SOLD!!! Off to New Hampshire!!
Just in! An incredibly rare 1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport or GS with the venerable Wildcat 400 CID V8 with 325 HP, loaded with power features, super low 63,000 miles since new and a gorgeous restoration of a nice car!! With features such as automatic transmission, factory air conditioning, power windows, brakes and steering, who needs a resto mod!! This has all the power and is authentic!!
The Buick Skylark with the GS option package was a mid-level option for 1965. It was equipped, with the 400 CID Nailhead engine, which actually displaced 401 CID. Rather than bolting in a beefed-up 300 or 310 CID motor, Buick engineers took the road less traveled. They instead, dropped in the same rumbling heart that was found under the hood of the Electra 225 and Wildcat. This beast of an engine produces 325hp and 445 lb-ft. of torque. The torque figure, which is labelled on the top of the air cleaner, is theorized to be a clever marketing distraction from GM’s corporate-wide ban on engines bigger than 400 CID in mid-size cars at the time.
This inaugural muscle car from Buick has a surprising amount of power and was marketed as a “howitzer with windshield wipers”… small wonder it achieved 0 – 60 in 7 – 8 seconds! Performance and sound are amplified with the factory dual exhaust.
Those who purchased the mid-year ’65 Buick Gran Sport took notice of the three transmission offerings; all of which were capable of withstanding a good thrashing. First was the fully synchronized, floor-shifted heavy-duty three-speed manual. The four-speed stick was the second choice. Our featured vehicle has the third option; that being the two-speed, variable-vane Super Turbine 300 automatic. This top of the line transmission added $457.00 USD to the base price of the car in 1965.
The GS also came with a host of chassis upgrades compared to the standard Skylark Coupe. For starters, it had heavy duty springs and shocks, with a new anti-roll bar that was twice as stiff as the typical Skylark. The rear suspension was given extra links to fight axle windup and differential twist – decreasing ‘wheel-hop’ when the car is launched hard. Braking was improved by the added enclosed front wheel cylinders.
Referred to in its brochure as a “personal-type nuclear deterrent”, this hardtop GS used the same reinforced frame as its convertible counterpart. This major change resulted in improved rigidity, leading to enhanced road manners.
We love the mirror smooth black paint with its black vinyl roof. Both are in excellent condition with no notable flaws. The chrome and stainless is equally as nice. The interior is original, includes the mandatory option of bucket seats which added a mere $72.00 USD to the base MSRP, and shows only minimal wear. One small split in the passenger’s front seat is noted, otherwise it is an excellent original. The dash and instruments are in very good to excellent condition. The air conditioning is factory correct and has a new factory compressor installed.
The smooth responsive power from the Nailhead 401 found in the ’65 Buick GS made it the biggest displacement midsize GS offering until 1970… when the displacement limit was removed and a new era began.

You could search for years to find a Buick GS in this condition, or any condition for that matter. Don’t wait if this is the car for you! For more details call Harry Clark at +1.602.245.7200 or email us at harry@classicpromenade.com.