Well, a luxury muscle car sounds rather controversial, doesn’t it?

True muscle cars focused solely on going as fast as possible, as cheap as possible. Stuff the biggest engine you can find into the smallest car that can accept it and not fall apart. Then, just strap in for the ride.

This is what Pontiac did and was very successful.

But Buick sat at the opposite side in GM nomenclature. Known for making upscale family cars and personal luxury vehicles, Buick was the last carmaker you’d think would venture into the performance car market. Comfort means an increase in weight, toned-down performance, and a bump in price – all things you don’t want in your muscle car.

So, how did Buick succeed in creating one of the quickest quarter-mile sprinters of the muscle car era, while still retaining the luxury its loyal customers expected?

This is the story of the Buick Gran Sport and GSX.

1964 Buick Skylark – still your dad’s car

The Skylark name dates back to 1953, as a top-tier-trim level for the Buick Roadmaster. GM created a limited edition convertible model for each of its upscale brands, including Oldsmobile and Cadillac, to assert leadership in contemporary automotive design.

In the early sixties, Skylark was a luxury-trim level for the compact Buick Special. High interest in compact cars encouraged each of GM’s divisions to create a compact offering of their own. Pontiac had the Tempest LeMans and Oldsmobile had the F-85 Cutlass.

GM introduced the intermediate A-body platform for 1964 and the compacts received a new chassis. Chevrolet introduced the Chevelle and El Camino. The Skylark had already picked up enough popularity to warrant its own product line.

The Skylar came with a standard 198 ci cast-iron V6 engine, which produced 135 horsepower. A V8 was available with up to 190 horsepower.

However, the same year, the Pontiac GTO model offered a 389 ci big-block V8, producing 325 horsepower. And the late-year Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 had a 330 ci V8 engine with 310 horsepower.

Two decades later, the same Buick V6 engine would make history as the most powerful American performance engine of the 1980s. But if Buick was to launch a muscle car in the 60s, they needed to think of something better.

1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport – a modest start

Inspired by the A-body performance models of its sister companies, Buick launched the Skylark Gran Sport in 1965. The Gran Sport was an optional package, which allowed Buick to bypass GM’s 330 ci engine displacement limit for mid-size cars.

The engine of choice was Buick’s 401 ci Nailhead V8 engine with a 4-barrel carburetor, producing 325 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque. Heavy-duty radiator and dual exhaust were added for reliable power extraction.

To accept the powerful engine, Buick reinforced the frame on each body style, added new shocks, heavy-duty springs, thicker anti-roll bar in the front axle, and additional links in the rear to mitigate axle wrap.

The standard transmission was a three-speed manual with a four-speed manual and a Super Turbine 300 automatic optional. A standard 10-bolt rear end with an optional limited-slip differential and final drive ratios up to 3.73:1 took power to the wheels.

The 1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport offered a sedate performance – 0-60 mph around 8 seconds and mid-16s to the quarter-mile.

However, with standard vinyl bucket seats and options like air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, there was a good balance. It was the gentleman’s performance car, and at that, the Gran Sport was unsurpassed.

More than 15,000 units were sold in 1965, which proves more than anything else that the car was desirable. However, with 25,000 Cutlass 442s, 75,000 GTOs, and 88,000 SS Chevelles shipped, Buick was still the underdog.

You are reading part 1/4 of The Story of The Luxury Muscle Car. Other articles in this series are available below:

1. The Story of The Luxury Muscle Car – Buick Gran Sport
2. 1697 Buick GS400 – Getting Serious About Performance
3. 1970 Buick GS455 Stage I – Faster Than a Hemi?
4. 1970 GSX – The Buick that Made Legends