Mike Lane’s two-toned silver and charcoal colored 1979 Trans Am is a 10-year, limited edition Trans Am. He also has a 1989, 20th anniversary limited edition Trans Am and a limited edition, 25th anniversary 1994 Trans Am.
Jim Krumel | For The Lima News
LIMA – You can expect two things from Mike Lane when it comes to his two-toned silver and charcoal colored 1979 Pontiac Tran Am.
No. 1: The car always will be showroom clean.
No. 2: “Off come the T-tops” when it’s a sunny day.
The Shawnee Township man is the second owner of the ‘79 Trans Am, buying it five years ago. It’s a 10th anniversary limited edition, which saw only 7,500 being built.
Lane has the car’s original window sticker.
It was listed at $10,620 at W.E. Cecil Motors in West Liberty, Kentucky. It came loaded with all the options that were popular in 1979. Among the many features were a 6.6 litre, 4 barrel V-8 engine; an automatic transmission; air-conditioning; a rear deck spoiler; and power steering, power brakes, power locks and a power antenna.
An all leather, silver interior brought a taste of luxury. And a General Motors Delco AM-FM radio with an eight-track tape player provided the music for cruisin’.
The 1979 Trans Am is one of four Trans Ams that Lane owns. He also has a 1978 Trans Am; a limited edition, 20th anniversary 1989 Trans Am; and a limited edition, 25th anniversary 1994 Trans Am.
His love for the car started in 1977 when he saw the movie “Smokey and the Bandit.”
For one hour and 36 minutes, he was mesmerized by the Trans Am’s unique design and actor Burt Reynolds’ memorable driving scenes. The movie earned the Trans Am a page in Hollywood’s history books as one of the coolest muscle cars to appear on the Silver Screen.
“I knew what I wanted when I turned 16,” Lane said. “My first car when I turned 16 was a 1970 Firebird.”
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The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News; 205 W. Market St., Suite #100A; Lima, OH 45801.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
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