1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Coupe

By 1973, the entire concept of a muscle car was becoming something that was not quite politically correct. With Dodge, Plymouth, and even Chevrolet opting to discontinue big engines in their Pony Cars, Pontiac became the last hold-out.

Although technically not a big-block, the 455 cubic-inch engine certainly was the largest offering available. At the top of the food chain was the ultra-high-performance Super Duty 455, one of the hottest factory high-performance engines ever offered. Although advertising for the Super Duty option was minimal, those in the know would be able to purchase this very special engine with a long list of performance enhancements. This would include four-bolt mains, a high reinforced block, forged pistons, forged connecting rods, a special crankshaft, and even a provision in the block for a dry sump oiling system. The cylinder heads are a free-breathing design patterned after the earlier Ram Air IV heads, and the cam was similar to what was previously used in the Ram Air IV.

A mere 252 Pontiac S.D. 455 Trans Am were built in 1973, along with a handful of Super Duty Formulas, making this car one of the most sought-after Pontiacs of all time. Considered one of the very last examples of true factory muscle to be offered in the 1970s, we would not see anything even close to this kind of performance for many years.