1973 Classic Cars for Sale
The oil embargo hits in October, the Pontiac SD-455 squeezes out one last performance engine, and the muscle car era cracks.
1973 starts normally enough and ends in crisis. The OPEC oil embargo hits in October, gas lines form, and the conversation about American performance cars changes permanently. But for most of the model year, the manufacturers were still trying. Pontiac built the Super Duty 455, a genuine performance engine installed in the Firebird and Trans Am, rated at 310 net horsepower, which was honest and impressive for 1973.
The federal bumper standards took effect for 1973, adding weight and changing the look of American cars. The 5 mph front bumpers are ugly on most applications, and collectors know it. Mustang grew larger and heavier with the Mach 1 still hanging on. The Chevrolet Camaro Z28 returned after a year off, with a 245 hp 350 LT1. Not 1969 numbers, but still a driver's car.
The oil embargo changed everything fast. Buyers who had been ordering big-block muscle cars started asking about fuel economy. Dealers were stuck with inventory. The manufacturers were already in retreat on displacement and compression, and the embargo accelerated every trend that was already moving the wrong direction. 1973 is the year the muscle car era definitively broke.
- Pontiac's Super Duty 455 engine, installed in the Firebird and Trans Am, was rated at 310 net hp and produced in limited numbers, making 1973 SD-455 cars among the most collectible Pontiacs of the decade.
- Federal 5 mph front bumper standards took effect for the 1973 model year, adding weight and altering the appearance of virtually every American passenger car.
- The OPEC oil embargo began in October 1973, causing fuel shortages, long gas lines, and a fundamental shift in consumer demand away from large-displacement performance cars.
Showing 28 listings
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Chevrolet Blazer
Dealer
United States
1973 GMC Sierra
Dealer
United States
1973 Chevrolet Blazer
Dealer
United States
1973 Chevrolet C10
Dealer
United States
1973 Chevrolet C10
Dealer
United States
1973 Toyota Land Cruiser
Dealer
United States
1973 Jeep Commando
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 GMC C/K Series
Dealer
United States
1973 Toyota Land Cruiser
Dealer
United States
1973 Chevrolet C20
Dealer
United States
1973 Toyota Land Cruiser
Dealer
United States
1973 Toyota Land Cruiser
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford F-250
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford Bronco
Dealer
United States
1973 Ford F-250
Dealer
United States
1973 Jeep Gladiator
Market: The 1973 model year sits at an odd price point, with SD-455 Trans Ams commanding $60,000 to $100,000 for documented cars, while regular big-block muscle from this year trades at a discount to earlier models. The bumper impact on aesthetics keeps prices lower on most non-special models.
Buyer's note: On 1973 Pontiac SD-455 cars, verify the engine code stamp and the PHS documentation because the Super Duty designation was applied to specific VINs and fakes with standard 455 engines are a known issue in the market.