HOW I HEARD ABOUT THE CAR
It was 1995 and we had just started our quest for low mileage original cars. We owned several cars at the time that simply didn’t meet the criteria—one was a 1973 restored 4 speed Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty that had an incorrect engine. It was time for us to set up at Spring Carlisle Auto Show to sell our Pontiac parts, so we hauled the car to the show in an attempt to sell it. We had no luck selling the car, but on the last day, two young men seemed interested. They caught me off guard by asking if I wanted another one just like it but with automatic transmission. I answered that I would, but only if it had been untouched with original tires and very low mileage. They looked at each other, smiled, and said, “You bet. This car has only 1,157 miles and has had only one owner.” I was ecstatic, but also hesitant because so many leads are incorrect.
Of course, I asked their names and phone numbers so I could call for more information. They said the man with the car lived within two miles of them in Elkins, West Virginia. They were great guys in their early twenties and presented themselves well.
I immediately grabbed my road atlas and found Elkins. It is well up in the mountains of West Virgina. I remember muttering to myself, “Is it possible this extremely low production car (only 180 made) was purchased by a man in the middle of West Virginia’s high country?”
HOW I BOUGHT THE CAR
I arrived home late Sunday night and called the boys Monday evening. They had all the information and had already called the owner, Mr. John Ramsey. I said I’d be in touch with him. I called the owner immediately. The only one home at the time was his wife, who was courteous beyond belief. I remember asking her if the car truly had only 1,157 miles. In a beautiful southern drawl, she said, “Why sir, I absolutely do not want to misrepresent our automobile to you. We did take a drive to Buckhannon last fall, so I will go out to the garage and give you the present mileage.”
She promptly returned and told me their last drive had indeed added mileage, which was now 1,223. Another quick check of the map and I found Buckhannon was only a short 25 miles away. I couldn’t wait until it was time to call Mr. Ramsey the following evening.
Tuesday’s call was much more businesslike. Mr. Ramsey acknowledged that the car was for sale, had 1,223 miles, and that he bought the car new. He and his son had always been the only drivers, and it was untouched and in like-new condition with original tires, paint, etc. We agreed I could see the car on the following evening.
The trip down to Harrisonburg, Virginia, with the truck and trailer was uneventful, with only a brief stop in Winchester to deliver a bare block and heads that I’d sold at Carlisle. However, when I headed west on route 33 off of Interstate 81, I started to get a feel for the term “mountains and hollows of West Virginia.” This part of the trip was full of mostly uphill, tight turns and switchbacks, making me wonder if I should have left the trailer home, since we had no discussion regarding price and I only had a verbal right of first refusal.
Finally, I arrived in Elkins and drove by Mr. Ramsey’s address. Even if I did buy the car, we could never load it on this busy street and hillside location. Since it is best not to arrive with a trailer, which always gives the impression you are an eager buyer, I left it in a commercial parking lot down the street and returned to Mr. Ramsey’s home.
Upon arrival, I could see it was all about business. He opened the garage door and said, “This car has spent every night in this exact spot since it arrived in Elkins in 1973.” It was a clean, heated garage and the car was beautiful. There was even a tennis ball hanging from the ceiling, so he could stop the car in exactly the same spot each time he pulled into the garage. I checked the paint depth, tire wear, trunk, interior, engine compartment, under side, and suspension—it truly was a magnificent, original automobile. We agreed on a price, and I owned what has become one of the cornerstones of our low mileage Foundation.
STORIES ABOUT THE CAR
There are many more stories about this car that make it unique. I remember before the sale, I noticed a small dent still visible on top of the right rear quarter. I asked Mr. Ramsey if he had purchased the car with the dent. “No,” he said “in fact, take a look over your head and you’ll see the overhead door spring for the garage door. The darned spring broke and fell directly on the car about ten years ago. I’m not experienced at selling cars, so didn’t know if I was supposed to tell you or if it was your job to find the dent.”
After the sale, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey invited me inside for a snack before we loaded the car and I headed north. Once inside, I asked them for a history of why the car had so little mileage and was in perfect, untouched condition.
Mr. Ramsey then gave the full history of his ownership. Back in 1973, he had just been discharged from a full career in the military, just like Sherrion Veres, who bought the 1968 RS-SS -375hp blue Camaro convertible in aisle 5. Mr. Ramsey wanted the fastest new car he could buy. While in the service, he read every car and Hot Rod magazine available and learned about the limited production 1973 455 Super Duty Trans Am. He had to have one! However, he found that none were available from local dealerships in West Virginia. He expanded his search and found this red car was available at Penn Pontiac in Baltimore, Maryland. He had a friend take him to Baltimore, purchased the car, and headed home. This trip changed his outlook about this car forever.
What happened was unforeseen and bizarre. The car attracted much attention as he drove through Maryland and into West Virginia. At some point in his journey, an old pickup truck, with loud-mouthed kids in the cab and body, began harassing him about having a beautiful new car in one of the poorest counties in the country. Soon, he realized the possible danger and left this crew of derelicts in the dust. However, he had to slow immediately for a small town and several stop lights. They easily caught up with him and started swerving towards his Trans Am. Mr. Ramsey blew through the last light, never letting up until he reached home.
He recounted that this experience caused him to become overly protective of the car, driving it only short distances to the car wash, the next town, or out to their favorite restaurants. Mrs. Ramsey, at this point, joined in and said, “That’s true—when we drove to the restaurant, I had to go inside, order the food, and bring it back so we could eat it in the car. He would never leave the car alone unless it was in the garage!”
Another question I always want answered is, “Why are you selling the car?” Mr. Ramsey was spot on when he said, “I’m retiring soon and this money is going directly to the bank!”
As you observe this car now, it has never been touched. It arrived here exactly as you see it. It is a very late 1973 Trans Am made in August of 1973 and was assembled late enough in the year to have GR70 x 15 Firestone, steel belted radial tires. These are some of the earliest we’ve seen on a Pontiac. Notice the aggressive stance of this car compared to the two ’73s next to it that ride on bias ply tires.
At this time, while looking at the front of the car, please notice two cracks in the front valance above the parking lights. These cracks illustrate the early problems that confronted the automotive industry in the 70s, as it tried to evolve from stamped steel panels to the lighter and less costly plastic panels. For years, we saw many ’73 Firebirds with these cracks, but they were on cars with 50,000 – 100,000 miles, so everyone assumed the cracks were formed by road vibrations.
Not so! All three of these ’73 SDs have low mileage and two cracks. GM soon realized their problem and their parts books started to read 70-73 valance (steel) with an asterisk denoting a separate mounting kit #490597 for updating the flaws on the ’73 cars. These problems actually started during the latter stages of the ’72 model year.
The paperwork includes the factory car shipping record, original title, and PHS authenticity.
Mr. Ramsey passed away in 2006 and Chip, his son, contacted us with the news. He also added more about his dad’s fear of damage once the car left the garage and I quote, “Thanks for your thoughts on dad. He did indeed love the car, but never really got any enjoyment from it. When people asked him to bring it to a local car show, he always gave the same answer – 'No! – some SOB will hit it or scratch it!'”
What a bittersweet relationship between man and machine.
Written January 29, 2015, Steve Ames
Last Edited: February 24, 2025, JA
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