Being the same age as you, I don't recall '73 with any greater clarity, but I do remember someone stating that much of the problem was actually related to local supply. People began to panic, caused a run at the pumps that overwhelmed the supply chain from about the middle to the end without ever really running levels dangerously low on the national level.

That's just a misty recollection, however, and a quick trawl through wikipedia doesn't offer any useful corroboration.