It was inevitable that I would end up owning a Buick. After all, my dad was a mechanic for Sheehan Buick in Miami during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Dad would bring home the new model year brochures every year, and I always looked forward to going through them, looking at options, colors, and, of course, the muscle car offerings of the late 1960s and early 1970s. When it came time for me to drive, I thought for sure I’d get a nice used GS 455 or, at the very least, a GS 350. No go. Dad knew I liked to go fast and instead found a deal on a 1977 Buick Regal that I eventually drove throughout my college years.
I kept my muscle car dream alive for the next 20 years by owning and selling various classics, but didn’t realize my roots until the late 1990s, when I purchased a 1970 Buick GS 455. The car was an original beauty that I swore I would keep forever. That was until a 1970 Buick GSX crossed my path. The GSX required a complete restoration, and the only way I could make it work financially was to sell the GS 455. With approval from the one who matters most and has allowed me to pursue my muscle car addiction for all our married years, the GSX came home, and the GS 455 was sold to fund the restoration. Four years and a concours restoration later, I sold the GSX to a collector because I realized I wasn’t happy without a car that I could drive whenever I wanted. The GS 455 I allowed to get away was my comfort zone.
The itch never went away, so after a number of years and with the kids out of the house and on their own, I began to search again. I would scour the internet, auction houses, and dealerships almost daily looking for Buick muscle, primarily Stage 1 cars. I recall seeing photos of a 1971 Stage 1 with an unusual color that I thought was gorgeous. But it wasn’t for sale; there were simply multiple photos of it on a couple of photo hosting sites. That is, until it showed up for sale on a Buick forum a year or two later. I pounced and bought it without personally inspecting it. Not the smartest thing, but the owner of the car provided every possible photo along with documentation to prove that this car was clean and a true 1971 GS 455 Stage 1. The 1971 Stage 1 cars are difficult to document without original paperwork, but this car came with the original window sticker and Protect-O-Plate indicating it was sold new by Larke Buick in Hastings, Michigan.
Of the 9,170 total Buick GS cars produced in 1971, only 265 were painted Code 78 Rosewood. The number of Stage 1 cars painted this color is not known, but this car is the only documented Rosewood Stage 1 listed in the Buick Stage 1 Registry. With only 55,000 original miles and numbers-matching drivetrain (other than the transmission), my plans are to keep this car in the family. Since the purchase, the radio and tachometer have been serviced and the carburetor rebuilt. I’ve also located and installed a number of items with correct date codes to replace previously installed aftermarket components. I take the car to shows, cruise-ins, and around the neighborhood as often as possible. And even though it is capable of going fast with class, I limit my urge to get into it too much because I can still hear my dad telling me to slow it down.
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