The 1973 Pontiac Grand Am was the newest GM offering on its A-body platform, an attempt to incorporate the interior comfort, handling and reduced size characteristics of foreign cars into American-engineered cars. Slated at first to be a GTO, it was switched at birth and received its own model line when the GTO got incorporated as an option in the LeMans. The 1973 Grand Am was offered as coupe or sedan (and one station wagon -- that's right, one). It was marketed as a performance tourer, a roomy midsize family car, albeit one with a powerful engine second only to the Camaro and Corvette.

Under the hood you had a variety of options. The 6.5-liter 400 block V8 engine with a 2-barrel carb rated at 170-hp, while the 4-barrel version came in at 200 hp. These were paired with a Turbo Hydramatic 4-speed automatic. Much rarer was the 400 4-barrel engine paired with a 4-speed manual. A powerhorse 7.4-liter 455 V8 engine hit 250 hp with the Hydramatic transmission.

Inside, the 1973 Grand Am resembled the Grand Prix, and featured deep-set reclining sports seats, a wood instrument panel, headlight dimmer switch and a choice between leather or corduroy seats (this was the '70s, after all). To be performance-oriented, it was built with a heavy suspension, large anti-sway bars and 15-inch tires. Though sharing an A platform with such cars as the LeMans, Grand Prix and Buick Century, the Grand Am distinguished its exterior styling with two hood scoops, louvered rear quarter windows and six small vertical grilles bookended by round headlights. Drivers loved the engine performance, smooth ride and sports handling of the 1973 Grand Am.