There is no denying that 1970 was a huge year for Detroit and for the muscle cars to come out of the Motor City. This was exhibited by all of the major car companies and consumers had never before seen some of the power and speed that was now being touted in the cars that rode on the streets.

One company in particular that garnered headlines in 1970 was General Motors.  The car company removed the 400-cid limit on all of its intermediate cars in 1970 and this paved the way for Buick to develop the Gran Sport.  This car was based on its former intermediate offering in the Skylark, but the Gran Sport got a fresh makeover in body styling.  The company added two inches of body length while keeping the wheelbase the same.

In addition, Buick made some internal changes on the engine offering and the GS 455 V-8 replaced the 400-cid V-8.

Buick also ramped up the attraction on the Gran Sport by offering a variety of additional colors and customizable racing stripes and spoilers.  These features solidified the idea that the Gran Sport was a true muscle car and Motor Trend magazine christened this car “the quickest American production car we have ever tested.”

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