Red from Day One: 1971 Buick GS Convertible

Doesn’t every muscle car fan dream of having a cool convertible to cruise in? Of course, as they like to say at the big auctions, when the top goes down, the price goes up, and that’s usually an accurate expression of the effect a folding roof has on the value of a factory muscle car. 

However, when we spotted this 1971 Buick GS Convertible (and yes, Buick considered Convertible to be part of the model’s name for 1971) on Hemmings.com, we wondered if this one might possibly offer a path to drop-top muscle car ownership for a reasonable rate. Though you could still order a Stage 1 455 in your GS in 1971, this one is the base offering 350 four-barrel. The smaller engine is not called out on the Buick’s flanks, so on the fenders, below the “GS” emblems, you’ll find small, red rectangles spelling out “Buick Motor Division” instead of the “455” or “Stage 1” emblems that would be there with the two other engine options.

Is It Really Red?

The bright red paint on this example looks appropriate, but we couldn’t help thinking it was probably the result of a color change in the car’s past—doesn’t everyone want their ragtop to be red? Buicks from that time were most often either green, gold, or brown—and there were multiple shades of each on the available palette for that year. Yet a quick check of the trim tag shows that this car was indeed built in Fire Red; it also verified the factory white top and interior. 

Scanning through the undercarriage shots gives the impression of a car that hasn’t seem many—or any—rust-belt winters, and the seller, who seems to have been the one to commission the Buick’s last respray, claims the body to be “rust free.” That paint job looks quite good if the photos are accurate depictions, and the white interior is in fine shape too. We’d have liked to have found buckets and the factory-available console with the cool “horseshoe” shifter, but the factory optional sport steering wheel is present. 

Under the hood, the 350 looks like it has been maintained but never messed around with, so there are no ancient speed parts left over from some hot rod past—another good sign. Cold-air induction was still standard on the GS in ’71, even on the 350, and the factory air cleaner is still where it ought to be. 

As we write this, the GS Convertible’s final sale price is unknown, and it might just shoot up to the strata so many other GM A-body drop-tops occupy these days. Yet, it could prove to be a deal. We’d give it a set of 15×7-inch Buick Road Wheels to replace the factory 14x6s and maybe a stock-style front disc-brake upgrade and call it good. 

Pinpointing a PRice

It can be a bit tough to pinpoint the value of a ’71 GS 350, in part because all Gran Sports are identified with the same two digits on the VIN during the 1971 model year. During the surrounding model years, the VIN offered a little more insight, as for 1970 the GS 455 had its own two-digit code, while for ’72, the engine was identified as part of the VIN. That means research for a ’71 GS requires looking at the details of numerous comparable cars, covering a broad spectrum of pricing. For example, a ’71 GS 455 Convertible with the Stage 1 engine can bring nearly six figures, while a GS 350 may come in closer to $30,000. Checking with popular collector car valuation sites tends to yield similarly broad ranges, from $25,000 to over $100,000, though we’ve found that these often include data for GSX models, which is obviously skewing the results. 

At any rate, this GS Convertible may prove to be a good deal for one of the many fans of GM’s ’68-’72 muscle-badged A-body convertibles.      

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