Buick is a name closely associated with better-than-average vehicles over the years.
It was a well-earned reputation, given the fact Buick models have been around since 1899 and learned about quality early in the game.
Jim Sutherland
Buick was also a founding member of General Motors after the company joined forces with other early car brands and begat an automotive juggernaut in the bargain. The fact buyers can still buy a Buick in 2025 is a testimony to its lofty place in domestic car history.
Quality and luxury were always major factors in Buick’s reputation but occasionally the car company chose a different path and built a sporty model. Occasionally Buick built flat-out beasts, including its muscled-out 1970 Buick Gran Sport GSX model, a super car from a bygone era that was a stone-cold killer on the street and track.
1970 was a pivotal year at General Motors because the company finally allowed big blocks over 400 cubic-inches to be wedged into their A-bodies (intermediate brands), including Buick’s medium-sized Gran Sport model.
Consequently, Buick used its giant 455 cubic-inch engine and added a few mechanical tweaks to make the big block even badder in 1970. A basic Buick Gran Sport GSX rolled out 350 horsepower and over 500 ft lbs of torque that gave the GSX the highest torque figure from the classic muscle car category in 1970.
Even better, Buick offered a Stage 1 performance package that tweaked the innards of the 455 and delivered even more horses to the corral under the hood.
The net result was a muscle car big dog that ran at the front of the pack on the street or strip. The low 3:64 rear gears in the car were combined with a limited-slip differential to gain as much velocity as possible when the GSX was launched down the road or track.
The net result was a car that did 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and a 13:38 ¼-mile at 105.5 mph in 1970. Bear in mind the ’70 GSX weighed almost 2 tons, was not on race tires, and had no boost from a turbo or supercharger. The car was stock and accomplished everything on 55-year-old factory engineering.
The kicker is a 1970 Buick GSX lived up to its reputation for luxury and featured the upscale appointments long associated with the famous GM marque. The car’s trim and bling appointments met Buick standards, but few could argue with the GSX’s uncivilized behavior on the road.
The 1970 Buick GSX was a very limited-production muscle car built in only two colors: Saturn Yellow (491 sold) and Apollo White (187 sold), so the real deals are as scarce as Doors and Hendrix concerts in 2025.
It may be difficult to place a typical Buick near or at the top of the classic muscle cars and it may even ignite a fist fight amongst car guys in a bar.
But there is no debate about the fact a 1970 Buick GSX was a fast and furious bloodthirsty beast from the dying days of classic muscle cars.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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