Although government regulations profoundly impacted the American automotive landscape by 1973, Pontiac strived to remain the performance benchmark within the General Motors empire. No vehicle better demonstrated that than this ’73 Trans Am. It is a solid survivor, but the V8 under the hood proves the company didn’t plan to surrender without a struggle. It presents impressively, but the final piece of the puzzle that may make it irresistible is the seller’s decision to list it with No Reserve. The Pontiac is listed here on eBay in Cheshire, Massachusetts. Bidding sits at $40,100, although time is running out for those wishing to stake their claim on this beauty.
The history of this Trans Am is slightly fuzzy, with the seller indicating it remained in storage for years. There is no indication of the period involved, but the car’s overall condition suggests the environment must have been virtually ideal. Its Buccaneer Red paint shines beautifully, with no problems that would prevent the winning bidder from enjoying the car as a spotless driver. The panels are straight, with the seller emphasizing that the Trans Am retains its original quarter panels, floors, and paint. The winning bidder will benefit from the first owner’s decision to have this classic factory undercoated. They supply several underside shots confirming the floors are as solid as the day the first owner took delivery. The decals look crisp, the glass is crystal clear, and I can’t spot any issues with the iconic honeycomb wheels.
The original owner ordered this Trans Am with its interior trimmed in White vinyl. While the low-resolution images make it challenging to perform a detailed assessment, the presentation looks encouraging. There are no signs of splits, rips, or discoloring on the vinyl. The dash and pad look excellent, and the machine-turned gauge bezel remains free from damage. It isn’t overflowing with factory options, meaning the new owner misses out on luxuries like air conditioning and power windows. However, it appears there might be a radio/cassette player to relieve boredom on long journeys.
Powering this Trans Am is a 455ci V8 that sends 250hp and 370 ft/lbs of torque to the road via a three-speed Hydramatic transmission. The new owner also receives power assistance for the steering and brakes. This survivor should cover the ¼-mile in 15.4 seconds, a figure that was considered respectable in 1973. However, that figure provides a clear insight into the full impact of tighter emission regulations on performance. An equivalent car in 1972 would have completed the same journey in 14.3 seconds. Rewind the clock to 1971, and the ET drops to 14.2 seconds. The situation deteriorated further as the 1970s progressed, making it easy to understand why that period earned the tag The Malaise Era. The seller doesn’t state this Trans Am is numbers-matching, although they give that impression. Likewise, they don’t indicate whether they hold evidence supporting the claim it has a genuine 55,000 miles on the clock. To round out the trifecta, we receive no information on how this beauty runs or drives. The general presentation suggests the news should be positive, but this lack of specific details may explain why the bidding has been subdued.
I look at classics like this 1973 Pontiac Trans Am and marvel at the promise they seem to hold for a new owner. I also wonder why a seller would list a desirable car like this in a No Reserve auction but provide limited information and photos that don’t do it justice. The market has taken a significant hit during the past year, and the general recovery has been relatively slow. Therefore, sellers must use every means at their disposal to maximize their car’s sale potential. This seller has failed to do that, which may explain why they have only received two bids with under forty hours remaining in their auction. Recent sales results suggest the bidding should climb by almost $10,000 before the hammer falls, but do you think it will get there?
Overspray in a couple photos would warrant a closer inspection.
How I made through all that I do not know. Always love a Trans Am of any vintage though. God Bless!
This is the exact year and color scheme my dad bought in Davenport Iowa. Red was a very popular color for this year of trans am and my dad never refurbished his before he sold it to someone in New Jersey.
Good catch Shawnga. Also, undercoating was very popular in those days. I know. I did it at an Oldsmobile dealer while in college. It made the interior a tad quieter, but did very little to resist rust. You had to apply that goo on a dry day and make sure the bottom of the car was bone dry, or look out. Price seems fair considering people are paying $60,000 and up for not so good looking 79 TAs with 220 hp and single exhaust due to catalytic convertor.
My 1970 440 R/T Challenger never met
a Firechicken it couldn’t beat.
All joking aside, I thought these early 70s Firebirds (not 77 and 78 models) were beautiful and great cars. By the time this Trans Am was built, Chrysler quit using forged cranks in the 340 and 440 engines so any reliability questions about Pontiacs are considered moot.
I wonder if it’s possible for the seller to provide a little less information.
Always thought this was the best looking of all the Trans Am years.
Be great if the seller was forthcoming with a little more info, however.
Upon looking at the lead photo, my first thought wasn’t about the Trans Am at all; it was “what is Torrco.” (Google says it is a longstanding wholesale distributor of plumbing and HVAC supplies.) I did look at the other photos, and overall it looks like a nice car. But, if you want to sell a $40k car, how about more information and better photography? Just my soapbox.
40 grand and only 2 bids? Maybe I’m wrong but I would think it would take more than that to get that high. JMO
Starting price was 40k… which to me is the reserve price. Real no reserve auctions usually start at a grand…
Love the car and what it represents. But 40k for a 50 yr old car You’d better have pictures out the wazoo. No such thing as a deal to good to be true.
The difference in performance between the 72 and 73 455 TA’s had nothing to do with emission equipment. The 455 installed in the 72 was a high performance version, the standard 455 in the 73 TA was a low horse power version.
The 72 Trans Am was only available with the oval-port head 455 HO (High Output) rated at 300. In 73 the Trans Am’s base engine was the more pedestrian version of the 455, the 250 horse D-port head version usually found in Grand Prix’ and Bonneville’s. The 72 HO version replaced in 73 by the 310 horse power SD455, though availability issues resulted in less then 300 being built. Also, the 72 455HO came with a 3:42 rear axle ratio, while the 73 standard 455 came with 3:08’s (73 SD’s came with a 3:42 unless they had AC, then they came with 3:08’s).
If you want to be fair you need to compare the performance of the 72 455HO to the 73 SD455. If you do, you’ll find that the 73 was actually faster then the 72. Again, the difference in performance had nothing to do with emissions, it was the result of Pontiac making the base engine in the TA a lower performance version of the 455, giving buyers a choice of engines, one mild and one wild.