Take the body of a solid-selling, midsized day driver — the Buick Skylark — and cram a monster of an engine in there. Then offer it in a well-publicized dual configuration — it was available as either a convertible or a sedan, as was the trend — and wait. While the Grand Sport debuted in 1965, the car didn’t really seize national attention for a few years. The GSX of 1967 was a beefy Buick, but it wasn’t until the 1970 launch, with its 7.5-liter engine and capability of 400 horsepower, that people really got interested.
The Stage 1 GSX performance package claimed a base 360 horsepower, but testers assured the public that — depending on upgrades to valves, heads and camshaft — it could top 400. Capable of the quarter-mile in 13.38 seconds, this car was famously offered in only two iconic colors, “Apollo White” and “Saturn Yellow.”
Perhaps as a result of Ralph Nader’s highly public targeting, for years General Motors’ conservative management kept its divisions constrained by an edict that prevented any engine displacing more than 400 cubic inches from powering its intermediates. Then in 1970 it all changed: GM muscle cars were suddenly on even ground with their crosstown rivals at Ford and Chrysler. Like its competitors at Chevy, Pontiac and Oldsmobile, Buick responded with a big block powerhouse, the colorful and ferocious GS.
Judged by many as the greatest Buick ever built, the GS model’s engine was punched out to a full 455 CI. In contrast to the previous year’s figure of 440 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 RPM, the 1970 GS pounded out an incredible 510 lb-ft at only 2,800 RPM, the highest figure in the industry. But Buick engineers were not finished. They created the Stage 1 package featuring a radical cam profile and higher-flow heads and carburetion, raising the official factory horsepower rating to 360. The GSX appearance package was available in radiant Saturn Yellow and Apollo White, and gave the car front and rear spoilers, contrasting accent body striping, heavy-duty suspension with larger Goodyear Polyglas tires and a Matte Black hood-mounted tach.
Documented with the original build sheet and title history, this Saturn Yellow 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 from the Wellborn Musclecar Museum is one of 118 produced with a 4-speed manual transmission. It was sold new at Elliot Buick in Salem, Virginia, and remained a local Roanoke, Virginia, car for more than 30 years. During that time it was professionally restored to stunning concours-quality condition by Buick specialist Dave Kleiner before its purchase by Tim Wellborn in 2007. Optioned with power steering and brakes, Black bucket seat interior with center console, Sonomatic radio and tinted glass, this exquisitely detailed GSX Stage 1 will please the most demanding collector.
After 1970, the 1971 and 1972 GSX became an option that was available on any Gran Sport. Many GSXs survive to this day and can be seen at the Buick Gran Sport Nationals held annually in Bowling Green, KY in the middle of May along with many other examples of ’60s, ’70s and ’80s Buick performance models. Another Buick event is the Buick Performance Group Nationals which is held at National Trail Raceway in Columbus,Ohio during the early month of August.
The GSX and big-block V8 were dropped after 1974. In 1974, the GSX consisted of a trim package on Buick’s small, X-bodied Apollo. Three engines were available on the 1974 GSX: the Chevrolet supplied 250 6-cyl.,and two Buick engines:the 350 2 barrel and 350 4 barrel versions.
