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Buy this Ford vs Ferrari GT40 Movie CarClassic Car Review: Buick GSX
The Buick GSX stands out as one of the brand’s greatest achievements and as proof that muscle cars didn’t have to be bare-bones.
The Buick GSX: A Classic 70’s American Muscle Car
1970 Buick GSX – Two Guys and a Ride on youtube.com | Shop Buick GSX on Carsforsale.com
At the height of the muscle car era, Buick was like the one kid on the playground that just wasn’t quick enough to keep up with their classmates. Sure, it had built lots of cool cars like the Riviera and the Electra but neither could keep up with rivals. Then for three short years between 1970 and 1972, Buick managed to build a car that is still regarded as one of the best muscle cars ever made. The GSX is very rare, very powerful, and continues to be one of the most desired of its kind.
Where The GSX Came From
Buick has always sat in a strange position within General Motors. It wasn’t as brash or sporty as Chevrolet or Pontiac but also couldn’t be an uber-luxury brand like Cadillac. That forced Buick engineers and designers to tiptoe a fine line between its siblings. In 1965 when the Skylark GS was introduced, things started to change for the brand.
This new Buick made 325-horsepower and could make as much as 340 when equipped with a Quadrajet carburetor. That kind of power still wasn’t enough to make the Skylark GS a big-time competitor with other muscle cars but it did make people take notice. Over the next few years, the GS continued to improve and by 1969 it was available in a special GS 400 trim. Buick claimed that it made 350-horsepower but many believe it was closer to 400.
That trend continued in 1970 as Buick released the GSX, an even more extreme version of the GS with so much performance capability that it set records and put a scare into every other muscle car nameplate of the time.
The Buick GSX Had More Torque Than Any Other Muscle Car
In 2003 the Dodge Viper arrived on the scene with 525 lb-ft of torque. Until that year, the 1970 Buick GSX held the crown for having more torque than any other stock American production vehicle bar none. At 510 ft-lbs, the GSX was an absolute brute and could rocket from 0-60 in as little as 5.8-seconds and onto a quarter-mile time of 13.4-seconds. That’s fast right now folks so imagine what it must have felt like half a century ago.
Buick sold the GSX with an upgraded suspension, better cooling, improved brakes, and heavy-duty anti-roll bars. It was fast everywhere. It completely upended any balance in the force at General Motors much less the rest of the muscle car market and directly led to rivals pushing the boundaries in their offerings.
Unlike many of its rivals, the GSX wasn’t just about horsepower, torque, and going fast in a straight line. It was luxurious too. Every unit was equipped with black vinyl upholstery and buyers could get power-adjustable bucket seats, power windows, power door locks, cruise control, tinted glass, and even a speed alert feature to keep you from ending up in triple digits unexpectedly.
That balance makes the GSX one of the most desirable muscle cars even today. Sadly, very few were ever made. In 1970, just 678 examples came off of the production line. Every one of them was painted in either Saturn Yellow or Apollo White and only 199 of that bunch came with a four-speed manual transmission. A year later, production dropped to 124 units and finally, in 1972, only 44 Buick GSXs were built. For no specific reason, the 1970 year model is considered the most desirable but if you’re in the market for one of these classics there’s something you should know.
It’s Hard To Tell A Real GSX From A Clone
Buick didn’t differentiate the GSX with its own special set of VIN numbers or build plates. Because of that, confirming that a GSX is indeed an original GSX and not a clone or tribute car can be very difficult since high-quality reproduction parts are widely available. Thankfully, there are a few key features that one can look for to determine what’s what.
First, remember that every GSX had a black interior. If it’s any other color, it wasn’t an original GSX or the interior isn’t original. It also had a special padded steering wheel. Beyond that, it can be more difficult to spot the differences. The original spoiler found on the GSX was very heavy and the standard torsion spring found on the regular Skylark wasn’t strong enough to hold it up. To that end, real GSXs have a much thicker one. Finally, the rear differential housing has one more dead giveaway. Look closely at the area where the pumpkin meets up with the axle housings. Real GSX models have webbing cast into that area, clones do not.
Will We See A Spiritual Successor To The Buick GSX?
1970 Buick GSX – Karl Kustoms on youtube.com | Shop Buick GSX on Carsforsale.com
The GSX clearly stood out because it had all the same luxury as any other Buick of the day but also had world-beating power to back it up. That’s a formula that Buick seems to figure out only every once in a while. More than a decade after the GSX had left production and faded from the minds of many, Buick built another shockingly good car called the Regal GNX. You might have heard it called the Grand National. It shared the same sort of blend of power and comfort.
Today, we’re still waiting to see if Buick will ever reach the same heights. No Buick offering has had the same impact or widespread praise since the GNX left production but there’s still hope. Buick has often released sporty concepts that could signal that the performance-obsessed people within the brand are still looking for the right opportunity to build something cool. Perhaps with the transition to all-electric vehicles, Buick will find a way to catch lightning in a bottle again. We just hope they’ll call it GSX when they do.
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