Pontiac Paid a Racing Series $5 for Every 1969 Trans Am It Sold – Only 697 Cars Ever Existed by Jack Harmon The 1969 Pontiac Trans Am traces back to a licensing deal with the SCCA’s road-racing series and a production run so small it barely topped 697 cars. Here’s the story behind Pontiac’s rarest early Firebird, and the engine almost nobody chose.