Buick Gran Sport

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Buick Gran Sport, 1970 455 Stage 1

Buick GSX, 1970 455

The Buick Gran Sport or GS was a high-performance option package available on a number of Buick models, including the Riviera and Wildcat. A special version of one model was given the package's name as its model name.

1 Skylark Gran Sport
2 Gran Sport 340/350
3 Gran Sport 455
4 GSX
5 Riviera GS
6 Wildcat GS
7 Century Gran Sport
8 Regal GS / Regal Gran Sport
9 External links

[edit] Skylark Gran Sport

The 1965 Skylark Gran Sport was the intermediate Buick. Although a V8 was already offered in the Skylark, the Gran Sport had the largest engine permitted by GM - a 400 in³ Buick V8. This engine was actually 401 in³ but called a "400" by Buick because that was the engine size limit set by General Motors. This engine produced 325 hp (242 kW) and 445 ft.lbf (603 Nm). Buick sold more than 15,000 Gran Sports that first year, and almost that many the next. It was renamed the GS 400 in 1967 and had a new "400" engine that was actually 400 in³. Sales fell somewhat in the face of hot muscle car competition, and Buick introduced the Stage 1 option for 1969. This limited (less than 1,500 cars) version produced 360 hp (253 kW) and 440 ft.lbf (597 Nm). The name Gran Sport was used again starting in the late eighties on the FWD Skylark model.

[edit] Gran Sport 340/350

A 340 in³ version, the Gran Sport 340, was added for 1967. It produced 260 hp (193 kW) and 365 ft.lbf (495 Nm), and less than 4,000 were sold. It was replaced the next year with the Gran Sport 350, and similar Gran Sport California, which used Buick's 350 in³ small-block engine. Sales of the little-brother Gran Sport doubled, and were up to almost 10,000 for 1970. The Gran Sport 350 outlived its big brothers, lasting until Gran Sport production stopped in 1975.

A baby brother Gran Sport 231 was produced in 1975.

[edit] Gran Sport 455

The 400 was replaced for 1970 with the 455 in³ Buick V8, used in both the GS 455 and GS stage1. The base model monster V8 produced 350 hp (260 kW) and 365 ft.lbf (495 Nm). In the optional Stage1 trim it produced an underrated 360 hp (193 kW) and a stump pulling 510 ft.lbf (691 Nm) at a low 2800 RPMs. The real number was more accurately 415hp to 425hp due to the larger valves and stronger cam. The lower (false) horsepower numbers were used to get by General Motors Corporation imposed restrictions and Insurance Company concerns over increasingly powerful engines in affordable mid-size passenger cars, affectionately known as Muscle Cars. The Stage1 option, when paired with an automatic, included a firmer shifting Turbohydromatic 400.

Output and sales were down after 1970 largely due to reduced engine compression ratios and a change from gross to net horsepower ratings. Air quality regulations further limited the power in part due to the addition of catalytic converters and single exhaust pipes.

[edit] GSX

GSX / GSX Stage1 was the optional high performance package available on the GS 455 starting in 1970. It was only available with the standard big block 455 engine or the optional Stage1 engine the first year. It was not a very popular model and only 678 GSX'S were produced in 1970, of those 400 were ordered with the Stage1 option. GSX performance was equal to that of the 'Hemi' 'Cuda with a much more luxurious car. This was partly due to the light weight build of the 455 which weighed roughly 150 lbs less than the Chevrolet 454. A GSX could and did run 13's in the 1/4 mile on factory bias ply tires!

Available in only two colors, Saturn Yellow and Apollo White, all GSX's had the distinctive full body length black stripe that crossed over the rear spoiler and was outlined in red pin stripes. A large area of the hood was also black with a hood mounted tachometer (Buick engineers disliked the hood tachometer because it was a Pontiac part.) and black front spoiler. Also standard equipment were black bucket seats, floor shifter, wide oval tires, quick ratio steering and anti-sway bars. Some other options were automatic transmission or four speed manual.

After 1970, the GSX became an option that was available on any Gran Sport. Many GSX's 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 60's, 70's and 80's Buick performance models.

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.

[edit] Riviera GS

The Riviera GS was a high-performance version of the Buick Riviera, produced from 1965 through 1975.

In 1965, it was called Riviera GranSport and the later models were still officially called Gran Sport but showed GS badges instead of GranSport. Unlike the mid-size GS models, the Riviera and Wildcat GS package included a standard 3.42 positraction rear axle until 1973.

[edit] Wildcat GS

Another GS option package was available on the Buick Wildcat for 1966 only. This option gave the purchaser a pair of Carter AFB four barrel carburators, and finned aluminum valve covers on the 425 nail head engine. This was a one year only option.

[edit] Century Gran Sport

In 1973-75 and in 1986, there was a Century Gran Sport.

[edit] Regal GS / Regal Gran Sport

From 1988 to 2006, there was a Gran Sport version of the Regal. The 1988 body style was available with the 3.8L Series I V6 producing 170 Hp. The 2006 body style featured a 3.8L Series II supercharged V6 with 240 Horsepower.