I looked closely at the Midnight blue/white stripe one that sold at B/J Scottsdale this year, and in person it didn't look nearly as unmolested as the Dark red one being discussed here does.

I have seen them both, and the Midnight blue car is not nearly as nice as the subject car.

My Midnight Blue stripe delete Z was built with just a base fuel gauge in it also.

Yes definitely the wrong shift knob... that is the replacement style which has a seam up each side is found in nearly all 1972's and 1973's.
72 consoles no longer had the shift pattern on the console so the knob had it in the top.

OK, so assuming that the subject dark red car does indeed have an incorrect shift knob....it's hard to imagine how or why such an otherwise unmolested and meticulously maintained car would have a replacement shift knob :dunno: You wouldn't think the original would wear out or become damaged. Could GM production have switched to the superseded knob by early February of 73? I'm not beating the car up, just trying to understand.

I had a 72 Nova 10K original miles it had that shift knob and was cracked in three places, as a mattter of fact i stilll have it.

Norwood was still cycling through 1972 parts stocks at that time.

IMO that Knob is technically incorrect for a 73, but was installed with it at the factory.

Here is the hard to find shift knob for the 73. It is pretty wimpy!