Which car can sprint to victory the fastest?
In the 1960s GM made some of the most infamous American cars ever built. The A-body platform, in particular, was extremely popular in the later years of the decade and was the foundation to many GM cars across all of its divisions, but how did they measure up against each other?
Watch a 1969 COPO Camaro ZL1 and Plymouth Duster showdown here.
Chevrolet has always been at the top of the GM classic muscle car game, however, there was another GM subsidiary that produced a car of similar caliber with a luxurious addition. That company was called Buick and they made a name for themselves by selling high horsepower muscle cars that were also comfortable and luxurious for the time. Two notable examples from these automakers are the Chevy Chevelle SS and the Buick Gran Sport 400. These cars were compared constantly due to their extremely similar styling. So it is interesting to see two of these cars go head to head in a race to see which is actually the fastest car.
On one side of the strip, we find the 1969 Buick Gran Sport 400, which sports its original spec 340-horsepower 6.6-liter V8 under the hood. When compared to the Chevelle SS on the other side of the track, however the GS’ odds of winning seem to slim with the Chevy boasting a 6.5-liter V8 worth 375-horsepower. At this point, it could have been anyone’s game though. The two cars lined up for the first run. As the tree lit up the Chevelle took off leaving the Buick with a time of 14.63 seconds while the Chevelle ran a 14.41 second time.
Round two was completed with the Chevelle in the lead as well. Despite having a bigger engine with more torque, the Buick suffered a defeat with the Chevelle taking the number one spot for the fastest of the two. Despite being very similar cars, it is clear that the extra horsepower gave the Chevelle a clear advantage over the GS400. A few things that can be said about both of the cars though is that they are both extremely consistent and beautiful representations of one of the most beloved eras in automotive history and it was a real treat getting to see these two go head to head.
