Buick
GSX Stage 1

Why it matters

The Stage 1 was the top engine option of the 1970 GSX and gave the car its reputation. It used the 455 cu in V8 with larger valves, a high-performance camshaft and freer exhaust, and carried the highest torque rating of its era.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Buick GSX Stage 1 (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
• Buick GSX Stage 1 (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The 1970 GSX offered two 455 engines: 350 hp or Stage 1 at 360 hp, both with 510 lb-ft. Sources put the Stage 1 share at about 400 of the 678 GSXs built in 1970.

In 1970 Car Craft recorded a 13.66 s quarter-mile at 100.2 mph with a GSX, and the ratings are generally described as understated.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The Stage 1 GSX shares the GSX appearance package: Saturn Yellow or Apollo White paint only, black bucket interior, hood tachometer, front and rear spoilers and Rallye ride control. Auction lots cite registration with the GSX historical society, build sheets and matching-number engines as the way to document a car.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   1970-1972 Buick GSX Level B Collector Car Market Review (VMR International) · 2005-12-01

   • about 400 equipped with the Stage-1

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Street Muscle – Rare Rides: The 1970 Buick GSX and GSX Stage 1 Level C

   • 479 Stage 1 GSXs of 678 GSXs built (280 automatic, 199 manual)

   Accessed 2026-11-11
3. 3
   Buick GSX: A Limited Edition Muscle Car (1970, 1971, & 1972) Level B Muscle Cars Illustrated · 2022-05-18

   • 455 CID V-8 Stage 1
   • 455 CID V-8 Stage 1 with 360 hp/510 lb-ft
   • Stage 1 with 360 hp/510 lb-ft of torque
   • Power front disc brakes

   Accessed 2026-11-12