The forgotten 1970s muscle car that outgunned supercars is still affordable

Think 1970s GM muscle cars. Your mind probably went to the fake Chevelle SS 454 LS6, or maybe the Pontiac GTO Judge that collectors fight over. Great options, but there is one GM muscle car from the 1970 model year that barely gets a mention these days, even though it was powerful and fast enough to drive, and in some period tests, one of the fastest muscle cars of the era. This muscle car doesn’t need a crazy appearance package or other wild styling elements to show that it’s the baddest GM muscle car of the day. Instead, it maintained a relatively low-key appearance and let the doom-bringer of its engine do all the talking.

Its big torque and big-block punch earned it a serious reputation in period road tests, but for some odd reason, it didn’t get the recognition it deserved, and as a result, was priced fairly low compared to its rivals. So, without further ado, meet the 1970 Buick GS455.

1970 Buick GS 455: GM’s worst muscle car that nobody remembers

As GM’s “semi-luxury” brand, Buick wasn’t known for offering performance-oriented models, but after Pontiac built the GTO in 1964 and started the muscle car craze, they couldn’t resist the urge to join the horsepower wars. So, a year after the GTO debuted, Buick introduced the Gran Sport (GS), a high-performance version of the mid-size A-body Skylark.

The Skylark GS was sold only as a two-door hardtop coupe, pillar coupe, or convertible, and was equipped with the legendary 401 cubic-inch “Nailhead” V8. The move not only marked a major change in Buick’s modus operandi, but also went against the ill-advised GM engine ban, which prevented its brands from installing engines larger than 400 cubic inches in midsize cars. The GS’s engine was officially listed as 400 cubic inches, though.

The GS was a smash hit, and for the 1968 model year, Buick promoted it as a separate model based on the chassis and body of the two-door Skylark. The 1968 GS 400 also received an updated design that made it one of the best-looking muscle cars of the day. Buick also phased out the old Nailhead V8 from 1967, replacing it with a new 400 cubic-inch V8 that made a respectable 340 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque, but was often outgunned on paper by the most extreme big-block Fords and Hemi-Powers of the day. Even within the GM family, the GS was often rated below some of its GM siblings in peak horsepower, and that didn’t sit well with Buick engineers, with a high level of internal competition between GM brands.

Then came the 1970s and everything changed. 1970 was a big year for the GS, but even more consequential for GM as a company. The top brass finally came to their senses and removed the engine ban, which was like removing a Predator that for years sat and watched helplessly as cross-town rivals dominated the muscle car market with their unlimited big-blocks. Buick engineers were ready to run wild, and they dropped a 455 cubic-inch V8 into the GS, creating the 1970 GS 455.

The torquey GS 455 was Buick’s contribution to the muscle car golden age

The “Golden Age” of muscle cars, which lasted from the mid-1960s to the early ’70s, produced some of the most iconic muscle cars. While GM had some competitors, including models like the 1969 Hearst/Olds that found a way around the ban, it largely missed out because the restrictions prevented its midsize models from achieving their full potential. Thankfully, they lifted the ban in the 1970s and everyone left.

GM divisions in this era relied largely on their own engine families, with Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile all installing various versions of the 455 cubic-inch V8s in their A-body cars, but Buick’s implementation created a brutal monster that made the others look bossy. The GS 455’s behemoth of an engine made 350 hp at 4,600 rpm and an insane 510 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm. In that era, manufacturers sometimes quoted conservative power figures, so period testers and later builders have often argued that the product was conservative. The Buick’s engine also featured a thin-wall casting block, which made it lighter than its rivals, further improving its power-to-weight ratio—it was about 150 pounds lighter than the Chevy 454.

While the 350-hp figure was easy to brush off, with many rivals already surpassing the 400-hp mark, the car’s 510 lb-ft of torque was hard to beat, especially since it was achieved at just 2,800 rpm. The GS 455 is often nicknamed the “Torque King” because of this huge torque figure and the sheer speed with which it is delivered. It was often cited as the torque benchmark for American performance cars of its era; Later performance cars like the 2003 Viper (525 lb-ft) surpassed it.

The Stage 1 package took it up a notch

For those wanting more oomph, Buick offered the “Stage 1” package, which was introduced in the 1969 model year. On the 1970 GS 455, a $199 Stage 1 package boosted horsepower to a still-underrated 360 hp thanks to high-flow engine cylinder heads, a hot cam, and a specially tuned Quadrajet four-barrel carb. The cooling system and suspension system also received some upgrades, resulting in the car covering the quarter mile in 13.38 seconds at over 105 mph. motor instinct Magazine.

