Buick Gran Sport

The Buick Gran Sport or GS was a high-performance option package available on a number of Buick models, including the Riviera and Wildcat. A special version of one model was given the package’s name as its model name. The 1965 Skylark Gran Sport was the intermediate Buick. Although a V8 was already offered in the Skylark, the Gran Sport had the largest engine permitted by GM – a 400 in³ Buick V8. This engine was actually 401 in³ but called a 400 by Buick because that was the engine size limit set by General Motors. This engine produced 325 hp (242 kW) and 445 ft.lbf (603 Nm). Buick sold more than 15,000 Gran Sports that first year, and almost that many the next. It was renamed the GS 400 in 1967 and had a new 400 engine that was actually 400 in³. Sales fell somewhat in the face of hot muscle car competition, and Buick introduced the Stage 1 option for 1969. This limited (less than 1,500 cars in 1969) version produced 360 hp (253 kW) and 440 ft.lbf (597 Nm). The name Gran Sport was used again starting in the late eighties on the FWD Skylark model.