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Most Wanted Classic Cars: Buick GS (Part 1)

When most of the major automobile manufacturers in the US started producing muscle cars in the 1960s, Buick decided that it needed to develop a muscle car of its own. As such, it introduced the Gran Sport (GS) as an option for the Skylark model in 1965, and this marked the beginning of one of the most impressive American muscle cars ever made.

The Buick Skylark was already a relatively powerful vehicle with its 300 cid V8 engine. The GS option brought its performance to a whole new level with a 400 cid V8, which was the biggest engine allowed by GM. This engine was also called the “nailhead” engine, and it was rated at 325 hp. Since the Skylark was not a popular model with young drivers, who were the main buyers in the muscle car market, Buick detached the GS option from the Skylark and made it a model of its own in 1967. The Buick GS 400 featured a new “400” engine, and a smaller 340 cid V8 was also available. The GS 340 was also called the GS California, and it was capable of producing 260 hp.

Sales for the Buick GS dropped because of the intense muscle car competition among the major auto manufacturers. Buick responded by introducing the GS Stage 1 option in 1969. This powerful car was rated at 340 hp, and it came with a hotter cam as well as improved compression ratio, valve springs, and transmission.