage American Muscle
Pontiac Turbo Trans Am · 1980–1981
The Turbo Trans Am is the second-generation Firebird's last stand: a 4.9-litre (301 cu in) V8 fed by a single Garrett turbo and a carburetor, the first forced-induction Pontiac V8 and the car chosen as the 1980 Indy 500 Pace Car. Output was soft even for its day — 210 hp, automatic-only — but as the final Bandit-era T/A before the downsized 1982 F-body, clean low-mileage survivors and Pace Car editions carry the collector interest.
The one to have: Documented original 301 Turbo · numbers-matching drivetrain · unmodified · low miles
Specification
Engine
4.9L Turbo V8
301 cu in; single Garrett TBO-305 turbo, carbureted Quadrajet
Output
210 hp
345 lb-ft · 9 psi boost (1980; trimmed to 200 hp / 340 lb-ft in 1981)
0–60 mph
~8 s
116 mph top speed, mid-16s quarter mile (period tests)
Gearbox
3-speed auto only
TH350 / THM350C — no manual ever offered
The market
Verified sales on file
6
Jan 2024 – Jan 2026
Median sale
$35k
all tracked results
★ Original 301 Turbo
$37k
median of 2 target-spec sales
Top result
$56k
GAA · Nov 2025
Benchmarks: Drivers $25–35k · documented low-mile originals $40–55k+ · Trend: firming
Know the real one
The 4.9L turbo 301 was Pontiac's answer to shrinking displacement — 1980–81 only, automatic-only
Many lost their 301 Turbos to 400/455 swaps — numbers-matching original-drivetrain survivors carry the premium
Verify: VIN engine code T, PHS invoice, build sheet, unmolested turbo plumbing
~$11k loaded new — the attainable entry to the registry
Verified sales · ★ = target spec · foreign results converted to USD as noted
| Date | Venue | Year | Spec | Miles | Price | Loc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | Mecum | 1980 | Turbo T/A ★ | 18,000 | $41,800 | FL | 18k-mile original |
| Nov 2025 | GAA | 1980 | Y84 SE | — | $56,000 | NC | Special Edition (Bandit) comp, highly original |
| Nov 2025 | GAA | 1980 | std T/A | 25,000 | $37,000 | NC | 25k miles, original — comp |
| Oct 2025 | Hagerty Mkt | 1980 | Turbo T/A | 49,000 | $26,900 | AL | non-original drivetrain comp |
| Oct 2025 | Mecum | 1980 | std T/A | 70,000 | $27,500 | TX | modified comp |
| Jan 2024 | Barrett-Jackson | 1980 | Turbo T/A ★ | — | $33,000 | AZ | TMU miles, original, no-reserve |
Where to hunt
Classic.com1980 Trans Am segment
Bring a TrailerTurbo Trans Am page
HagertyFirebird/Trans Am valuation
Research file — market data verified through July 18, 2026.
Sources: individually observed results via Classic.com feeds, BaT, Cars & Bids, Mecum, RM Sotheby's,
Broad Arrow, Gooding, Collecting Cars, PCARMARKET and venue coverage, plus marque registries and factory press material.