Pontiac GTO III (A-body) gallery (1973–1973)

The short-lived third-generation Pontiac GTO arrived in 1973 utilizing General Motors' newly engineered Colonnade A-body architecture.

All photos 41 I (A-body) 0 1964–1967 II (A-body) 20 1968–1972 III (A-body) 0 1973–1973 IV (X-body) 0 1974–1974 V (V-body) 0 2004–2006

Offered solely for the 1973 model year, the third-generation Pontiac GTO was built on General Motors' redesigned Colonnade A-body platform as an optional performance package on the LeMans and LeMans Sport two-door coupes. Federal safety and rollover regulations ended the pillarless hardtop design, replacing it with thick B-pillars, fixed triangular rear quarter opera windows, and massive energy-absorbing five-mph front bumpers. Available only as a two-door coupe, the 1973 GTO offered two primary engines: the standard 400 cubic-inch (6.6L) four-barrel V8 generating 230 net horsepower, and an optional 455 cubic-inch (7.5L) V8 rated at 250 horsepower. Although an ultra-high-performance 455 Super Duty (SD-455) option was planned, none were delivered to retail customers. Transmission choices included a standard floor-shifted three-speed manual, an optional Muncie four-speed manual, and the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic. The model featured Pontiac's innovative Radial Tuned Suspension optimized for radial tires before production ended.