While these figures put the 1970 GS 455 Phase 1 in the same conversation as rivals like the 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 and Pontiac GTO Judge (Ram Air IV), the GS 455 remains a forgotten relic of the past while Chevy and Pontiac continue to bask in the limelight today. One of the reasons behind this is the GS 455’s image as a “gentleman’s muscle car” because despite having so much power under the hood, it still catered to Buick’s traditional luxury-oriented buyers and featured high-end features such as plus bucket seats, woodgrain trim, center console, deluxe and comfortable steering, and a relatively light steering wheel.

The 1970 GS 455 is a rare sight

The GS 455 checked all the boxes with muscle car purists and seemed poised to dominate the rest of the ’70s, but sadly, its reign was short-lived, with strict emissions restrictions forcing Buick to drop its power output in 1971 to 315 hp and 450 lb-ft and 450 lb-ft for the standard G5 and 4S. 460 lb-ft for the Stage-1-equipped version. If the GS 455 was the GM swan song for the muscle car era, 1970 is when it hit its highest notes.

Buick produced 9,470 non-GSX GS 455 models in 1970, of which 2,697 were equipped with the Stage 1 package. It’s not a car you’re likely to run in the wild very often. Convertibles are much rarer than coupes, accounting for a total of 1,184 GS 455s, only 232 of them equipped with the Stage 1 package. More than a unicorn is the GSX package, the number of which we didn’t include in the 9,470 figure, but more on that soon.

The GSX was even weaker and rarer

With the muscle car wars in full swing in the 1970s, Buick planned to build a high-performance, limited-production halo car that could face off against industry giants such as the Chevy SS and Pontiac GTO. At the same time, Buick wanted something to drive more showroom traffic to the redesigned 1970 A-body, so they decided to build a special edition of the GS 455 – the GSX.

Not everyone wants a “gentleman’s muscle car,” and Buick knew that. Some gearheads wanted to announce their performance intentions while parked, and that’s exactly what the GSX offered. The hardtop-only GSX package was priced at $1,195 on top of the GS 455’s $3,283 price tag, and for that, gearheads got an exclusive option of either Saturn Yellow or Apollo White paint color, distinctive black stripes, front and rear spoilers, and a functional hood-mounted tachometer. On the performance side, the GSX package mandates heavy-duty suspension, stiffer shocks and springs, and power front disc brakes; Quick-ratio power steering was optional. Like the GS 455, the GSX also had a Stage 1 option that took things up a notch. According to most sources, Buick produced only 678 GSXs in 1970, 400 of which were equipped with the Stage 1 package.

Unlike the 1970 GS 455, the GSX received more respect in automotive circles, although it was an appearance package with the same level of performance as the more introverted GS 455. Sure, it has something to do with its rarity, but the common GS 455 surely deserves more respect, right?

The 1970 GS 455 is an attainable collector muscle car today

The 1970 GS 455 is a beautiful golden era muscle car with an engine, real performance credentials, and relatively low production numbers, especially in Phase 1 form. This kind of recipe usually pushes prices to levels that few maintenance folks can afford, but for some reason, the 1970 GS 455 is surprisingly attainable. According to the Hagerty Appraisal Tool, a 1970 GS 455 Sports Coupe #3 in good condition is valued at $29,800, and Classic.com shows current sales as low as $38,000 on November 7, 2025. The Phase 1 package commands the Hagerty 19550 to Premium and GS 1950. #3 coupe in good condition for $50,300, Classic.com shows sales for under $51,000 on November 11, 2025. Convertibles can fetch a lot more, especially 232 units with the Stage 1 package.

While these prices may not qualify as ‘cheap’, they are well below the GSX, which sold for $154,000 as standard at Mecum Indy on May 16, 2025, and $236,500 for a Stage 1 example at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale on January 24, 2025. 454 prices, which sold for $440,000 on January 24, 2026 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale.

The 1970 GS 455 may not attract as many oohs and aahs as many of its era’s flashiest and most famous rivals, but its prices keep it within reach, even though it’s equipped to offer better performance-per-dollar than its more famous contemporaries. In all of the automotive world, we call this a no-brainer.