Buick GS Classic Cars for Sale

Buick used Gran Sport as a designation to most of its high-performance muscle cars. A division of the American company, General Motors, Buick started off the Gran Sport with the Skylark Gran Sport in 1965.

The first Buick GS was an answer to the Pontiac GTO. It was a surprise when Buick got into the performance car market because it had a reputation for producing quality passenger cars. The Buick GS got its inspiration for the Skylark Custom. The success that Pontiac had with the GTO is what pushed Buick to come up with something new. To get the 6572cc engine to fit into the Skylark, the engineers had to do some modifications.

Generations of Buick GS

There were several models branded Gran Sport from the American manufacturer.

Skylark Gran Sport

The Buick GS came out bigger than the Pontiac GTO in every sense of the word. In weight, the Skylark Gran Sport had about 69Kgs on the GTO. The engine manifold had a four barrel intake with 325 horsepower, and it was the largest that GM could let Buick GS get away with. In comparison to the Pontiac GTO, the Skylark Gran Sport was quieter. Consumers also had the option of getting bucket seats.

The Grand Sport 400

In 1967, the Grand Sport had a 400 cubic inch engine (6.6 L) with 340 horsepower. The manual transmission was three and four-speed, while for the automatic transmission option, a three-speed Turbo Hydra –Matic. Consumers had two model options, convertible and hardtop.

The Gran Sport 455

In 1970, the Buick GS had a 455-cid V-8 engine with 340 hp. It was a brand new engine after GM finally removed its restrictions on engine size. This Buick GS came with a hotter cam, and the valves were larger and with more displacement than in the Grand Sport 400. The GS 400 also came with style variations, boasting the GSX package. The package came in white or yellow with black stripes, heavy-duty suspensions, front and rear spoilers among others. This Buick GS is one of the line’s biggest productions.

The GS 455 came with two options: Stage 1 and 2 with Stage 1 being the factory option. Stage 1 of the 455 was one of the most powerful engines from GM. Consumers that wanted a Stage 2 package could get it from dealers.

Buick GS 1971, 1972

After the 1970 Gran Sport, there was a decline in the production of muscle cars. It was due to the government’s regulations that manufacturers had to adhere to. Vehicle makers also had to take into account the increasing fuel prices and insurance premiums. Buick GS had to reduce the engine power in the 1971 and 1972 models.

The last Buick in the Skylark line was the 1972 model. Due to government restrictions, the power ratings for the 350bph fell to 195, the 455 to 225, and the 455 Stage 1 to 270.