Written by independent automotive journalist Tom Jensen

This stunning, historic example of GM muscle – a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 (Lot #730) – will sell at No Reserve during the 2018 Las Vegas Auction.

In 1970, if you wanted a General Motors muscle car that combined performance and luxury, the clear choice was Buick. The Buick division was just one step down from Cadillac in terms of luxury and prestige in the GM hierarchy but, unlike Cadillac, Buick offered true pavement-melting acceleration in its lineup.

And at the upcoming 11th Annual Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Sept. 27-29, one lucky bidder will go home with one of the finest Buick muscle cars ever built ‒ Lot #730, a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 that has won numerous national awards and accolades for its flawless restoration and presentation.

This gorgeous and historic example of GM muscle will sell at No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson: The high bid will take it home, no matter what the final hammer price turns out to be.

But first, a little history: 1970 was a big year for General Motors because it marked the first time the automaker lifted the engine-size limit of 400ci on its intermediate-sized cars. For Buick, that meant installing a monstrously strong 455ci engine in the Stage I GSX.

The optional Stage I package, a bargain at just $199, came with a beefed-up engine conservatively rated at 360 horsepower, though many reviewers of the day believed the real output was closer to 400 or 450 horsepower.

The Stage I package featured a bevy of performance upgrades, including unique cylinder heads with bigger valves, stronger valve springs and revised carburetor jetting, as well as a GM posi-traction rear end and a choice of heavy-duty transmissions.

The top-of-the-line Buick muscle car for 1970 was the Buick GSX Stage 1, which cost $1,196 extra and came in just two colors: Saturn Yellow and Apollo White, each with custom stripes and spoilers unique to the model. Other features included a hood-mounted tachometer, front disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension and Goodyear Polyglas G60x15 tires on 7-inch chrome Rally wheels.

How potent were these Buicks? Well, in 1970 Motor Trend proclaimed the Buick GSX Stage 1 “the quickest American production car we had ever tested,” after their test Buick blasted through the quarter mile in just 13.38 seconds at 105.5 miles per hour.

These cars were wicked fast and they were rare, too. Just 678 of the brawny Buick GSX Stage 1 models were produced in 1970, and Lot #730 is the 543rd of those 678 to roll off the assembly line, according to the SX Historic Society.

This car was given a detailed nut-and-bolt rotisserie restoration in 2010, the quality of which allowed it to win Concours Gold Awards at both the Buick Performance Group Nationals and the GS Nationals, among its myriad national and regional show awards.

Not only is this car gorgeous, it is highly original, with all of the same sheet metal it left the factory with. Laser-straight, the body received the correct code Saturn Yellow paint topped with clear coat for a lustrous shine.

The original Buick Stage I engine was completely rebuilt and delivers its power through an original GM Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission, one of the most durable ever, and the original posi-traction 3:42 rear end.

The underside of the car is perfect, too, led by a media-blasted and powder-coated frame with all tags intact and in their respective correct locations.

The interior features hand-worked original seats with correct new black vinyl trim, carpet, L19 gauges, Rally clock, hood tachometer and X2 Rally steering wheel. The factory-installed J3 seatbelts, Sonomatic radio with factory speaker system and dashboard are all correct, and the door panels have been reworked. It rides on a set of 15-inch wide oval tires wrapped around the original G60 15” chrome Rally wheels.

Upon completion of its restoration, this beautifully restored 1970 Buick was displayed and admired at the Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan, which is home to some of the most important and historic Buicks ever made.

This 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 has everything a collector could want in a high-grade American muscle car: It’s a flawless restoration of a great car, combining originality, rarity, desirability, documentation and many awards. And someone will take it home at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas.

For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE. For a look at the entire docket for the 2018 Las Vegas Auction, click HERE.