Buick Muscle CarThe Gran SportArgueably the best Buick muscle car the Gran Sport – otherwise dubbed the GS – was classed as a mid-sized vehicle and in common with all muscle cars, the GS was a high performance vehicle and was an option available among the full Buick range. The Gran Sport became renowned as a formidable muscle car, which is all the more surprising as Buick were not noted for producing high performance vehicles. The Buick Gran Sport was rolled out in 1969 and was the culmination of a range of the GS which had been produced from the mid 60s. buick muscle car This proved more popular with the motoring public, with
sales almost reaching 10,000 by the beginning of the 1970s. The
350 remained in production until the end of the GS line in
1975. Road tests of the vehicle showed that the 455 engine produced 420 bhp and could top 105 mph. The model was the result of General Motors dropping their ban on engine sizes in excess of 400 cu ins being fitted into intermediate sized models The 455 created controversy within the ranks of the muscle car enthusiasts as it was heralded as being faster than the rival Chrysler Hemi, and the debate goes on today. A GSX package was also produced to increase sales, costing an additional $1,100. It was rolled out as a competitor to Pontiac's GTO Judge model. However, it failed to ignite the imagination of the American motoring public and fewer than 700 were built during 1970. Two years later production fell to a miserly 44. By 1971 the hey day of the muscle car was drawing close as tighter road safety legislation and higher insurance premiums in the US began to bite. With Buick's parent, General Motors ruling their engines must be run on lower leaded petrol, engine power was also affected as the GS 455 dropped 35 bhp, and the other Gran Sport models were affected accordingly. Related Articles More Buick Muscle Car Muscle Car Manufacturers American Muscle Cars | |
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