Dealers are in the business of selling cars, not keeping them around. They gotta move the metal, and the longer a car sits on the books, the more it looks like it oughta just be discounted to the bone or farmed off to a rental fleet.

But every now and then, a car slips between the cracks for one reason or another and goes without a title well past its sell-by date. We’ve heard of Mopar wing cars going decades without a title, but this 1985 Pontiac Sunbird for sale on Hemmings.com may be the oldest J-body we’ve seen still in the original dealer’s possession.

Nor has it suffered from neglect the last 35 years – it still looks more or less unused. From the seller’s description:

While the Sunbird was a car aimed at the mainstream, the convertible version was not. It cost nearly double the price of the base Sunbird, and only 2,114 were made in 1985 (less than two percent of total production.) So this one was already rare when new, and that rarity has certainly grown with age. After all, when was the last time you saw one? But this particular example has done more than just survive; it has thrived. The original dealer held this car since new up until very recently. It was never titled, because he just kept it for occasional use and parades. In fact, it has been with the original dealer up until this summer, and so that means it lasted a decade longer that the actual Pontiac brand! It also means this was only given its first title a few months ago. So that makes for a terrific story, and also you may want to research if there are even any other Pontiacs out there with a first title this late in life. It’s this kind of history that has created a time capsule of a car. The Light Russet Metallic paint shows all signs of original, and it has a terrific shine. The deep luster loves to showcase the well-fitting panels and distinctly pointed urethane front end. Wire wheel covers and the trunk luggage rack love to show off the classic premium style. Plus, the condition of details, like the clean black rub strips, clear window glass, and complete badging just really give the full impression of a car that was treated to top-quality respect for decades.

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