The delays that the 67-day UAW strike
caused for GM set the clock back for the new-generation A-body intermediates.
Though initially set for a ’72 release, they actually hit the showrooms for model-year
’73.
The
$368 W62 GTO option was available on the D37 Colonnade coupe and F37 Colonnade
Sport coupe. With insurance rates continuing to climb and the bad reputation
the GTO nameplate had with underwriters, only 4,806 were sold—an all-time low.
The Pontiac GTO also returned for '73, but
sadly it was little more than an afterthought. Pontiac had learned all too well
that the market had moved away from the GTO nameplate. It was damaged goods as
far as the insurance industry was concerned. That is why Pontiac built so many
GT-37s, LeMans GTs, and T-41-nosed LeMans Sports. They looked and ran like
GTOs, but didn't have the nameplate to tip their hand to the derwriters.
Although the weight was up, the power
choices were down, and the new- generation styling was controversial, the '73
GTO ended up being the best handling, best braking, and safest GTO that had
been built up to that point. Many of the design and engineering changes that
the '73 GTO received were done in order to comply with new federal safety
standards, which included low-speed impact, rollovers, and side impact.
New Platform
The '73 A-body platform was a new design,
significantly more rigid, more impact resistant, and stronger than before. It
was also heavier than the previous version. Sharing the 112-inch wheelbase as
its predecessor, the new chassis featured an updated front suspension design,
with the same upper and lower control arms and spindles from the '71-and-up
full-sized Pontiacs and the '70½ Firebirds. The new frontend featured greatly
improved geometry settings, which reduced bump- steer and other handling
maladies. Front disc brakes were made standard and enlarged to a full 11
inches. A 1.25-inch front sway bar was used to control body roll for the now
heavier GTO.
The
'73 A-body platform was a new design, significantly more rigid, more impact
resistant, and stronger than before
The steering system was carried over from
the previous generation, and the rear suspension was a carryover from '72, with
a 1-inch rear sway bar. With a front suspension essentially identical to the
Trans Am and an arguably superior rear suspension, the '73 GTO was a
great-handling car.
The standard wheel-and- tire combination
consisted of 15x7-inch steel wheels with baby moon hubcaps and G60-15 bias-ply
tires. Options included Deluxe wheel covers, 15x7-inch Rally II wheels, or
Honeycombs.
All-New Styling
The '73 GTO shared its basic body with its
GM intermediate siblings. A new Colonnade body design, which used pillarless
doors with sturdy B-pillars, was a new design convention that quickly took hold
throughout the industry. It gave the sporty styling of a pillarless hardtop
door design with the protection of a pillared roof.
In fact, the Colonnade body design allowed
for a much stronger roof section, one that could more effectively resist
crushing in the event of a rollover. With improved side-impact beams in the
doors and beefier main framerails, the '73 GTO and its LeMans parent series
were much more capable of protecting occupants than the previous generation's
offerings.
A
Rear-end styling is highlighted by a clamshell-shaped rear deck-which did not
go over well with buyers-and the familiar rectangular tail lamps. Like the
front bumper, the rear was mounted on energy absorbers and was just too large
to integrate into the body. It did, however, comply with federal impact
regulations.
Up front, a large and rather imposing
chrome front bumper-something that had not been seen since '67- highlighted the
'73 GTO's styling. It was mounted on a pair of energy absorbers and housed the
turn signals at the front corners.
