One of the most popular cars that get us the hits that make us smile are the second-generation Pontiac Trans Ams. Largely disregarded as a throw away musclecar since the late ’80s, it wasn’t until the naughties nostalgia for Smokey and the Bandit did enthusiasts snap out of their ways and accept the car for what it is.

A SD455 isn't a car you can just find anywhere... We found this example on eBay, and the engine you're looking at here goes down in the musclecar history books as one of the all-time greats.

But this is no Burt Reynolds Trans Am. This is a ’74 Formula, one of only 58 (according to the SD Registry) assembled in such a spec that gets high dollar collectors and investors giddy like school girls on their first date.

Why is it so special? It’s a Formula SD455, it’s incredibly rare, and impressively fast for it’s vintage. It was rated at 290hp net in 1974, down a supposed 20hp from the previous year and quite a lot more than anything else offered during those days of oil embargoes.

Despite the cars incredible power and performance (low-mid 13’s in the quarter mile), people weren’t interested in a car that returned low fuel economy. It was a rare case of too much, too late. Now, they’re reaching prices of the highly coveted late ’60s cars, with this example commanding one cent short of $70k.

We ran across this one on eBay from a seller who apparently is selling not only the car you’re looking at here, but a ’73 version on the auction site as well. We instantly recognized the ’73, since we ran a story on it last summer from another seller. 

With the economy on a slow but steady incline, we say grab these cars up while you still can – before they become too expensive like some of the other classic musclecars we could only dream about.