FUTURE CLASSICS : 1970 BUICK GSX & GSX STAGE 1

 

 

 

If you take a look back in time, at the classic Muscle Car Era, there is a plethora of famous players that you are familiar with. Unfortunately, if  you center your attention on the big names of the time, Mustang, Chevelle and Camaro, you will miss your chance to savor a section or Muscle Car history that is worthy of more than a second look.

 

 One of these brutes is the 1970 Buick GSX and the GSX Stage 1. A Muscle Car in it's own right, the  '70 GSX and GSX stage 1 were looked over because it was created by a division of GM that you  normally wouldn't associate Muscle Cars with.
 

All That Muscle 

 

 

 

  The GSX &  GSX Stage 1 were constructed off of the Buick GS (Gran Sport) platform.While making it's debut in 1970, the GSX  was an upgrade from the GS 455, which also made it debut in 1970.

Marketed as the high-performance GS package, the GSX had it's own cornucopia of performance options. The GSX performance upgrade was only available on the GS 455s,

 To attract more showroom traffic for Buick dealerships, the GSX  went on to compete against the likes of the Olds 4-4-2 W-30 cars and the GTO Judge from Pontiac.

 

 

Performance In the Flesh

 

 

 

GSX and Stage 1 cars were designed for high performance, in the mean time they didn’t fall flat in the aesthetics department.  For just over $1,000 on top of the GS 455 price, customers got an exclusive GSX ornamentation package, including a distinct black full-length body stripe, rear spoiler, blacked out hood, hood tachometer, a black front spoiler and GSX badging, plus the addition of sport mirrors to the GSX package
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 The GSX/Stage 1 cars came standard with black bucket seats and a floor shifter, they were only offered in Saturn Yellow and Apollo White in 1970.
 

  The  paint options and interior options changed for the 1971 and 1972 models.
 

 

From Rags to Rarity

 The GSX was not very popular. In fact, only 678 GSXs were built with just 278 equipped with the standard 455ci engine and the other 400 equipped with the Stage 1 engine.
                                           
In 1970, the car was built as a direct competitor for 4-4-2s and Chevelle LS-6s as well as to bring  more consumers to Buick.
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 491 GSXs were produced in Saturn Yellow and 187 in Apollo White. Of the 678 total, only 199 cars were produced with four-speed manual transmissions while the other 479 were produced with the optional automatic transmission, according to official Buick documentation,
 

It is the 1970 GSX models that are the most highly sought after today. Ironically enough, although even fewer GSX cars were built in 1971, with only 124 built, and 1972, with only 44 built.
 

Not only are they rare and mighty neat looking, they’re also equipped with one of the highest torque producing engines ever put in a mass produced muscle car still to this day. What other late 1960s and early 1970s cars can claim all that?  

The 1970 Buick GSX and GSX Stage 1 cars have to be by far one of the coolest Buicks out there.