Solar Gold 1978 Pontiac Trans Am W72/WS6 Chases Bids on Hagerty MarketplaceA 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am dressed in Solar Gold Metallic with the W72 high-output 400 and WS6 Special Performance Package has landed on Hagerty Marketplace, and it might be the single most desirable configuration Pontiac ever bolted a Screaming Chicken decal to. Nine bids in, the auction sits at $15,000 with more than a week left on the clock, and it is easy to see why collectors are circling: this is the exact recipe of big V8, close-ratio 4-speed, T-tops, and gold-on-gold graphics that made the second-generation Trans Am a household name the year after Smokey and the Bandit turned it into a movie star.According to the listing, chassis 2W87Z8L171597 was originally delivered through Jim Fresard Pontiac in Royal Oak, Michigan, shipping from the factory on May 20, 1978. The current owner has held the car since 2016, adding roughly 4,000 of the 97,900 miles now showing on the odometer, and the sale includes PHS documentation, a partial factory build sheet, original manufacturer's literature, and service records that trace the car's upkeep back through that ownership.The W72 designation refers to the 400-cubic-inch, 6.6-liter V8 built to the highest output specification Pontiac offered that year, and it is paired here with the WS6 Special Performance Package's stiffer springs, larger sway bars, and revised shock valving, the combination that gave the Trans Am handling to match its looks. This particular car backs up the drivetrain with a 4-speed manual, Hurst T-tops, and the factory hood decal, plus a lengthy options sheet that includes air conditioning, power windows and door locks, a tilt wheel, a Delco AM/FM stereo, and color-keyed seat belts, the kind of well-equipped, PHS-documented example that tends to bring a premium at sale.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe seller's records show meaningful mechanical attention over the past decade, including a 2022 power steering gearbox and hose replacement, a 2019 clutch swap, and a 2017 refresh that touched the seats, carpet, radiator, suspension, and dash instruments, along with fresh tires and a battery this year. The listing is upfront about a couple of flaws, too: the air conditioning system does not currently function, and there is a small bubble in the paint on the lower passenger door, both worth budgeting for if the car ends up in a new garage.Hagerty Valuation Tools offer some useful context for why bidders are paying attention to this specific combination. The price guide separates W72/WS6 cars from base V8 Trans Ams, and a number-3-condition (Good) example of this high-output, WS6-equipped 1978 Trans Am typically prices in the mid-$30,000 range, with number-2-condition (Excellent) cars often pushing past $50,000 when documentation and originality check out. Hagerty's data also suggests Pontiac's late-1970s Trans Am market has held up better than most of its Malaise-era muscle car peers, a reflection of how tightly the W72, WS6, and Hurst T-top combination is tied to the nameplate's cultural peak.This Trans Am arrives amid a broader run of Pontiac muscle finding its way to Hagerty Marketplace and Motorious readers lately, including an Ex-Tin Indian Racing 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible and a Rare 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air III that both crossed the block in the past week, alongside a numbers-matching 1971 Oldsmobile 442 convertible chasing similar GM muscle money. Readers looking for a more affordable way into the second-generation Firebird's look have also been drawn to a recent LS-swapped 1973 Trans Am tribute that traded on eBay Motors for $40,500, a reminder of just how big a premium genuine W72/WS6 cars like this one command over resto-mod tributes. For the bigger picture on where muscle cars fit into this summer's broader collector market, our July 2026 auction market breakdown is worth a read.Bidding on this Solar Gold Trans Am remains open on Hagerty Marketplace ahead of its Tuesday, August 18 close.⚡️ Read the full article on MotoriousSign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.