LE BARON
Power User
In 1970, pulling up to the country club in a loud, brightly colored Pontiac GTO was considered bad form. If you had serious money and still wanted to lay down black rubber at a stoplight, you ordered a Buick Riviera Gran Sport.
This specific year was a unique, one year only design for the Riviera. Buick stripped away the hidden headlights from previous years and added sweeping rear fender skirts. It looked like a heavy, formal luxury vault. But that tailored sheet metal was actively hiding a street brawler.
Checking the GS option box got you a heavily upgraded suspension and a brand new 455 cubic inch V8. While it made a highly respectable 370 horsepower, the real story was the torque. It produced a tectonic 510 pound feet of torque.
You could comfortably seat five adults in a completely silent, air conditioned cabin surrounded by premium vinyl, while simultaneously outrunning dedicated sports cars. It was the ultimate velvet hammer
This specific year was a unique, one year only design for the Riviera. Buick stripped away the hidden headlights from previous years and added sweeping rear fender skirts. It looked like a heavy, formal luxury vault. But that tailored sheet metal was actively hiding a street brawler.
Checking the GS option box got you a heavily upgraded suspension and a brand new 455 cubic inch V8. While it made a highly respectable 370 horsepower, the real story was the torque. It produced a tectonic 510 pound feet of torque.
You could comfortably seat five adults in a completely silent, air conditioned cabin surrounded by premium vinyl, while simultaneously outrunning dedicated sports cars. It was the ultimate velvet hammer