How Diego Maradona Bought Rocky II’s Pontiac Firebird, per Infobae

When Diego Maradona walked into a Los Angeles car dealership in 1982, he did not just want a luxury vehicle; he wanted the black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with the golden eagle on the hood immortalized by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky II, Infobae reported. The purchase, recalled decades later by his brother Raúl “Lalo” Maradona, ended with a salesman underestimating the young football star’s ability to pay cash and a sharp rebuke from a 12-year-old.

How a 1982 Los Angeles Dealership Encounter Unfolded

Maradona’s fascination with the Rocky Balboa cinematic universe ran deep. Fernando Signorini, his longtime physical trainer and confidant, previously recounted how the star trained for the 1986 FIFA World Cup by listening to the film’s soundtrack and shadowboxing to build motivation. The narrative of an underdog rising to global prominence mirrored Maradona’s own life.

During a trip to the United States in 1982, that fandom turned into an impulse purchase. Lalo Maradona, speaking on the pilot episode of the streaming program Dona, described visiting the showroom with his older brother after Diego announced his intention to buy the film’s iconic vehicle.

“We went to an agency and the guy told Diego: ‘There it is, if you want to test drive it…'” Lalo recalled. The salesman immediately activated the vehicle’s features while a young Lalo sat in the back seat as Maradona took the wheel.

The Cash Offer That Shocked the Salesman

The interaction turned tense when the salesperson attempted to steer the buyer toward a newer model. Noting that it was 1982, the dealer asked how the transaction would be handled. When Maradona replied with a single word—”Cash”—the salesman dismissed him, telling them to walk around casually and subestimating the visitor’s financial standing.

Incensed by the dismissal, 12-year-old Lalo intervened in English. “My brother can buy you 25 cars like this, not one, so you better go,” he told the salesman. Maradona ultimately completed the purchase, and the Pontiac was shipped to Argentina, adding to a garage that would eventually include a Fiat 128 Europa, a black Ferrari, and a Scania truck.

The Search for the Missing Pontiac Trans Am

Decades after the vehicle was exported to South America, its current whereabouts remain unknown. Following the broadcast of the anecdote on Dona, Coty Maradona confirmed to Infobae that family members are attempting to trace the vehicle.

“We want to find out where it is and who has it,” Coty Maradona said. While the film franchise expanded across nine motion pictures, the exact fate of the specific Trans Am acquired by Maradona in Los Angeles remains an open question for researchers and collectors.

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