The SCCA The Trans Am class reached its absolute peak in the early 1970s, with efforts supported by the factory from Ford, Chevrolet, AMC, Dodge and Plymouth are vying for the top spots. you are Probably one of the basic bitches that love Bud Moore’s Mustangs or Penske Camaros, Right? Yes, everyone does. As for me, I like more underground things, things that only real people know. Herb Adams Pontiac Tempest is the best Trans Am car of all time. What? You’ve never heard of it? Wow, and you call yourself a race fan?
Okay, in 1970, Pontiac’s Director of Special Projects, Herb Adams, decided to get the SCCA license. Of course, he had nothing to race except the car parked in his driveway, his wife’s rusty 1964 Tempest. After preparing the car for a regional race in 1970 and driving around in a few Corvettes, Adams thought he might have something on his hands here. He convinced six of his fellow Pontiac engineers to donate some cash to bring the car into compliance with 1971 Trans Am regulations with a 90-day build. The car appeared at Lime Rock that year without a sponsor and convinced driver and Group 44 team owner Bob Tullius to race the car on their behalf.
Engineers chose to make the car soft and compliant to maintain traction on the day’s rough track surfaces, and built in more camber than usual to compensate. When rain began to fall on race day, these options were a godsend for Tullius, who had a reputation as an excellent rider. While he started from behind thanks to a fan belt fault in qualifying, Tullius took an early lead, second only to the legendary Mark Donohue. The track announcer called the car “the gray ghost” as it emerged from the misty weather as if from nowhere. A head gasket failure with just a few laps remaining saw the giant miss out on victory on its maiden voyage.
In 2015, John Hildebrand (father of former IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand) found the car and restored it, and has been racing the classic ever since. This week he Posted the car for sale on Facebook for $675,000. I don’t know how much the restoration cost, but this is probably one of the fastest historic Trans Am cars you can buy today for any price and certainly the coolest. If you’re looking for a new classic race car, this is your guy. It’s a great car with an interesting story.
