Mega-rare Purple Trans Am Is Literally the Rarest 4th-Gen Ever
Six-speed WS6 Pontiac Trans Am is the product of a ’90s GM strike, a paint recall and pure dumb luck.
This very special, very purple LS1 Trans Am is described by its owner, Tim Saenger, as “the dumbest luck purchase I have ever made in my life.” In a post on Facebook, he shares the incredible story of how he came to own this incredible Pontiac Trans Am.
Back in the fall of 1997, Saenger was getting ready to order his next car, a 1998 Pontiac Trans Am. Ordering new cars is fun – selecting colors and options to make the car your own is an exciting experience, and one that’s more fun when you talk your choices over with close, trusted friends.
At the time, Saenger was torn between bright red and metallic purple for his new Pontiac. Without fail, all of his friends told him he should get red. As you might have guessed, he opted for purple instead.
Saenger ordered his Trans Am with a six-speed manual transmission and the WS6 package. It was produced in early 1998, and, as it turns out, was destined to be the rarest fourth-gen Trans Am ever.
As it turns out, a labor strike and a paint recall halted production after just six cars were built in the arresting shade of metallic purple seen here. Saenger’s was the first of those six built. The strike, as Saenger explains, “stopped all hundreds if not thousands of orders for this color.”
He knew from very early on that he had his hands on a very special car. As a result, Saenger would drive the car sparingly over the next 22 years, putting just 5,389 miles on the odometer and lavishing the utmost care and attention on his amazing purple Trans Am.
We’re glad that he had the forethought – and restraint – to keep the car nice all these years. As fourth gen values rise, we can’t even imagine what it would cost to buy a car like this. We’re willing to bet that it isn’t for sale, anyway.
When his friends tried to talk him out of purple in late 1997, they claimed that it was a “girl’s color.” When we see a color this gorgeous, all we can ask is, “why should the girls have all the fun?” Saenger says it best, when he closes his post with “they can make fun of me all they want. I’m still smiling.” A whopping 18,000 reactions and 8,300 shares later, it looks like a lot of folks are smiling, too.
Photos: Tim Saenger
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