1972 Buick GS

Description

This 1972 Buick GS 455 is a car at the true end of an era. Buick seemed to be the last holdout in the muscle car wars and the big block, high performance V8 under the hood of this pristinely restored coupe is the last stand. So buying this Buick is like owning The Alamo.

The GS 455's design perfectly blended Buick's upper class image, with performance touches that reflected the serious muscle car power it was bringing to the road. It starts with the excellent looking Crystal Blue Metallic paint. This is a color borrowed from the factory pallet, but now it benefits from modern paint practices and the luster that comes with a good clearcoat. Add to this a pristine white vinyl top, and it has a true regal appearance. The white pops with the amazing color combo. Plus, this was one of the final years before chrome bumpers had to sacrifice style for federal regulation. You see it especially in the rear, where the one-piece bumper creates an entire panel that's crafted to integrate the angular rear fenders, low trunk, and the dual exhaust. While this was mature styling at its finest, the Grand Sport lived up to the latter part of its name with aggressive features like red striping on the rocker panels, the functional hood scoops, and the iconic Buick Rallye wheels.

The interior carries this same upscale performance attitude. The white vinyl looks amazing, and it's especially nice when you realize that during a full restoration the exterior top material was chosen specifically to coordinate with the interior. The bucket seats have a nice plush feeling that reminds you of Buick's upscale comfort, and there are plenty of other premium touches throughout such as the wood paneling on the center console, door panels, and dashboard. This GS 455 came loaded, and you can tell the moment you grab the sports steering wheel with your left hand and rest your right one on the horseshoe shifter. This one has some nice subtle upgrades such as air conditioning that has been converted to R-134a for easier servicing. There's an AM/FM/CD stereo mounted in the glovebox to give you modern tunes without running the vintage interior appearance. There's also a full set of auxiliary gauges, which hints at the monster motor in the engine bay.

With such an impressive presentation so far, you won't be surprised to know that this one carries a correct 455 cubic-inch V8. Plus, it shows plenty of signs of being the original motor. Buick rated it at 255 hp, which might not seems as high as previous years, but that's just reflecting the more realistic net ratings (the '72 GS 455 had no trouble keeping up with his other brothers from the 70s.) It makes a great rumble out of the dual exhaust with performance H-pipe construction. The big block is mated to a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 three-speed automatic transmission. The stout gearbox handles a rush of power and torque with ease, but it can also happily settle into comfortable cruising whenever you want. This Buick's relaxed nature is also seen in features like power steering too. Handling is also well in control with front disc brakes, and BF Goodrich TA tires at all four corners.

This is the end of an era, but Buick went out with a loud rumble instead of a whimper. There were only about 7,700 of these final GS coupes produced, and we haven't seen one as nice as this. It's a great legacy vehicle that does not come up for grabs very often. Call today!!