During the final third of the twentieth century, American muscle cars were on a steady rise as the likes of Chevrolet, Ford, and other companies found themselves fiercely competing as they all sought to release the most capable powerhouse muscle car of all.
These cars had a few boxes to tick if they wanted to fit into the 'Muscle' category, and they had to do it right in order to compete with the best. The most important aspect was acceleration; muscle cars weren't any good if they couldn't put up good 1/4 mile drag times, so straight-line boost was an absolute must.
In 1970, Buick, of all companies, emerged with a vehicle fit to leave its rivals in its mirrors thanks to its staggering numbers both on paper and on the drag strip. Named the Skylark GSX Stage 1, Buick's new vehicle was a certified beast; let's take a look at some of its best features.
The Skylark GSX Stage 1's Design Is Stunning
In terms of exterior styling, as far as muscle cars went, the '70 GSX Stage 1 was a truly gorgeous piece of Buick machinery. Up front, it featured a double-circle headlight setup, a split double grill, and even double hood scoops to help cool off the vehicle's monstrous engine we'll get into further on.
In the rear, the Stage 1 GSX was even more beautiful and special, fitted with a sloping trunk lid and a gorgeous wing that fit together like peanut butter and jelly. Even though it was relatively small, what made the wing so special were its end plates, which nearly touched the vehicle's rear quarter-panel to the point where the whole thing almost looked like a single piece.
Lastly, in the design department, we would be wrong not to mention the black decals on the GSX's flank. Ending as pointed lines above the front fenders, they extend all the way to the rear, and seamlessly up and around the wing, giving it a simple yet beautiful and impossible to miss design cue.
Engine Specification: The Buick GSX Stage 1 Has The Heart Of A God
Buick offered that same upgraded 455 (the Stage 1) as an option for the GSX as it did for the standard GS 455. The Stage 1 version had an upgraded camshaft, higher compression, and a fully tuned four-barrel quadrajet carburetor. Oddly, the Stage 1 had a rated horsepower of 360, only 10 more than the base 455. However it should be noted that many testers claimed the actual number was well over 400.
Torque-wise, the 1970 GSX Stage 1 was the king of all muscle cars, offering a whopping 510 pound-feet of torque. This was more torque than any other GM car at the time, aside from the heavy, low-performance full-size Cadillacs.
The Best Feature Of The Buick Skylark GSX Stage 1
Without a shadow of a doubt, the GSX Stage 1's best feature was its mind-blowing acceleration, especially considering the era. We already mentioned engine numbers, so let's see how those translated to the drag strip when they were channeled through the vehicle's 4-speed manual transmission.
In actual testing, the GSX Stage 1 sprinted 0-60 miles per hour in an incredibly fast 5.1 seconds, and ran the quarter mile in 13.38 seconds at a speed of 105.5 miles an hour. After testing and seeing those numbers, Motortrend declared it as the quickest American production car they had ever tested.
In a time when countless muscle cars were being released in the form of Ford Mustangs, Pontiac GTOs, Chevelle SSs and many more, the Buick GSX Stage 1 emerged from completely out of the blue to take the American muscle segment by surprise with dazzling looks and unrivaled performance numbers. It is undoubtedly one of the most impressive muscle cars of all time, and we should all be glad GM and Buick took a chance on it.