NEW! Award 72: 17K Mile 1976 Pontiac Sunbird – Sold?
June 6, 2021 Update – We just confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found we’re assuming this ride “Sold?” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call Rudy directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.
Pontiac launched its badge-engineered version of GM’s new H-Body (think Chevy Monza) subcompact platform for the 1976 model year as the Pontiac Sunbird. Pontiac tried to compete with the car against such domestic rivals as Ford’s Mustang II as well as try to be an import fighter against Toyota’s Celica and Datsun’s 200SX. When properly equipped, Sunbirds were EPA rated at 28 MPG city and 34 MPG highway with the five-speed manual, which remain respectable numbers to this day.
Usually driven to the ground, it’s hard to find a Sunbird today. Late last week we came across what may be the lowest mileage, 1976 Pontiac Sunbird in existence currently originally listed on Craigslist in May 2021 in Seattle, Washington. While this example with only 17K original miles is in like-new condition, unfortunately, the asking price of $29,000 seems absurd. Sure enough, the Collector Car Market Review indicates the current asking price is nearly twenty-two thousand dollars higher than this guide’s #1 “Concours” estimate of $7,400. With our other pricing sources (Hagerty, Classic.com, and BaT) unable to provide any comparable sales values, J.D. Powers’ NADA Guides Classic Car Online Tool confirmed the seller has their Sunbird priced $26,150 higher than this guide’s high retail estimate of only $2,850. As we suspected, the seller is completely out in left field with their asking price and as such, they just earned our latest “NEW!” (short for “No Effin Way!”) Award for an asking price that does not even come close to the market expectations for this car. Yes, the extremely low mileage and its ability to potentially win an AACA Preservation class Junior award is worth a premium, but not a twenty thousand dollar one.
Here’s the seller’s one-sentence description:
“1976 Sunbird
17,000 miles!
3.8 Liter V-6 engine
Pristine Condition
White Landau top
Automatic Transmission
Starts every time and drives great
AC blows cold
Radio works great
Collectors plates
No mechanical issues”
Market Appropriate of “NEW” Award Winner: Do you agree with our pricing assessment? Comment below and let us know!
Congratulations! You have found the all-time greatest NEW Award Winner of All Time!
Even in this era of wildly inflated prices due to a soaring stock market that’s making a lot of people feel rich, and revenge buying with money burning holes in people’s pockets to pamper themselves after their perceived deprivations of the pandemic, this is absolutely insane.
Despite a 1985 Toyota Corolla with 112k miles selling for $40,000 (forty thousand dollars), and a 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi hammering for an unbelievable $312,555 (yes, more than the average price of a house in this country) on BaT, the ask on this Sunbird is absolutely crazy.
It’ll be even crazier if he gets it.
9/21 update: The Sunbird listing is back, now “slightly” reduced to $7500!