If ever there was an automotive paradox, the potent Buick GS, or Gran Sport, was it. Here was conservative Buick with one of the mightiest muscle cars of the era. Think of it as the “velvet hammer” of performance cars, and, because it was a Buick, it was more luxurious than its GM corporate A-Body siblings. The Gran Sport began in 1965 as an option on the midsize Skylark with a 401 CI Wildcat V-8 under the hood. Styling received yearly updates, and an all-new, second-generation A-Body was offered in 1968. Model year 1970 marked the third year of this second-generation body style, but the big changes were taking place in the engine bay. GM rescinded its unwritten ban on intermediates with less than 10 pounds per horsepower, and Buick responded by dropping in its big-car 455 CI V-8 for 1970. Stage I V-8s, like this GS, offered 360 HP and 510 lb-ft torque, numbers reputed to have been grossly misquoted by the factory for insurance purposes. Contemporary car magazines touted quarter-mile times in the high 13-second range, along with a trap speed of 103 MPH. Just 8,732 two-door hardtop coupes were produced for 1970, including 3,097 with the vaunted Stage I option. Stage I-equipped Gran Sports received a special Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, single-point Delco distributor, cross-flow radiator with clutch fan, hotter hydraulic cam, increased oil pressure, stiffer valve springs, functional hood scoops with a dual-snorkel air cleaner and a 3.64 limited-slip rear. Open the hood and you were greeted by chrome valve covers and a bright red intake manifold. Like most Gran Sports, this Stage I GS is nicely equipped with an automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering and power front disc brakes, tinted glass, a vinyl top and Buick’s signature chrome sport wheels shod with Goodyear Eagle ST raised white-letter tires. Buick ads asked, “Now wouldn’t you really rather have a 1970 Buick?” If it’s one like this, it’s a safe bet the answer is a resounding yes.
