Since 1965, “Gran Sport” has been synonymous with “opulence.” This is the name that Buick gives those vehicles that have all the equipment. The Gran Sport California, for example, (also known as the “Gran Sport Colorado,” depending on where the vehicle was marketed at the time) was billed as “The Distinctive Personal Car for Americana on the GO.”
“GO” was capitalized for good reason: it reached a top speed of 105 mile an hour. While this is a muscle car, it is often thought of as a “junior muscle car.” For example, it combined the performance levels that one would expect from American muscle with the reasonable price point and low maintenance of an economically-priced vehicle.
The California/Colorado is just one of the many different kinds of Gran Sports that Buick made. There’s the 340/350, 400, 455, GSX as well as a kind of Riviera, Wildcat, Century, and even a Regal GS/Regal Gran Sport. In many of these vehicles, “Gran Sport” is a kind of package, which contains extras. For example, with the Riviera Gran Sport (made from 1965-1975) could have options for road handling and even what’s called a “Super Wildcat” engine. The Wildcat itself (only existing in 1966) included heavy duty sway bars, a turbo-hydramatic 400 transmission, quick ratio steering box and more.
No matter what kind of Gran Sport you have, they all share that same high quality Buick design. The Gran Sport models very well could be the pinnacle of Buick at the time.