What is the Rarest Buick Performance car(s)??

[Guest BJM]

I have been wondering about this for a while. Especially in light of the huge rise in Mopar muscle car auction prices based on their (IMHO) stupid way of 1 of 1'ing a certain model. i.e. 1965 Coronet 4 door post with a Hemi 4 speed. OK, do you really want to own that??

Nonetheless, I have no idea what the rarest, most low production Buick Performance models are. I thought it might be an interesting thread to have the experts chime in to educate me and all collectors. The problem is the criteria. Obviously, virtually all GS models 65 to 73 qualify for review, and the GN models, although the early ones were not tire smoking fast, they should be included. Any four speed Wildcats are probably fair game. And maybe I missed one.

So what are/is the rarest performance Buick made and why?

[59 98]

Well, as far as the 4-speed Wildcats of 63-65 are concerned, they are all rare no matter how you look at it. It's when you start adding options (or deleting them) like a/c and 3.91 gears, that is where the real uniqueness comes in. I am not sure if a 4-speed Wildcat with a/c could be considered a 'muscle' car, but they are definately among the rarest. Also, the term 'muscle car' may have to be stretched a bit to include the Wildcats, too, because they weight over 4000 lbs (muscle boat maybe), but 'factory performance car' would fit well.

If you would like some example numbers of these cars, let me know and I will dig some up.

Matt

[Guest BJM]

Matt,

I purposely stated it as "performance car' because the term muscle car usually is associated with A Body GM products such as the Skylark GS/GTO's and 442's. However, I wouldn't call the full size Mopars with Hemi's muscle cars or the Ford Torino GT's with big blocks. So it is all inclusive. Can you even come up with numbers for 4 speed full size Buick's? I remember someone telling me they made only 10 Olds Starfire 4 speed convertibles.

[59 98]

Yes, those figures are available, but it took some work. The other Mr. 4-Speed, Ted Nagel, did all the footwork to find the number of 64 and 65 Wildcat 4-speed cars built in all body styles, and I am doing the 63 LeSabre and Wildcats as we speak. The documentation comes from the Sloan and just takes a lot of time to sift throught the numbers.

The 65 Olds 4-speeds are extremely rare, with known survival numbers in the single digits. Very cool cars, it is too bad they did not make them in 64 in the Jetstar I, what a cool beast that would be.

[Pete Phillips]

1966 Wildcat GS convertible = VERY rare, even without having to qualify it as to certain options, as you guys are doing above. Also, wait until you see the article on 1973-75 Century Gran Sports, coming in the September Bugle.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

[Guest sintid58]

The rarest muscle car Buick made would probably be the GSX. I don't think you were thinking about the break down in 4 spd vs automatic or breaking down by color or options. Overall the GSX at total production in 1970 of 678 would probably be the rarest. Or the GNX which was less but that car does not really fall into most peoples definition of a Muscle car because they are thinking smaller bodied cars with huge motors built between 1964 and 1972.