In the 1960s and 1970s, General Motors was all over the muscle car movement. Chevrolet had the Chevelle Super Sport, Pontiac had the GTO, and Oldsmobile had the 4-4-2. Over at Buick, beginning in 1965, there was the Gran Sport. Though times changed in the early 1970s and muscle cars weren’t what they used to be, Buick still peddled the Gran Sport. This 1974 edition is the most potent with Stage 1 hardware. Located in Sykesville, Maryland, this near survivor is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $20,000. This tip is brought to us by Barn Finder “L.”
Rising insurance rates and growing emissions controls caused muscle cars to fall out of favor in the 1970s. But the Gran Sport soldiered on in 1973-74 with the new Colonnade platform. The GS was now based on the Century 2-door hardtop (previously it was the Skylark, which had been repositioned). The GS option included exterior identification and upgrades to the suspension. While the entry point was a 350 cubic inch V8, the Stage 1 editions employed a 455 with a 4-barrel carburetor, which was now rated at 270 hp SAE net.
In 1974, Gran Sport production was just 3,355 units, of which only 478 were Stage 1s, making the seller’s car a rare find after 51 years. This vehicle has an automatic transmission, which should be the TH-400 used by GM. The indicated mileage is 84,000, which suggests the car was not spared use but has also spent a lot of time in the garage. The seller’s photographs could be better, but we’re told the car is rust-free and has only been repainted once.
The bronze paint looks exceptional, and we assume the interior is okay, but more photos would be here. We’re told this Buick originated in South Carolina and found its way to Maryland, though we don’t know when. If you’re looking for a Gran Sport, this car would be one of the hardest to find, and its condition tells us it’s turnkey.
The big-block Colonnades are awesome. 👍 🏁
The 73 Chevelle SS 454 I had in the fall of 1980 was an awesome car, I paid 550 for it out of a trailer park in the southeastern part of St. Joe. That thing would spin the Radial TA’s at 60 miles an hour by flooring it. Way too much power for a teenager with a drinking problem. It scared me so badly one night that I quit drinking for a couple of weeks. That car had some work done to it before I got it. I sold it for 500 the next spring, only kept it for 5 months or so. That one was the only car that I sold, the rest I destroyed before I finally wised up in 1988. Cars started lasting a lot longer after that
This would be fun to have if you were to tell your grandmother to call up one of those collector car dealers. Have her say she had her late husbands old Buick in the garage and wanted to sell it. Um I don’t know the fender says GS 455. They would be laying black marks on the road getting there. Then see it and jaw drop lol. When people hear the words Stage 1 followed by 455 everyone assumes 70 to 72. The Colonnade style has not worn very well. By the late 70s were eaten up with rust in my area and usually wearing a wooden rear bumper. Nice car but too much brown for me
Milk-chocolate brown was common in the 70s for some strange reason. I remember seeing it mostly on Fords and Mopars, just as much as you saw green on the same models in those days.
I had a 1977 Lamborghini Countach in Lambo factory “Ford brown”. Cream interior helped offset the bland brown but it still looked turdish.
This Buick looks good.
There was a silver one back in my town in 1978. It was owned by a high school boy’s Mother. She let him drive it to school, on the very last day. I only ever saw it the one time. Very elusive.
Ah! A Buick Unicorn! They do exist!
I work at a new car dealer. All $20,000 gets you today is one of our POS Kias that have been hammered, smoked in, wrecked and fixed by Helen Keller. This is a beauty, when Buick actually made cars.
“fixed by Helen Keller” cracked me up! Lol!
True but as you know working at a car dealership your credit score dictates if you are buying or walking. Also banks won’t loan money on an older car.
In talking about cars not SUVs or trucks that you are selling generally get over 30 mpg. Are more reliable. Have both heat and A/C. Are considerably safer in an accident. Parts are easier to find in the used market or after. Some cars in this decade has more HP than the Buick with much smaller displacement.
Offer the Buick above to a 20 year old someone or a used Civic SI see what they will take. It will be so clear that Hellen Keller and Ray Charles could see.
Got to go to the right bank. Lightstream would loan you the money as long as your credit is good. Did on my car
Cornering lights! It is a Buick after all…
Love. It. All. Day. Long.
270 SAE Net is still ~340-350 gross. Take that into account.
$20K is a good deal for this car.
Missed my chance at a 1974 Stage 1 back in 1990. Owner wanted $500 so he could take the bus back to Vancouver Washington and still have some money in his pocket. Said he didn’t really need the car out there.
One of many missed opportunities at what the time were “second level” muscle cars.
What’s not to like? Colonnade Buick with a stage 1 option and some good option like A/C. All for 20 Gs. ( And, that other guy wants 13 Grand for a rusty Nova)
neat Buick and extremely rare too. gotta love that 455. i would lose those mags though and go with factory road wheels with same size tires all the way around
There was one of these RARE 74 Stage1 GSs that sat behind a Simplicity Lawn mower shop close to where I live. Brown like this, but had a white Landau roof.
Automatic trans, White and black combination interior.
Tried to buy many times….NOT FOR SALE!! Going to restore it someday BS.
Sat for a while after that…years. Then it disappeared.
I have nothing but love for the Collonade cars. Despite shared roofline these cars were all distinctive. Big cube engines were fading fast and power along with. Catylic converters would show up the next year. According the the brochures I could find, a ’74 GS could be had as a 350 or 455 with 2bbl carburetion in 49 states or 4bbl, including the Stage-1 in all 50. Hydramatic was the only transmission choice, 350 or 400 with the 455s. Interestingly the Canadian brochure lists the Stage-1 at 255 hp and available in all vehicles except Appolo. It would be interesting to know if any Electra, LeSabre, or Riviera leaked out of the factory with one of those. I could not find what Buick called this color but it appears to be the same as Golden Brown metallic on the Chevrolet chart.
Good looking car from back in the day…….and one you don’t see too often now…price is most likely a ask – would be a buy at a little less.
Nice clean Buick here but I prefer factory Mag rims.
C’mon guys, Keystones are classy on anything, much better than Cragars! If I had to choose early Seventies GMs, Laguna S-3 for looks, but for the engine, go for the Stage 1.