Ypsilanti, Michigan's, Mathias Buckson parted with his Pontiac but not the way he had hoped. The young buck postponed college and worked two jobs to pay for his pride and joy, a '79 Pontiac Trans Am.

The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is one 1979-model automobile that won't be winning any "Best Engineered New Car" contests. After all, what Pontiac dealers are selling here is less a brand-new car than a ...