Imagine my surprise when I came across this in the shopping center parking lot!
We all know that dogs can’t drive, but that doesn’t stop Thunder (a Siberian Husky) from fantasizing about it!
And what’s he “driving”? A black 1979 Pontiac Trans Am in original, unrestored condition! Whoa! I haven’t seen one of these since, oh, maybe college days (early 1990s)?
In high school, this was like, the most badass car in the school parking lot.
I imagine the owner as someone like this: Buddy Repperton from the movie “Christine” (who actually drove a Camaro, but you get the idea).
Um, let’s face it–someone who smashes a mint-condition ’58 Plymouth with a sledgehammer is not going to get a lot of sympathy from me! Buddy got what was coming to him! Poetic justice! (Or was it? The moral implications are staggering!)
But no, the real family who owns this car is nothing like Buddy. Meet Shadi, his son, and Thunder the dog. Shadi is from Syria and came to this country when he was 19. He has always loved cars like this.
What I found particularly interesting about this unique automotive find is that it’s not an over-restored show queen, but a real car with a few nicks, scratches and rust spots–which is how I imagine most of us remember these. Trans Ams were typically driven fast and hard–and they looked it.
This Trans Am has the Golden Firebird on the hood, and it’s pretty dramatic when you see it in real life. I have to commend Pontiac for having the audacity to make such a bold artistic statement.
Here’s what it looks like in new condition. It’s quite beautiful, and reminds me of the Phoenix bird, with possible Aztec connotations. Some people call it a “Screaming Chicken”, which is a stupid name, because it is a majestic bird of prey, clearly not a “chicken”.
Side details.
You have to love the way Pontiac copywriters described this car: “Announcing the birth of a bold new breed of wow! The 1979 Firebirds. Trans Am, our ultimate, comes on stronger in this, its eleventh year . . . Trans Am’s new visage doesn’t just hint of its top-of-the-line position. It shouts it! There’s still the showy outlay of extractors and deflectors . . . There’s never been a ‘Bird more deserving of our best of breed distinction.” (Incidentally, the brochure refers to the hood decal as a “Screaming Eagle”.)
1980 model shown
Considering how dull, boxy, and boring a lot of cars were during this era, you have to admit this Trans Am really makes a statement! (Whether you personally like the statement it makes is another question.) My father, the European sports car purist, dismissed these as “ridiculous monstrosities”.
Carmine, typical Trans Am driver, from the book, “U R What You Drive” by Tom Couch
This is Desiree, Carmine’s girlfriend. She drives a Corvette.
Ah, but time has a way of softening such images and stereotypes. This Trans Am is now a 46-year-old relic. Carmine and Desiree (if they’re still alive) are now collecting Social Security. I really don’t know what the 2025 equivalent of young guys and gals like them are driving. What do 21-year-old tough guys and their hottie companions drive these days?
So for now we say good-bye to Thunder, the wannabe car-driving canine. It’s been fun. Good dog!
Further CC reading:
In-Motion Classic: 1979 Pontiac Firebird – Moves Like Rockford by Joseph Dennis
Curbside Classic: 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am–Not Quite Screaming Chicken by Paul Niedermeyer
Curbside Classic: 1979 to 1981 Pontiac Trans Am – Smoke ‘Em If You Got ’em by Jason Shafer
Wow, what a great find! I used to really hate on these when they were new and late model cars, but not I can appreciate them as the ultimate period piece, the very tail end of the “cool car”. Although I would still probably take a Dodge Lil’ Red Express (another period piece). I can admire the way this one hits that sweet spot of preservation and regular use. And how it comes with the ultimate anti-theft system.
Not to be CATTY, but Toonces The Driving Cat was behind the wheel on Saturday Night Live years ago! But I’m Thunder struck to see this Husky guy behind the wheel. Guess that’s another indication we’re going to the DOGS. But what a way to go. Seriasly! 😉 😜
I just have to add that Toonces (The Cat Who Can Drive a Car…Just Not Very Well!) is my go-to metaphor for all ridiculous claims of competence. There are lots and lots of opportunities to call upon Toonces.
Thunder, fwiw, looks perfectly competent.
This was the era when the Camaro/Firebird, jumped the shark for me. I moved on, from paying much attention to them.
Their image became too commercial, and over-the-top. For a concurrent comparison from the era, like when a good new wave band, put out a chart-topping disco song. lol
A late ’70’s timepiece and icon.
The louvers on the rear window and whatever that monstrosity is on the trunk do not help that car.
Years ago I had a LHD VW van in the UK. Used to love the double takes we got when I was driving with the dog in the front passenger seat.
Great find. These are getting harder and harder to find outside of car shows, so to see one on the street, well-used, but clearly still cared for as a desirable car is excellent.
I do wish Shadi had chosen different headlights, and that he had the T-top (leaks and all). I’ll bet Thunder would prefer the T-top too. And so would Mrs. Shadi, if she looks like the model in the brochure…which is after all pretty much what all women in 1979 who rode in these things wanted to look like (and thinking back to high school, some actually did!).
(ok, enough of the stereotypes 😉 )
Thunder reminds me of a parking lot encounter I had years ago with a green Acura Integra sedan. It had four doors, each window down, with THREE large and very enthusiastic huskies each sticking their head out a different window. There was not a husky behind the wheel, but that would have looked perfectly natural.
Marketing in general, was becoming very commercial and slick. Across many fields. No coincidence, it coincided with the flash of disco. And the tape and stripe trend in auto styling. Striking visuals, and colours, were strongly promoted. Garish, was becoming normalized.
What was regarded as one of the best remakes of a Rolling Stones song at the time, was a highly polished, heavily produced, very commercial, almost glam rock-sounding version, by Canadian band Streetheart. Traditionally, considered a rock band.
Compare this almost over-the-top version, to the Stones version. Like the Trans Am, an icon of the glam and glitz of the late ’70’s.
My association with ’79 Firebird owners is as different from the Buddy Repperton or Carmine stereotypes as possible. My college English professor drove one (this was in the early 1990s, when most of these cars were well into beater status).
This professor was one of the best teachers/professors I had during my zillion years of school, and I’m still thankful that I was able to take his writing class for a year. His Firebird was a rough daily driver, with some body damage, and he featured it prominently in his teaching. His fallback example for using engaging language was to say:
Don’t just write something boring like “it’s a car…” write something engaging like “it’s a black ’79 Firebird with a crumpled front fender.” That phrase is etched into my mind since he said it so much.
Anyway, black ’79 Firebirds always make me think about English class.
I love this example that you found. And just yesterday I was driving behind a car that had a husky in it – and the husky was continuously running back-and-forth across the back seat. Very high-energy dogs… appropriate for a Trans Am!
If those wheels are original, the extra rim width showing outside the “spokes” indicates that they are the 15×8 wheels that came with the WS6 handling package that was optional on the TransAm, and also included even thicker sway bars, higher effort/faster ratio steering, and urethane suspension bushing. A pretty fine handler at least on smooth roads. Yep, I owned one, though without the hood decal. So no TransAm stereotypes please 😀. I’m not exactly an English professor, but I’m no Carmine either.