1973 Ford Mustang Trans-Am Racer Marks End of an Era
Only two "body-in-white" 1973 Mustang Trans Am racers were ever built, and this one is headed to auction.
End of an Era
Trans Am racing, as any Mustang fan knows, played a huge role in the pony car's surging status. From 1968 to 1972, the manufacturer's championship enjoyed peak popularity before the participants evolved into more race car than street car. And thus, this 1973 Mustang Trans-Am racer we spotted over at RM Sotheby's truly marks the end of an era for the popular racing series.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
Evolution
The formula for early Trans-Am racing centered around modified sedans and coupes from various manufacturers doing battle on a variety of courses. But eventually, it became somewhat of a clone of the IMSA GT Championship with highly modified machines.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Looks Like
By 1980, Trans-Am racers were nothing more than tube-frame cars with little resemblance to the cars they were supposed to represent. There's no mistaking what this particular Mustang is, however, despite the fact that it's a proper race car.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Meticulous Assembly
After Kar Kraft was shut down, the only two "body-in-white" cars left were delivered to Ford. While the other car was quickly assembled and pushed to the track, this one was put together over time with meticulous effort.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Being Resourceful
Ed Hinchliff of Hinchliff Racing took possession of this Mustang and proceeded to use factory parts and Kar Kraft's blueprints, as well as the help of Kar Kraft chassis engineers Lee Dykstra and Mitch Marchi, to assemble it properly.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Racing Heritage
Once the Mustang was finished, it campaigned under two different numbers in SCCA competition: No. 10-505 in the SCCA A Sedan Category, and No. 79-142 in the SCCA Trans-Am Category I.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
What Could Have Been
In the early days, this Mustang wore a blue and white Ford livery, but that later changed to school bus yellow with black accents. The owner at the time made the switch because this livery is believed to be the one Kar Kraft originally had in mind for the car.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Fully Documented
This particular racer comes with quite an extensive bit of documentation as well. That includes a full race history, which includes 9 different entries at tracks ranging from Watkins Glen to Road America.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Ready to Rock
The car also comes with all of the original chassis blueprints, documents from the builder, and all the racing log books associated with the car's SCCA tag.
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Back Home
The seller does caution that the car will need some inspection and work before it's ready to see the race track again, but that's to be expected. Personally, we'd love to see this historically significant Mustang back out there where it belongs!
Photos Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
>>Join the conversation about this '73 Trans-Am Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
And, for information on maintenance and repairs for your Mustang, head on over to our How-Tos at MustangForums.com!