1973 Pontiac Grand Prix

Personal luxury powered by 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix engine family.

Exact-year Grand Prix retained as the stock-presenting family baseline for the 1973 grille, single headlamps, hood, formal roof, fixed quarter windows, body, trim, lamps, bumpers, vinyl roof, and factory-style wheels; condition remains car-specific.

Body K57 two-door hardtop coupe

Standard engine 230-hp 400 four-barrel V8

Available engine 250-hp 455 four-barrel V8

SJ Option 455 V8 and Radial Tuned Suspension package

Production 153,899 total; 20,749 with SJ

Story

1973 Pontiac Grand Prix

Pontiac redesigned the Grand Prix for 1973 as a single two-door hardtop family on a 116-inch wheelbase. The standard car used a 400 four-barrel V8; buyers could add the 455 or the broader SJ Option. Keeping those choices together avoids duplicate pages for cars that share the same K57 body and core identity.

Two production engines

The 230-hp 400 and 250-hp 455 both used Turbo Hydra-Matic. The 455 was optional in the standard Grand Prix and included with SJ. Pontiac advertised an SD-455 early in the model year, but certification delays canceled the Grand Prix application and no production SD-455 Grand Prix was built.

Body, chassis, and cabin

Every Grand Prix used power front disc brakes, rear drums, variable-ratio power steering, independent front coils, and a four-link coil-sprung rear axle. SJ added radial tires and matched suspension hardware. Inside, buyers chose bucket or notchback bench front seats in cloth-and-vinyl or all-vinyl trim; a console and floor shift came only with buckets. Genuine African crossfire mahogany faced the instrument and door panels.

Production, price, and proof

Pontiac built 153,899 Grand Prix coupes: 133,150 standard-family cars and 20,749 with SJ. Of the standard-family cars, 9,812 received the optional 455. The published K57 base MSRP was $4,583 before destination and options. Start identification with the VIN, body and trim plates, title, K57 shell, PHS records, and ownership history, then reconcile the engine, Turbo Hydra-Matic, axle, chassis, paint, cabin, options, and dates.

**Rear three-quarter view of the same exact-year Grand Prix retained for the formal roof, fixed quarter windows, deck, 1973 tail lamps, below-bumper license location, bumper, exhaust, and wheel context.**Riley via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Specs

Car type: Personal luxury
Seats: 5
Body: Two-door hardtop coupe with fixed rear quarter windows
Engine: 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix engine family
Horsepower: 230 net hp 400 four-barrel or 250 net hp 455 four-barrel
Torque: Configuration-specific factory rating follows engine, induction, emissions equipment, and transmission
Carburetion: Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel with engine- and emissions-specific calibration

Equipment

Single K57 two-door hardtop body with a 116-inch wheelbase
Standard 400 four-barrel V8, Turbo Hydra-Matic, dual exhaust, power steering, and power front disc brakes
Optional 455 four-barrel V8 or SJ Option with 455 and Radial Tuned Suspension
Bucket or notchback bench front seating with cloth-and-vinyl or all-vinyl trim
Genuine African crossfire mahogany instrument-panel and door-panel inlays

Linked Parts

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

Base MSRP $4,583

Grand Prix K57 two-door hardtop coupe (1973)
Published base MSRP before destination, engine, SJ package, roof, chassis, cabin, comfort, tax, and dealer charges.
American Cars, 1973-1980: 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix model table

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

400 four-barrel Pontiac V8 400 cu in; 8.0:1; 230 net hp and 325 lb-ft · Standard Grand Prix engine with Turbo Hydra-Matic · engine assembly / specification
455 four-barrel Pontiac V8 455 cu in; 8.0:1; 250 net hp and 370 lb-ft · Optional in the standard Grand Prix and included with the SJ Option; Turbo Hydra-Matic only · engine assembly / specification

Transmission

Factory transmission Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic; standard and the only production transmission with the 400 and 455 Grand Prix paths

Options

Engines and Induction summarized from reviewed factory and marque references.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

