Everything To Know About The 1976 Pontiac Trans Am (And How Much It's Worth Today)

Merriam-Webster defines the muscle car as, "Any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving ." This definition paints with broad strokes, but when many Americans think of a muscle car, models like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Pontiac Firebird come to mind. While other notable examples have made it to U.S. roads, such as the AMC Javelin and AMX, few have a more iconic image than the second-generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with its movie-star styling and distinctive "Screaming Chicken" hood graphic.

The 1976 Firebird Trans Am had two engine options that carried over from the previous model year -– the standard 400-cubic-inch L78 V8 making 185 hp and an optional L75 455-cubic-inch V8 making 200 hp. Unfortunately, these displacement monsters were meager in output when compared to muscle cars from a half-decade prior due to the Federal Government's malaise-era mandated switch to unleaded gasoline and power-sapping emissions controls. The L78 V8 was available with either a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission, while the L75 could be had only with a four-speed manual.

The 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was styled with distinctive round headlights and a bumperless aesthetic at both the front and rear, all of which were specific to the year. This was the first of Trans Ams to be available with T-tops, which were specific to the Limited Edition trimline, and only available for a limited time due to issues with leaks as well as squeaks and rattles. In all, of the 2,590 Limited Edition Trans Ams manufactured in 1976, only 643 were produced with T-tops, making that option a rare sight.

A total of 46,704 Trans Ams were produced for the 1976 model year. As is the case with any collectible car, the condition of the vehicle, mileage, scarcity, and demand play a large part in determining its value. At the lower end of the spectrum is a 1976 Trans Am with approximately 82,000 miles on the odometer and equipped with the standard 400 cubic inch L78 V8, three-speed automatic, and optional limited-slip differential. The car sold in January 2024 for $22,000.

At the other end of the price range, a 1976 Trans Am with 7,000 indicated miles, examples of provenance like the original window sticker and maintenance records, and equipped with the L75 455 cubic-inch V8 upgrade, four-speed manual transmission, and optional limited-slip differential sold for $48,500 in February 2024. That's a 54% disparity in price between two examples of the same year, with the difference in price paid determined by desirability.