73 Nose Emblem Question

[Jimmy P.]

This is something I wondered about since I purchased my 73. While reading through and looking at countless Corvette books trying gain as much knowledge as possible I came across a few photos of the 73 in a couple of the books that had the "Cross Flags" emblem on the nose. One of the books is ("Corvette Files" Selected Road Tests & Features 1953 - 2003). from the editors of Motor Trend Magazine. Dated 2003. The car is featured on page 76. The other source of the photos is the large red coffee table book titled: CORVETTE AMERICA'S SPORTS CAR-TODAY AND TOMORROW dated (2006). The 73 is featured on pages 168-171 with the crossed flags nose emblem. The cars in the photos either had full wheel covers or the rare early aluminum wheels that were later held back because of quality issues. Can anyone out there shed any light on this? Did any early cars leave the line with the crossed flags emblem? It's been said before that GM would use parts until that batch ran out then switch to something else. There were supposedly some late 73's that left the line without the flags emblem on the gas filler door because they ran out and they never did put any of those Or any other emblem on the 74's. I posted a couple of the photos from the large book. What do you guys think?

[Russ S.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Those pics are early promotional cars. As far as I know, no production 73s came out with crossed flags on the front. Don't know on the gas lid door but I've never seen a 73 without the crossed flag emblem.

[Leif A.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Jimmy,
Those appear to be artist renditions of what the '73 was going to look like...a lot can change (and did) from conception to inception. I like the look but don't believe any '73 ever left the factory with those.

[Jimmy P.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

That's what I was thinking too, although the picture in the motor trend book isn't an artist rendition or a beautiful color photo like the two I posted here. It is pictured out in a field on pages 76-77, the photos are in black and white and it does have the crossed-flags on the nose.The article "Road Test: Chevrolet Corvette " written by Eric Dahlquist, Motor Trend,January 1973. The author talks about the new 73 and all its new revamped features to meet federal safety requirements etc. with Duntov. It is still interesting to me that it did sport the flags on the nose. At least one of them left the factory like that for the Motor Trend Article.

[Russ S.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

These cars that were lent out for testing then went back to GM. I believe most of them were then destroyed.

[Robert R.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

The early press release photo of the '73 was of a yellow coupe with the cross flags and aluminum wheels. But the brochure does show all models with the red emblem.

[Peter G.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Jimmy reading your post tonight several months later.............I too have seen the promo pictures of the cross flags emblem on the nose. Russ and I both have early '73s and neither of us have ever seen pictures in my case or remember in Russ' case the cross flags nose emblem on our cars.

As far as the no emblem on the '74 gas door lid...I think that is just some spectulation since that is the only year with no emblem.

[Patrick C.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

My neighbor has a 73 that was just topflighted in Tulsa OK recently that has cross flags on the nose. This is a local car from new with a known history in our ncrs chapter. We were talking about the flags the other day interestingly. Its also yellow but with rally wheels

[Jimmy P.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

My neighbor has a 73 that was just topflighted in Tulsa OK recently that has cross flags on the nose. This is a local car from new with a known history in our ncrs chapter. We were talking about the flags the other day interestingly. Its also yellow but with rally wheels

Patrick,
This is pretty interesting! Through all my research on this it appeared that no 73's were ever delivered with the crossed flags on the nose like the promotional cars. I sure would like to hear from the original owner stating the the car actually was delivered with the flags. I would think this would be pretty rare indeed! Especially since none of the 73' guys here on the TDB have never seen/heard of one either. I think it would be possible to top flight with the flags (NTP)instead of the original round emblem. I've seen a 75' at a local show with flags on the nose that the owner changed himself because he liked it better. He said he got the idea from a picture he saw of a yellow '73 promo. I don't think the promotional cars were ever sold to the public, were they?
Thanks for sharing this.
Regards,

[Patrick C.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Send me a pm and i will hook you up with the owner.

[Jimmy P.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Send me a pm and i will hook you up with the owner.

Patrick,
Sent you a PM as requested.
thanks,

[Peter G.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Any new information on this? This question has always interested me. I too would rather have the cross flags and my car being a early build? Thankfully I do not "normally" judge Exterior, but have once or twice at a Chapter Meet. Next time I am with my fellow team judges I will ask if I remember. However the past posters on this post all have excellent and good experience with the 1973 Corvette.

[Jimmy P.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Any new information on this? This question has always interested me. I too would rather have the cross flags and my car being a early build? Thankfully I do not "normally" judge Exterior, but have once or twice at a Chapter Meet. Next time I am with my fellow team judges I will ask if I remember. However the past posters on this post all have excellent and good experience with the 1973 Corvette.

Hi Peter,
I appreciate you revisiting the 73 posts. I did respond to Patrick's request ( above) for me to send him a PM concerning the cross flags on the nose of the early 73. He did respond with the name of the gentleman who he said had the car with the flags. I did PM the gentleman a fellow NCRS member but received no response.
I will send you a PM with his name, and maybe you will have better luck.
Regards,
Jimmy

[Russ S.]

Re: 73 Nose Emblem Question

Not that I ever had any question as to whether or not early 73s could have come with crossed flags on the nose, I just came across a Road and Track road test of the then new 1973 which proves they did not use crossed flags. The test car is a very early car as it has the aluminium wheels which none to maybe four 73s left the factory with. This car has the round cloisonne nose emblem. Another item of great interest to me as I researched this years ago and my early 73 had it when I bought the car new in 73 is that there is a engine picture showing the early only RC29 radiator cap instead of the RC33 that we know a little later cars thru the end of production cars (and 74) came with. I don't have a real close vin number as to when the change in caps came but I have seen the RC29 as late as #5000.