1985 · Pontiac · United States
1985 Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am: Restyled, and the First Tuned-Port 305
A restyled Trans Am and the first tuned-port 305: 95,880 Firebirds.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
The 1985 Trans Am was restyled and gained the tuned-port-injected LB9 305, per this record's own overview. Compiled production for the year totals 95,880 Firebirds, 44,028 of them Trans Ams, the key fact this record leads with. Those three models split 46,644 base Firebirds, 5,208 S/E cars and the 44,028 Trans Ams, all drawn from the same MuscleCarClub table that, per this record's own production notes, does not name its underlying source, leaving the three rows on record as a single, uncorroborated lineage for the year.1
This record's own production notes state plainly that no engine, transmission, paint or package counts were found in any readable source for the year beyond those three model totals, and separately note that the Pontiac Trans Am Page repeats the same three figures but labels the S/E column "Formula" instead, a labeling difference this record does not treat as an independent, corroborating source. This record carries no price section for 1985; its own price notes explain that a prior J.D. Power valuation figure was pulled because those live pages can change without notice and cannot be independently checked.1
This record's own unpublished leads section holds one price figure explicitly not used: a single blog's claim that the 1985 Trans Am's base price was $11,569, with option prices for the LB9 305 TPI ($695), four-speed automatic ($425), T-tops ($875), air conditioning ($750) and WS6 four-wheel disc brakes ($179), against $11,983 from other uncited sites the same lead names. The lead is held out because it rests on a single uncited blog whose figures conflict with other equally uncited sites, and because no 1985 Pontiac price list has been read to settle it.1
Five engines are documented: the 2.5-liter four-cylinder at 88 hp and 132 lb-ft, the 2.8-liter V-6 with multi-port injection at 135 hp, the 5.0-liter (305) four-barrel at 160 hp standard on Trans Am, the L69 5.0 HO V-8 at 190 hp and 240 lb-ft as a Trans Am option, and the new LB9 5.0 Tuned Port Injection V-8 at 205 hp and 275 lb-ft, also a Trans Am option and the highest-rated engine this record documents for the year, all five rated to the same net standard as compiled by MuscleCarClub.1
No transmission, option, paint or interior detail survives in this record's own tables for 1985; all four of those sections are left empty, consistent with the production notes' own statement that no such source was found for the year. No shipping weights, dimensions, factory-test performance figures, identification details or documented conflicts survive in this record's own specifications, performance, identification and conflicts sections either, all four also left empty.1
What the record documents in full is the restyle year itself: three hatchback models resolving to 95,880 Firebirds and 44,028 Trans Ams, five engines topped by the new 205-hp tuned-port LB9 alongside the carryover 190-hp L69, and a single disputed price lead, base price and five separate option prices included, that this record keeps visibly unresolved rather than picking a figure between two equally uncited sources.1
Fact sheet · 1985 · United States
The numbers
1985 Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am — A restyled Trans Am and the first tuned-port 305: 95,880 Firebirds.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
- 44,028 Trans Ams out of 95,880 Firebirds.1
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total1 3-door hatchback coupe · not stated by source MuscleCarClub does not name its source for these years; single-lineage figure. | 95,880 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base1 Firebird · 3-door hatchback coupe · not stated by source MuscleCarClub does not name its source for these years; single-lineage figure. | 46,644 | built, model-year | Reported |
| S/E1 Firebird S/E · 3-door hatchback coupe · not stated by source MuscleCarClub does not name its source for these years; single-lineage figure. | 5,208 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Trans Am1 Trans Am · 3-door hatchback coupe · not stated by source MuscleCarClub does not name its source for these years; single-lineage figure. | 44,028 | built, model-year | Reported |
Base, S/E and Trans Am partition the printed total.
The Pontiac Trans Am Page prints the same three numbers but labels the S/E column "Formula"; it is not cited for these rows. No engine, transmission, paint or package counts were found in a readable source for this year.
Prices when new *
No price is shown here. One was, until 2026-09-24: a figure from J.D. Power's live valuation pages, pulled from every page on this site because those pages can change without our knowing and we have no way to check them independently. We haven't found a source we can stand behind to put in its place yet. A price for this car elsewhere that looks suspiciously exact may be quoting that same J.D. Power figure rather than confirming it — several sites we checked turned out to be doing exactly that, without saying so.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| LQ9 · 2.5 I-4 (TBI)1 2.5 L · throttle-body injection | 88 hp, 132 lb-ft (SAE net (as compiled by MuscleCarClub)) | Firebird | Not yet sourced |
| LB8 · 2.8 V-6 (MFI)1 2.8 L · multi-port fuel injection | 135 hp, 165 lb-ft (SAE net (as compiled by MuscleCarClub)) | Firebird, S/E | Not yet sourced |
| LG4 · 5.0 V-8 (305)1 5 L · 4-barrel | 160 hp, 250 lb-ft (SAE net (as compiled by MuscleCarClub)) | Trans Am standard | Not yet sourced |
| L69 · 5.0 HO V-81 5 L · 4-barrel | 190 hp, 240 lb-ft (SAE net (as compiled by MuscleCarClub)) | Trans Am option | Not yet sourced |
| LB9 · 5.0 V-8 Tuned Port Injection1 5 L · tuned port injection | 205 hp, 275 lb-ft (SAE net (as compiled by MuscleCarClub)) | Trans Am option | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Identification
Read a 1985 Pontiac VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1985
- Buick Regal Turbo, Grand National and GNX A carry-over year for the black, fuel-injected Grand National: 2,102 built, inside a T Type count that sources put at 4,169 or 4,204.
- Buick Riviera Record sales of 65,305 in the last big E-body year; 1,069 T Types and 47 or 49 turbo convertibles depending on the ROA page version.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS RPO Z15 SS Sport Decor trim on the fifth-generation El Camino; no production count from a verifiable source was found.
- Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS The SS gains a four-speed overdrive automatic and 3.73 axle; 35,484 built.
- Ford Thunderbird The Turbo Coupe moved to 15-inch wheels and P225/60VR15 tires, and its output rose.
- Lincoln Mark VII LSC Last year of the Continental name: the LSC is credited with a high-output 5.0 V8 and four-channel anti-lock brakes, though the engine rating is disputed.
- Mercury Capri RS and ASC/McLaren 257 ASC McLaren Capri convertibles and 50 Motorsport Pace Cars, per Classic Industries.
- Mercury Cougar Outside the muscle focus: 117,274 Cougars for 1985 per Wikipedia's table.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The W42 4-4-2 on the rear-drive Cutlass Supreme, with a 307 V-8 and a four-speed automatic.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The 305 4-barrel is listed at 165 hp for this year only.