Daily Pick: 1973 Pontiac Grand Am

1973 2013 was a rough year for Detroit. Nothing good seemed to come of the world of federal regulation, engine bays were cluttered with exhaust pipes, and awkward front bumpers marred styling. However, all was not lost, as Pontiac had a car that would hopefully please the public: the 1973 Grand Am. A dealer in Ramsey, Minnesota, has listed this car of the day for sale on ClassicCars.com. (Click on the link to view the listing)

If you didn’t know already, Pontiac was the most powerful brand in the 1960s. While Pontiac wasn’t the best-selling brand in the United States (Chevrolet was number one), its image was so strong that it outsold perennial third-place Plymouth for much of the 1960s.

Pontiac, of course, is hailed as a beacon of the performance car market in the 1960s. Its Super Duty 421 was a huge success on the drag strip and in NASCAR, but when GM decided to exit racing, Pontiac was devastated. Having invested so much in its performance image, and now, according to the boss, racing was illegal? It was a bummer, but Pontiac turned the tables with the introduction of the GTO, which brought Pontiac performance from the track to the street.

Arguably, Pontiac went through a similar transformation in 1973, when the performance market shrank severely due to changing psychology (and perhaps demographics), the insurance industry, and tight federal regulations. Pontiac had invested heavily in its performance image, so what was it to do now in this sluggish world?

Build a driver’s car! A car that has the power — maybe not like it did in 1970, but the feeling of torque is important — but also the handling and is distinctive inside and out. “Grand Prix feel…GTO response…qualities you admire in desirable imports,” Pontiac said when introducing the Grand Am. With its Endura front end, it was arguably the most attractive of Pontiac’s new midsize “Colonnade” cars, as the traditional chrome-bumper Le Mans simply didn’t have the Pontiac appeal of previous years. The Grand Am had a specially tuned suspension “designed for standard steel-belted radial tires. With thick front and rear stabilizer bars, it keeps the Grand Am level through the turns.” Also standard were power front disc brakes and quick, variable-ratio power steering.

Inside, you’ll find genuine African mahogany complementing a full set of instrumentation. Seating is cloth and vinyl bucket seats on four-door models, and vinyl bucket seats on both body styles, with reclining bucket seats featuring adjustable lower back support. Pull straps are found on all doors. “We consider the Grand Am to be one of America’s purest, most uncompromising cars,” Pontiac added.

This 1973 Pontiac Grand Am two-door Colonnade hardtop is a great example of where Pontiac was headed after the free-wheeling days of the 1960s ended. Powered by a 400 four-cylinder console automatic transmission (one of 10,455 coupes built with this engine and transmission), this Poncho features power windows, Rally II wheels, Saddlebag interior, air conditioning, an upgraded Bluetooth stereo, and a CD player. “The body is very solid and straight,” the seller says. “The paint is very good with only a few minor blemishes.”

The Grand Am never really caught on and was discontinued after 1975, only to reappear in a scaled-down version in 1978 and last for another three years before meeting the same fate. Starting with the 1985 model year, the Grand Am returned once again, now a compact car from Pontiac, but this is the car most people think of when they think of the Grand Am. At $19,980, you can finally stop thinking about it.

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