Shiny and sinister, this triple-black Buick brought the Gran Sport name to the new-for-’73 Collonade body style. The Stage 1 package made this 1973 Buick Century Gran Sport one of the baddest cars on the block. This car’s claimed original four-speed manual transmission makes it one of 92 Stage 1 cars so equipped. Only 60 Stage 1 cars came in Regal Black, according to Stage1Registry. Now this Tulsa, Oklahoma classic can be yours for $49,000 (later reduced to $43,000), below the $60k purportedly invested. Check out more pictures and details here on Craigslist. Thanks to reader Pat L. for spotting this wicked murdered-out Century.
Stage 1 cars and other GS 455s shared block, heads, pistons, and compression ratio, but larger valves, a hotter cam, carb and timing tweaks made 20 extra horses, 270 HP, and 390 lb-ft of torque compared to the GS at 250 and 360, respectively. Today a host of six and even some four-cylinder engines make that much power. I’ve driven a handful of 270-300 HP V6 cars, and the experience is usually all “where’s the beef?” until about half a second before redline. They feel decidedly ordinary in most situations compared to my sub-300 HP Fox Mustang, let alone this 7.5 liter V8’s tectonic grunt. Thanks to Stage1Registry for some details.
GM’s popular Collonade cars often partially obscure the C-pillar, but the open glass looks great on this Gran Sport. The vinyl top is almost a reverse landau top, covering only the section over the door openings.
Even the GS and Stage 1 came with a bench seat by default, with Notchback and these bucket seats optional. Minus the factory console, this ride’s aftermarket unit adds utility at the cost of slightly objectionable appearance. Air conditioning stands ready to counteract the heat-attracting properties of this all-black beauty. Surprisingly, white bucket seats outnumbered all other seating options combined among 1973 Stage 1 cars. As a big fan of ’70s GMs with the black-and-white interiors, I’d love to see that option on this ride, but only if it was original. Though offered without VIN, this Stage 1 car can be at least partially validated if the 5th character reads “V,” though deeper research would be required to confirm the VIN matches the rest of the car. Does this Collonade classic make a proper “Gran Sport?”
Shut up and take my money!
So you’re responsible for the crazy prices 😆 yeah it’s nice but about 50% too high for that style.
Right on the verge of that spot where rare plus desirable meet. There are a lot more of the 70-72 GS Stage 1s, which were the way most people remember them.
The Stage 1 performance package took a big drop from 1970, when gross ratings were like 390hp and 500 lbs/ft of torque. A bunch of that drop came from using more honest SAE net ratings for horsepower and torque, but almost as much was lost from 10.5 to 8.5 compression ratios to run on unleaded gas. Plus these Colonnade bodies weighed a bunch more than the previous versions.
Still, these boats had their advantages. Low compression engines from the 1970s worked great with boosted enhancements like turbos and nitrous. Plus, these had all the proven, heavy-duty hardware of the earlier models. They could take a lot of abuse. And if you think these Colonnade A-bodies were heavy, many serious street racers around St. Louis and Chicago, where I grew up, were running LeSabres and 225s on heavy hits of squeeze. Big ’70s boats literally twisting bodies off the line as they shot off into hyperspace.
Very pretty car. And with nearly invisible modifications, it could be a viciously fast one that nobody would ever see coming.
Thank you for this insightful and informative comment. I often enjoy well thought out and written commentaries as much as the cars themselves on BF.
now this is a badass car and it would be super fun to drive and ya don’t see this body style much at all, not sure about the $43,000. price tag personal I don’t think it’s worth that much, but I’m not buying it, nice car though!!
This car is bada$$ from one end to the other. You will NEVER have to worry about another one like it parking beside you at any car show!
Maybe way too much for this car. But talk about rare! Most of these mid-70’s Buick Regals have been recycled around 5 times already.
Couldn’t have been many better options in 73′ This is fantastic. A 2ton 4spd, 455ciStan, 3.42 geared ⚙️ stock car for the street, in black paint. 🏁👌
This has an eject button… does that mean its the Batmobile?🤣
A four-speed manual is exceptionally rare in any Colonnade. I’d venture that the cheapskate spec 3-on-the-tree had higher sales numbers, across all of the A-bodies.
This specific car presents quite nicely. I don’t think there are as many folks interested as there would be if it was a previous-generation GS, but all it takes is one buyer!
Counting this one, I’ve seen one manual trans in this body style. And I go to a lot of car shows!
There was one on ebay about 3 years ago super solid stage 1 with the original engine and 4 speed black same year same options with a rod knock but it ran and it went for little less than10k. Wonder if it’s the same car restored. This car is awesome and worth every penny as long as your gonna keep it.Not #’s means if you want to or have to sell it your’re not gonna get your $ back at this price point for this car.I love collanades and owned many.He already knocked 6k off that should tell you something.If it was a #’s car it would be sold already imo.glwts.
See some auxiliary temp/oil pressure gauges, but no Tach?????
C’mon Man!!!!!!!!
OK, easy enough to strap a Sun Tach on the Steering Column…
what are they? $49.99 at Autozone
Frank
Fair enough Frank, rather have an rpm gauge than a speedo really if you had to choose 1. Nice to know what the motor is doing 👌
The ONLY GM A-Body car that was available with a “factory” tach in’73 was the Hurst Olds; it was digital.
Not true. The Chevrolet A and Aspl had two gauge packages available. One with a tach, the other with a vacuum (fuel economy) gauge.
Purchased a ’73 Monte Carlo Landau new, it came with the factory optional Rally Cluster with an analog tachometer.
My ’73 Laguna had tach & gauges and 454 from the factory. Was no LS6 but kept up nicely.
Hmmmm.My 73 ss454 Chevelle 4 speed power bench seat PW A/C PS PB TILT and a 3:73 POSI W/ a sway bar had a factory gauge package with a factory tach. Still have pics of her.
Yes, they’re about that at Chinazone. But someone help me out here. Did these cars come with factory tachs? I’ve never seen one in a 1973-77 Buick Colonnade and I’m not sure how that’d work given there were only two pods – one was the speedo and the other housed the fuel gauge, coolant temperature gauge, and oil temp gauge – or in the case of my ’74, the fuel gauge and idiot lights.
Almost embarrassed not to know that! But if there was no factory tach option, you’re kind of stuck. You need a tach with this car.
C’mon Man! God save the queen. Amen
C’mon Man. God save the Queen.
As the former owner of a ’74 Century Luxus, I’d love to have this. Best Colonnade I’ve ever seen! Price is very high but it’s near perfect.
It wouldn’t take a lot to free up the horse power this engine is capable of. Beautiful car
Neat car. To whoever was moaning about it not having a tach…it’s on the hood.
In the words of Ralph Kramden… Humina-Humina-Humina
was gonna say; hubba, hubba!
I love the style of the colonnade bodies. The Buick may be my favorite but those frenched taillights on the Cutlass were pretty cool.
Colonnades are so ugly. And only down 100 HP from the year before! My brother wrapped a plain Jane version around a tree. It didn’t make it any uglier.
Love Colonades. I have owned four of them. Last time I saw a 73 Stage 1 stick car was in 2019 at MCACN. So rare. So beautiful and far better handing than 68 to 72 GM cars. Give me this 73 over any of them. I just love the 73 model year. Was a senior in high school and drooled over the 73 Corvette. There is a 73 silver Corvette in my garage. Driving it to Carlisle next month for 50th anniversary of the 73.
Beautiful car. What’s with the lien on the title though?
I think when you get to this price, it’s called a mortgage?
dream car!