Buick GS Nationals
Written by Keith Fudge

Last May, Dennis Gage and the crew from My Classic Car headed to Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 25th Annual Buick GS Nationals!  This is an absolutely fabulous location because Beech Bend Raceway and Amusement Park has been offering family entertainment since 1898.  The scenery here is fantastic and there is definitely something for everyone.  On this day, we were focused on the “Show and Go” of one of America’s most celebrated muscle cars:  the Buick GS.  After he arrived, Dennis met up with John Chamberlain, the Director of the event, who told him that the Buick GS is really one of the icons of the muscle car era.  In fact, John told us that on a 1984 list of the 50 fastest high-performance cars, the Buick GS came in at # 3!  In addition, since Buicks were known as stylish and luxurious rides, the GS offered the best of both worlds!  One thing was for sure, this event featured a track full of tire-fryin’, wheelie-poppin’ Buicks that were there for some serious business.  As soon as Dennis heard the engines revving, he was ready to go and see some of these magnificent rides!

First, Dennis found John Lasinski and his stunning 1971 455 GS Convertible!  Painted in Ferrari Testarossa Red, this drop top is one of 165 equipped with a 455.  John calls this car a “torque monster” as it makes more than 500 ft/lbs!  The car has a functional Ram Air system, and the motor is built to Stage 1 specifications.  The interior features a Rally Dash, and the console features the famous “horseshoe” shifter.  This bad boy has made the Power Tour and is built for cruisin’!  Next, Dennis ran into Mike Diamond and his 1987 Buick Grand National, a car he ordered brand new!  This bad boy is the real deal and sports some additional chrome for the show to go along with the go!  Featuring factory T-Tops and the easily recognizable “Power 6” embroidered in the seats, this is a classic example of one of the finest late model muscle cars produced. 

Speaking of 1967 (weren’t we?), Dennis found Bob Lundquist and his sweet 1967 GS convertible!  Bob is the third owner of this car and has had it for the last 30 years.  He also told Dennis that the two previous owners lived on the same street as he does.  Painted in Aquamarine, this 400 cubic-inch, 4-speed, droptop was rated at 335 horsepower from the factory.  In addition, this is one rare auto for it is one out of 422 convertibles that were equipped with a 4-speed transmission.  No doubt about it, this is one special car with a fairly unique history. 

Finally, Dennis found the Holy Grail of Buick muscle cars: a 1970 GSX Stage 1.  Owned by Brad Conley, this car was built by Buick as a display model for auto shows around the country.  While all production models of this car featured white interiors and exteriors, the paint on this beauty was custom from the factory featuring Silver and Gold Pearl colors.  The interior, created in the Buick trim shop, was finished in black, white, and orange leather.  The rear of the car features a three-piece spoiler, and there is a menacing air dam up front.  The wheels are also unique to the car and the Ram Air hood features scoops that are wider, taller, and longer than production models.  Under the hood it is all business, as you would imagine, with the Buick 455 Stage 1 motor.  Brad told Dennis that the car makes 510 ft/lbs of torque at 2,800 rpm and was factory rated at 360 horsepower.  He did go on to say, however, that on a dyno the car registered 376 horses!  In any case, this is one beast of a car!

While all of these cars may not have been what Harley Earl envisioned, nonetheless he would have been proud to have been with us at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green.  If you would like more information on the 2005 Buick GS Nationals, or if you would like to learn about this year’s event, visit them on the web at www.gsnationals.com.  That’s it from beautiful Bowling Green, Kentucky.  So until our next trip, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!"

The Buick GS Club of America  |  Buick Horsepower