In 1977, Pontiac kept selling the old mid-size LeMans right alongside its all-new, smaller full-size Catalina and Bonneville — a deliberate hedge in case the radical downsizing flopped.
Lead trim: LeMans 350 V8 (150 hp, 2-barrel, 1973) · up to 230 hp
Pontiac Lemans1973–1977
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Pontiac Lemans yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactIn 1977, Pontiac kept selling the old mid-size LeMans right alongside its all-new, smaller full-size Catalina and Bonneville — a deliberate hedge in case the radical downsizing flopped.
From 1973 until 1977 the LeMans and other GM intermediates were much larger than previous models, due to evolutionary growth and the federally mandated 5 mph crash bumpers that added weight and length; all bodies were GM's Colonnade design for both sedans and coupes (no convertibles or hardtops after 1972) with center pillars for rollover standards. The lineup included the base Le Mans, Le Mans Sport Coupe, GTO (1973 only), Luxury Le Mans (Grand Le Mans from 1975), the Euro-styled Grand Am (1973–75) and the 1977 Can Am. For 1973 the Le Mans Sport Coupe, Luxury Le Mans and all Safari wagons got Pontiac's 350 cubic-inch V8 with a two-barrel carburetor rated at 150 hp standard (optional on base Le Mans models), with a 400-cubic-inch V8 with two-barrel carburetor and 170 hp, a 230 hp 400 four-barrel (standard with the GTO option) and a 250 hp 455 four-barrel optional on all models; a 310 hp 455 Super Duty V8 was planned and listed as a 1973 GTO option but never materialized there, becoming available only in the smaller Firebird Formula and Trans Am. The 1973-77 page lists engines including the 231 cu in V6, 250 cu in I6, 260, 301, 350, 400, 403 and 455 V8s; wheelbase 112 in (two-door) or 116 in (four-door), length 208.6 in or 212.6 in, width 77.7 in.
Collectors Spotted in the Pontiac Lemans Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Pontiac Lemans yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeMans 350 V8 (150 hp, 2-barrel, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 5.7 L V8 | 150 hp | 270 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| LeMans 400 V8 (170 hp, 2-barrel, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 6.6 L V8 | 170 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| LeMans 400 V8 (230 hp, 4-barrel, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 6.6 L V8 | 230 hp | 325 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
An estimate, for the LeMans 350 V8 (150 hp, 2-barrel, 1973) trim: fuel on its EPA figure and a dated national price, upkeep on a per-mile average for the kind of car it is.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The Daewoo-built Pontiac LeMans wore three different badges depending where you bought it — Pontiac in the US, Passport Optima in Canada — and its five-speed gearbox was an Opel design built in Japan by Isuzu.
GM and Daewoo announced their joint LeMans factory in January 1984 — political turmoil in South Korea held the car up for four years before it reached American showrooms in 1988.
The 1978 downsizing that remade the LeMans cut 600 to 800 pounds off the car in a single model year — one of GM's most dramatic mid-size diets of the era.
In 1977, Pontiac kept selling the old mid-size LeMans right alongside its all-new, smaller full-size Catalina and Bonneville — a deliberate hedge in case the radical downsizing flopped.
Pontiac's new 350 V8 wasn't designed from a blank sheet — it was stitched together from three existing engines, borrowing the 389/400/326's crank stroke and stretching the 326's bore to get there.
The overhead-cam six under this LeMans's hood was John DeLorean's idea, years before he left to build his own stainless-steel sports car.
The first Pontiac LeMans put its transmission out back next to a four-wheel independent suspension, chasing near-50/50 weight balance on a compact nobody remembers as a handler.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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