Super-Rare Super Duty Pontiac Le Mans Offered For Auction

The big news this week was a mega $550 million lottery jackpot that had people seeing dollar signs rather than common sense. For car guys though, hitting the jackpot takes on a different meaning. We dream not of mega millions, but of coming across a rare and valuable car stored away in some barn or field, and getting it for next to nothing. That is a much cooler story than “I bought a ticket at a gas station.”

That is the story behind a rare, one-of-six Pontiac Tempest Le Mans Super Duty was one of just a handful of super lightweight racers produced by GM. Now fully restored, this car will head to Mecum’s Kissimmee, Florida, auction in January.

Following Mickey Thompson’s success with a couple of lightweight Pontiac Tempests in 1962, Pontiac itself decided to build 14 of its own lightweight racers for the Factory Experimental class. This included six station wagons, two standard couples, and six Le Mans coupes. Using aluminum, acid-dipping, and lightweight glass, these cars achieve near-perfect weight distribution.

Most of these lightweight cars disappeared after their racing days were over, though not before earning the title of “Worlds Fastest Tempest” after an 11.93 run @ 123 mph with driver Stan Antlocer at the wheel. This was thanks to the huge 421 Super Duty V8, as well as some modifications Antlocer made like a 3-speed Borg Warner manual transmission.

This car was soon lost to the world, and just one of these lightweight Le Mans remained until 2008. That’s when this former record-setter emerged from a Michigan garage, rusty and wearing a steel front clip (rather than the original aluminum one). However, the original lettering remained, and once collectors caught wind of what was up for grabs, this rusted hulk of a car sold for $226,000.

Now fully-restored four years later, it remains to be seen how much this rare Pontiac will sell for. Any guesses?