Rides from the Readers: 1973 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1

Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to us at the above email. 

Today’s featured car is a 1973 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1. When it succeeded the Skylark in 1973, the Century also received the Skylark’s brawny big-block powertrain and, when discerning buyers checked the box, the coveted Stage 1 upgrade. The Stage 1 package took the 455’s output from 225 to 270 hp, driving through a standard Positraction differential and accompanied by the logical appearance tweaks. Four-speed cars, such as today’s featured car, are rare compared to their automatic counterparts; only 92 455 Stage 1 customers opted for the floor-mounted Muncie M-21 rather than the automatic in 1973. 

This particular Stage 1 belongs to Philip Roitman, who has taken his Buick—fresh from a frame-off restoration in 2017—around the show circuit to much acclaim. Given the lack of significant aftermarket support, this Stage 1’s restoration was truly a labor of love. And that painstaking investment was well received: At the 2017 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals this Buick earned 1000 out of 1000 points, proceeding from there to concours greens around the country. In addition to the quality of its restoration, this car benefits from an impressive original spec sheet: Roitman reports that this Gran Sport is the most-optioned four-speed Stage 1 built. 

Here’s to labors of restoration love, and keeping the models we treasure most on the road for years to come.