Museum Quality: 1973 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty

While the late second-generation F-bodies were produced in large numbers, the early 1970s produced a handful of track-bred monsters that represent the absolute zenith of American muscle. Among these legendary machines, none command more respect than the 1973 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty 455. This stunning, museum-quality example is listed here on Hemmings.com for $174,900. It is a documented, two-owner car showing just 56,160 actual miles and located in Farmingdale, New York. With documentation, matching numbers, and an extraordinary narrative, this Buccaneer Red coupe is not merely a collector car; it is a historical artifact of Detroit’s twilight era of high performance. Thanks to Curvette for sending it to us.

Approximately ten years ago, this Trans Am underwent a concours-level, bare-metal restoration. The body was refinished in its correct Buccaneer Red paint with show-quality results, yet the undercarriage preserves its original factory red oxide primer—a testament to its structural integrity and life of pampered storage. The interior has been tastefully refreshed with new seat covers, carpeting, and a rear package tray, while retaining its original functional gauges and factory AM radio with an 8-track player. To appreciate this vehicle’s place in automotive history, one must look at the climate in 1973. As federal emissions, safety mandates, and insurance premiums successfully choked out traditional muscle cars, Pontiac engineers quietly developed a race-ready engine package under the radar. The resulting “Super Duty” (SD) 455 cubic-inch V8 was fundamentally a street-detuned race motor. It featured a reinforced cylinder block with four-bolt main caps, provision for dry-sump oiling, forged steel connecting rods, aluminum pistons, and high-flow round-port cylinder heads. Pontiac installed this specialized engine in just 252 Trans Ams and 43 Formulas for the 1973 model year.

This example is one of only 180 automatic Super Duty Trans Ams built in 1973. The highly durable, PQ-code three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400 transmission is mated to the matching-numbers, XD-code SD-455 engine block. Mechanically, the vehicle is said to perform with the tight, rattle-free precision expected of a restored, low-mileage car. The legendary powerplant was rebuilt to original factory specifications in 2000. Complementing the drivetrain are several factory options verified by Pontiac Historical Services (PHS) records, including power windows, tinted glass, an electronic rear defroster, the Lamp Group, a center console, and restored 15 inch Honeycomb wheels wrapped in correct GR70-15 tires.

The history of this specific example is pretty impressive. Ordered on March 27, 1973, through VanderZee Buick-Pontiac, Inc., the car remained with its original West Michigan owner for his entire life. In an era when a buyer could purchase a used 1965 Shelby Cobra for approximately $9,000, this enthusiast instead chose to spend a $5,027.20 on a factory-fresh Super Duty Trans Am (which carried a base price of $4,203.75 plus $48 for destination charges). It was delivered in early August 1973, configured in Buccaneer Red over a pristine black vinyl interior.