In a recent discussion with a fellow Firebird enthusiast, the topic of second-generation Trans Ams equipped with the Cordova Top option arose. Keen hobbyists are aware that 1974 Trans Ams were produced with a factory-installed padded vinyl roof.
Friend Chris Ritter took this image of the 1974 Trans Am he once owned. Its list of optional equipment included the LS2 Super Duty 455 and C08 Cordova Top. The blue padded vinyl roof complements the blue interior and provides a stark contrast against the Cameo White exterior.
It seems that the option was available on 1975 Trans Ams, too. While I hadn’t ever seen one, I discovered the possibility while writing my second-gen Firebird book and hope to document one someday. I’m hoping PontiacV8.com readers might be able to help me with that.
Pontiac issued Car Distribution Bulletin 72-13 on June 21, 1971 reiterating to its dealer network that the Cordova Top was not available on the Trans Am. As we know, anything was certainly possible with the proper connection, but I’m unaware of any early Trans Ams equipped with a factory-installed padded vinyl top.
It’s well known that the Cordova Top was available on Firebird, Esprit, and Formula models beginning with the 1970 model year. It wasn’t, however, available on the Trans Am because of its roof stripe and Pontiac spelled that out in its 1970 to 1972 new-car sales materials. The Cordova Top proved popular with Firebird buyers through 1973 with volume ranging between 11,000 and 16,000 units depending upon the model year. My dad’s 1973 Formula 400 was one such example.
The 1973 Pontiac Accessorizer clearly reveals Pontiac’s intent of not allowing Trans Am buyers to order the Cordova Top that model year.
Once the Trans Am’s roof stripe went away in 1973, Pontiac considered removing that model’s Cordova Top restriction for the 1974 model year. On March 12, 1973, Pontiac’s Sales department initiated an internal engineering request to expand C08 Cordova Top’s availability to Trans Am reasoning that it expected to produce about 700 such cars. Since no capital investment was required, Pontiac approved the Cordova Top option for the 1974 Trans Am on March 20, 1973.
Pontiac’s Sales department felt that expanding Cordova Top availability to Trans Am for 1974 would increase option volume. I found this image of a Cameo White 1974 Trans Am with matching Cordova Top on the web. When compared to the lead image above, do you prefer a subtle or stark contrast?
The 1974 Pontiac Accessorizer shows that C08 Cordova Top was now available on Trans Am for $87.
Pontiac production records indicate that C08 Cordova Top was installed onto 14,198 Firebirds during the 1974 model year. While there’s presently no known breakdown by Firebird model, I know of several 1974 Trans Ams—including a handful of SD-455 cars—that were factory-equipped with the $87 padded roof option.
I also found this image of an Admiralty Blue 1974 Trans Am with matching Cordova Top on the web.
Despite significant Firebird model line growth for 1975, those equipped with C09 Cordova Top had dropped to just 8,577. I cannot find any Pontiac literature stating that C09 Cordova Top was not available on the 1975 Trans Am, so we can only assume that availability was carried over from 1974
Nowhere in 1975 Pontiac sales literature have I found where C09 Cordova Top was not available on the Trans Am. The 1975 Pontiac Accessorizer suggests the combination was available. Have you ever seen one?
As previously noted, I’ve yet to document a 1975 Trans Am equipped with a factory-installed padded vinyl roof. However, I did locate a vintage newspaper advertisement for a near-new 1975 Trans Am reportedly equipped one.
This advertisement in the April 26, 1975 printing of The Kansas City Times shows a near-new Sterling Silver 1975 Trans Am with black vinyl top for sale at Delfosse Pontiac. Was its vinyl top factory installed or aftermarket? We’ll likely never know.
Firebird’s padded vinyl roof treatment changed for 1976 to a CB7 canopy style (partial top positioned over the front portion). Sales literature that model year clearly states of its unavailability on Trans Am. The appearance and/or positioning of the padded vinyl roof would change in the following years, but it appears that Trans Am’s restriction carried out for the remainder of the second-gen Firebird production run.
Pontiac revised its padded vinyl roof treatment for 1976 by moving it to a canopy-style half top. In doing so—as shown in the 1976 Accessorizer—the Trans Am was again restricted from the CB7 Canopy Top option.
Whether subtle by matching the body color or stark by contrasting it, a second-generation Trans Am equipped with a Cordova Top may not be in everyone’s taste—particularly on such a sleek sports car. Vinyl roofs were extremely popular during the 1960s and into the early-1970s and many aftermarket companies offered them. It’s unsurprising to find that Pontiac’s Sales department pushed to offer the Cordova Top as factory-installed option on mid-1970s Trans Am when it became conveniently possible.
Were you aware that the Cordova Top was available on 1974 and 1975 Trans Ams? And more so, have you ever seen one?