1973 Pontiac Trans AM Super Duty Sold For Near-Record $250,000

The 1973 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty was a high watermark for American performance cars.

Arriving at the end of the original muscle car era, it came equipped with a 455-cubic-inch V8 that was essentially a racing engine in disguise.

The upgraded Super Duty 455 V8 was officially rated at 310 hp, compared to 250 hp for the standard version, but was known to produce much more than that and was just a few modifications away from much more than that.

The car could run a quarter-mile in the 13s, according to a Car & Driver test from the era and could take a turn pretty well. Aside from the SD-455 logo on the cowl air intake scoop nestled within the Screaming Chicken logo on the hood, there wasn’t much visual to give away what was under it.

As with many of the muscle cars that arrived amid the first fuel crisis and new emissions standards, it wasn’t a big seller. Just 252 Trans Ams were sold with the Super Duty option in 1973.

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The record price for one sold at auction stands at the $286,000 paid for one in May of 2024, but a recent sale came pretty close to take second place. it is white with blue decals and a red interior and was displayed at the Canadian International Auto Show before being sold to the first of its two owners.

The few parts that have been replaced were all preserved by the original owner and were included with it when it was offered for sale by Miller & Miller Auctions on June 14.

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It received a high bid of $310,000, which ended up being a $341,000 sale price when fees were included. That’s in Canadian dollars, of course, which is approximately $250,000 at the current exchange rate.