![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The “Custom Interior” featured new, deeply contoured buckets seats (this seat design was also found in the newly redesigned ’73 Grand Prix and all-new Grand Am, although those models also received seatback recliners with the buckets, unlike the Firebird). Inside was where the Esprit upgrades over the base Firebird were most apparent. In addition to the wheel covers, the Esprit also came standard with all sorts of cosmetic frippery like special badges and plenty of chrome trim compared to the basic ‘bird. Pontiac even saw fit to feature a Navajo Orange Esprit on the cover of the ’73 Firebird brochure, replete with the standard equipment Deluxe Wheel Covers! For 1973, the Trans Am even offered the gaudy super-sized hood graphic-affectionately known as the “screaming chicken”-an option that listed for $55 ($331 adjusted).īut let’s face it, in 1973 muscle cars were on the way out and buyers were gravitating to a variety of stylish cruisers, whether that was a mid-sized Personal Luxury Coupe or a “posher” version of a traditional Pony Car. Not that Pontiac wasn’t promoting performance: both the Formula and Trans Am models were halo cars for the whole division, flaunting hood scoops and go-fast imagery (even if the cars themselves were getting choked down with emissions plumbing). Leading the pack in ’73 sales was the cushy Esprit model. After nearly being cancelled during the ‘72 model year, the Firebird managed to hang on (along with the Camaro) and enjoyed something of a sales resurgence for 1973, with sales climbing 55% compared to the depressed 1972 levels. Pontiac offered four varieties of Firebird during the second generation run: the base coupe, the comfort-oriented Esprit, the performance-oriented Formula and the top-of-the-line Trans Am. In fact, for 1973, the most popular Firebird was a bit of a sleeper, though it did get some press back in the day. While that model certainly did become popular during the lengthy lifecycle for Pontiac’s seventies-era F-Body, it wasn’t always the best seller. When you think of a second generation Pontiac Firebird, the image that probably comes to mind is a Trans Am. ![]()
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