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Just did a bit of research into the decor pricing and the content of the 400 options as well as the TA:

The decor Group started the model year at $57.93. If you add up the component option prices you get $21.06 for dlx wheelcovers, $15.80 for dlx steering wheel and $5.27 for pedal trim. the wheel opening moldings were not offered separately but they were on Tempests for $15.80. This gives you $57.93, exactly the group price. In December 68 the price of the group increased to $62.14 but now included dual horns which sold for $4.21, again matching the group price exactly. On March 17th the decor group price was unchanged, but the drip moldings were now included in the Decor Group. The drip moldings were actually called decor moldings (on other Pontiacs they would include rocker moldings and/or side window frame moldings) and were never sold outside of the decor group.

However, on that same date all 400 options (400, 400 HO, 400 RA IV, TA) were increased in price by $15.80 (except on convertibles) to reflect the addition of the drip moldings to their content. So, according to factory documents, the result was that on all 400 cars the decor group still cost the excact same as its component options but after March 17th on a Base six, Sprint or either 350 car you were getting a $15.80 discount if you ordered the decor group.

Note; when you ordered the woodwheel or fancier wheelcovers or Rally wheels with the decor group you paid less for those items by the exact same amount as the value of the Decor group wheelcover or steering wheel. For example, the wood wheel was $50.55 but if you ordered it with decor group you paid $34.76, exactly the value of the deluxe steering wheel in the decor group-$21.06.

But there may be another possibility, one that would explain why the decor group was so unpopular on Firebirds. What if wheel opening moldings were actually installed on all 69 Firebirds (you see this on Catalinas in 69, they were supposed to only get rocker moldings with the decor group but I've seen many untouched survivor cars without decor that had rocker moldings (and rocker moldings were not offered separately). Then the decor group would have been actually more expensive than the components which would explain why you see so many Firebirds without decor but with all or most of the component options. The exception is the 400 cars built after March 17th where the decor option was equal to the cost of the components.

So, has anyone ever seen a survivor (original paint) Firebird without wheel opening moldings? Or seen factory or vintage photos of a Firebird without them?

My latest Firebird, an early production base six convertible is a perfect example, it doesn't have the decor option but it was ordered with all the decor component options that were available. Seems like many dealers may have discovered this $15.60 overcharge and ordered cars accordingly.