I am the second owner of the car. It is a 1972 Buick GS455 Convertible, which is one of 114 GS455s built in 1972 with the turbo 400 automatic and 455 engine. 12 were built with the 4 speed for a total of 126 455 convertibles for the year (not counting Stage 1 cars, of which 15 4 speeds and 66 automatics were built). The car is a matching number "survivor car" documented by the Sloan Museum. The car was special-ordered new by a wealthy older couple in northern California in 1971, and is triple white. The car was produced on 9/20/71 as an early '72, and was ordered and delivered through Stenstrom Buick Company of San Rafael, CA. It is an unusual car for a Buick GS convertible, as it is a relatively low option car. The couple reportedly knew exactly what they wanted and ordered the car accordingly. There is none of the usual AC, cruise, tilt, PW, PL and stereo present in this Buick. More on the options in a moment. The husband reportedly used the car almost exclusively as transportation to and from his frequent golf games. In fact, the car still has the original boot cover for the convertible top, which is in perfect condition except for the holes in it from the owner's golf cleats. When I took possession of the car, it had many golf country club membership plaques attached to the grille. As the story was related to me, the husband died of a heart attack while playing golf at Pebble Beach. The wife did not feel comfortable with the power of the car and put the car up for sale. This is a great cruising car. Because it doesn't have many of the heavy options, it is remarkably fast for a '72. The 455 has plenty of torque, and it chirps rubber hard going into 2nd gear. It feels strong enough to give my LS6 Chevelle a run for its money. The GS is a driver quality car, with 85% original paint, and the vintage touchups to prove it. There are 82K original miles on the odometer. Everything works and its comfortable and fun to drive. Because it came from California, it is in remarkable condition with zero rust or rot. I still have the original California "blue and gold" license plate, the only plate it has ever had prior to my plates. Here is some information regarding the options: 455 high performance 4 BBL engine Turbo 400 transmission with column shifter Power disc brakes and 17.6:1 power steering AM/FM Sonomatic radio with front and rear speaker California emissions and N25 thru the bumper exhaust Whitewall tires Custom front and rear seat belts Soft ray tinted windshield Front and rear bumper guards and bumper strips Door edge guards and remote driver's side mirror Front carpet savers Custom padded split bench seats Convenience lighting group and electric clock 14" chrome wheels Body side moldings Rallye steering wheel
Any Mass guys interested in a local gathering, PM or email me and let's make something happen. It would be great to meet some of you guys and gals.