SJ Grand Prix SJ Option factory · performance · Includes the 455 V8, steel-belted radial tires, rear stabilizer bar, Unitized Ignition, maintenance-free battery, finned wheel covers, body-colored mirrors, pinstriping, and Rally gauges; records and all package hardware must agree.
455-4V 455 four-barrel V8 factory · performance · Optional without the SJ package and included with SJ; engine code, induction, emissions equipment, Turbo Hydra-Matic, axle, cooling, exhaust, dates, and records must agree.
SUNROOF Power-operated steel sunroof factory · comfort · Roof opening, panel, tracks, motor, drains, switch, headliner, dates, and invoice must agree.
UNITIZED Unitized Ignition factory · performance · Available separately and included with SJ; distributor, amplifier, harness, coil, dates, and records define one installation.
RALLY-GAUGES Rally gauge instrument cluster factory · comfort · Available separately and included with SJ; cluster, senders, harness, dates, and records must agree.
RADIAL-TIRES Steel-belted radial tires factory · performance · Available separately and included with SJ; tires alone do not establish the complete SJ chassis package.
SAFE-T-TRACK Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential factory · performance · Carrier, ratio, axle code, dates, lubricant tag, and order evidence control one car.
BUCKET-SEATS Front bucket seats with center console and floor shift factory · comfort · The console was bucket-seat-only; seat frames, tracks, upholstery, console, controls, and trim code must agree.

Paint

Exact-year SJ front and side view retained for package badging, body-colored mirror, pinstriping, formal roof, full wheel covers, radial-tire stance, grille, and bumper context; the crop, wear, and one-car condition remain disclosed.Greg Gjerdingen; cropped by Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

19 Starlight Black factory · solid
11 Cameo White factory · solid
24 Porcelain Blue factory · metallic
29 Admiralty Blue factory · metallic
26 Regatta Blue factory · metallic
81 Mesa Tan factory · solid
56 Desert Sand factory · solid
46 Golden Olive factory · metallic
42 Verdant Green factory · metallic
44 Slate Green factory · metallic
48 Brewster Green factory · solid
74 Florentine Red factory · metallic
64 Ascot Silver factory · metallic
66 Burnished Umber factory · metallic
60 Valencia Gold factory · metallic
68 Burma Brown factory · metallic

Production

Transmissions summarized from reviewed factory and marque references.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

1973 Pontiac Grand Prix K57 hardtop coupe total · 153,899 · reported
Standard-family Grand Prix without SJ Option (period Model J terminology) by option · 133,150 · reported
Grand Prix with SJ Option by option · 20,749 · reported
Optional 455 four-barrel in standard-family Grand Prix by engine · 9,812 · reported

Authenticity

Rear Axle and Ratios summarized from reviewed factory and marque references.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

VIN, K57 body, and SJ identity 1973 Pontiac VIN and K57 hardtop body, body and trim plates, title, PHS record, plant and sequence evidence, shell, package equipment, and ownership history that agree · VIN locations, cowl/body plate, title, welded shell, PHS invoice or billing history, plant and sequence evidence, and ownership records · fraud detection
Engine and Turbo Hydra-Matic path Code-, casting-, date-, emissions-, and record-supported 400 or 455 four-barrel with the production Turbo Hydra-Matic application · VIN engine character, engine unit number and block code, castings and dates, Quadrajet, intake, heads, exhaust, emissions label and hardware, Turbo Hydra-Matic tag and case, controls, and PHS record · numbers matching
Axle, brakes, and suspension Order-supported axle code, ratio, open or Safe-T-Track carrier, power front discs, rear drums, steering, springs, bars, bushings, dampers, wheels, and tires · Axle housing and code, carrier and ratio evidence, brakes and hydraulics, front and rear suspension, steering, wheels, tires, dates, PHS record, and service history · date correctness
Paint, exterior, and cabin Plate- and record-supported paint, roof, pinstripe, moldings, mirrors, scripts, wheel treatment, upholstery, seating, mahogany trim, instruments, console, and options · Body and trim plate, protected finish, roof and panel hardware, trim, wheels, cabin, option hardware, PHS record, invoice, and restoration evidence · trim correctness

Still Researching

production The 153,899 total, 133,150 non-SJ total, 20,749 SJ total, and 9,812 non-SJ 455 subset are reported, but no reviewed serial-audited ledger resolves 400s, total 455s, transmissions, axle ratios, Safe-T-Track, colors, interiors, options, plants, dates, exports, or survivors.
engine The factory brochure advertised an SD-455 path, but specialist production history establishes that certification delays canceled it and no production Grand Prix received one. Exact 400/455 codes, calibration, emissions, cooling, axle, and running-date combinations still require the order guide and one car's records.
paint colors The brochure documents 16 Grand Prix colors and available interior-color pairings, but no reviewed dated selector resolves every code, roof, pinstripe, wheel, interior, special-order, plant, and running-date combination.
interior Factory literature establishes bucket and notchback seating, materials, color pairings, console restriction, instruments, mahogany trim, and major options, but not every trim-code, color, seat, roof, option, and production-date combination.
authenticity markers Public model-year references cannot establish one survivor's born-with K57 shell, 400/455, Turbo Hydra-Matic, axle, SJ package, chassis, paint, roof, cabin, options, or component dates.