Introduced in 1932, the Ford Flathead was the first affordable, mass-produced V8 to give the common folk a little taste of luxury performance. A few years later, the 239 cubic-inch V8 came out and was known as the "100 Horse" engine, which was the first time 100 horsepower was available in an accessible car. Since that time, American automakers have been engaged in a horsepower struggle to outdo each other. The first car to hit 200 hp actually skipped that milestone and went straight to 300 ponies and that was the 1955 Chrysler C-300, then the obscure 1958 Mercury Super Marauder hit 400. UPDATE: 2026/04/01 07:35 EST BY JARED SOLOMON This article has been updated with additional context on the car's historical significance and how its torque compares to modern muscle cars.Of course, horsepower ain't nothing without tire-shredding torque, especially for launching off the line. That meant pound-feet was also on an upward trajectory. Drag racing went mainstream in the early 1960's and Detroit responded with some torquey V8s like the Chrysler 413 Max Wedge and Chevy 427 Z11 that were flirting with 500. While we would have to wait until the 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Roadster for a factory 500-hp car, a 500 pound-feet of torque ride came much earlier in 1970, and from a fairly unexpected source. In reality, this Buick exceeded 500 and held the record for more than three decades. Why Muscle Cars Love Torque So Much Dodge One of the most misunderstood things about cars is the difference between horsepower and torque. They are both related, but have different functions. Horsepower is the "sexy" number that sells performance vehicles. The higher the better, but it's torque that really moves a car off the line.Torque is the rotational force that breaks a car out while horsepower is how fast that initial push can be maintained. Basically, torque gets you moving and horsepower brings you up to speed. High horsepower cars have amazing top speeds, but massive-torque rides are acceleration monsters, which is why muscle cars pack in the pound-feet. Big torque is the difference between a Soccer Mom-mobile and a Street Assassin. The Torquey As Hell 426 Street Hemi Mecum When Chrysler dropped the 426ci Hemi V8 on the Dodge and Plymouth lineups in 1966, it forever changed the Golden Age of American Muscle, giving the streets entirely to Mopar. With 425 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque, a Hemi-powered anything was a guaranteed 13-second car straight from the factory. Yes, the ponies were impressive in this engine, but the complimentary torque meant a Hemi car was already gone when the light turned green.Both the '66 Pontiac GTO and Chevy Chevelle SS 396 had 415 pound-feet of torque and each of them wallowed in the 14s, while the Charger Hemi was ripping 13.5-second quarter-mile ETs. Chances are, the 426 Street Hemi was actually more like 500 hp and 500+ lb-ft, but this is all about official ratings. GM Stump-Pulling Big Blocks Mecum One of the biggest blunders in automotive history was GM banning its divisions from equipping engines over 400 cubic inches of displacement in intermediate cars in 1963, one year before the muscle car mania hit. Corporate finally pulled its head out of the sand (note: we said sand and not something more crass) and lifted the asinine ban in 1970.Chevy, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac went big-block crazy, fitting their muscle cars with 500 pound-feet of torque V8s. Suddenly, in the penultimate year of the classic age, GM muscle was running in the 13s and competing with Mopar. Granted, 500 lb-ft is for sure some impressive torque, but there was another ride in GM's stable that was downright awe-inspiring. 1970 Buick GS 455 Torque Beast Mecum Thanks to GM mercifully rescinding its pointless big engine ban in 1970, the pretty cool Buick GS 400 became the completely awesome GS 455. With the same basic shape as other GM A-body coupes, the GS 455 differentiated itself with some unique sheet metal, bold front fascia, and an insane amount of torque.The aforementioned GTOs, Chevelles, and 442s were batting 500 in the torque department, but the GS 455 hit a walk-off grand slam with 510 stadium-shaking pound-feet. Joining the GS 455 in 1970 was the limited edition GSX, which was primarily an appearance package, but still packed all the terrifying power of the base model, so there were technically two 510 torque beasts that year. Secrets of the Buick 455 V8 Mecum Buick, Pontiac, and Olds all had their own 455ci V8 engines, but the one that went into the '70 GS 455 was special. Made with thin-wall construction, it was easily 150 pounds lighter than the other GM big-blocks, which definitely helped with the power-to-weight ratio. The base 455 generated 350 hpho, but with the Stage 1 upgrade, which included bigger valves and a hotter cam, took those ponies up by 10.In either case, this engine churned out 510 lb-ft of torque, which peaked at low RPMs for rocket-like launches. There's a lot of speculation that Buick 455 Stage 1 was probably more like 400 hp, based on its bonkers acceleration, and that may be true, but that massive torque gets you off the line in a hurry too. GM’s Fastest Muscle Car Mecum In a 1970 GM A-body drag race, the GS 455 would clear a quarter-mile first, followed closely by the Chevelle SS 454 LS6, with the 442 W-30 and GTO Judge 455 dragging the rear. The torqued-out GS 455 could blast out a 13.34-second ET, which is quicker than the Chevelle's 13.4 second time, and light years ahead of the 442 and Judge, which ran in 14s.The GTO Judge's 455ci V8 produced 360 hp, which is the same as the GS 455, and only had 10 less lb-ft of torque, yet ran a full second slower. There's got to be some kind of magic under that Buick's hood. Whatever it was, torque, weight, or a combination of both, it allowed the GS 455 to nose out a car with a 90 hp advantage to be GM's quickest ride. GS 455 Holds Torque Crown For Decades Bring a Trailer In the Golden Age of American muscle, when a car set a record for power output, it was almost certainly bested the next year by another manufacturer. The 1970 GS 455's 510 lb-ft of torque milestone, however, stood for 33 years, which is the longest any car has held the Power Throne.All good things must come to an end and the GS 455's reign was over in 2002 when the Dodge Viper's mighty V10 was upgraded to 8.3 liters, producing 510 hp and 535 lb-ft of torque. Subsequent versions of the Viper engine got up to 645 hp with 600 lb-ft of torque, but enthusiasts don't remember that one quite the way they do with the first car to break over the 500 mark. How The GS 455 Compares To Modern Muscle Numbers like 510 lb-ft might not sound earth-shattering today, especially in an era where modern muscle cars are pushing well beyond 600 or even 900 lb-ft. But context is everything.The GS 455 achieved that figure without forced induction, hybrid assistance, or modern traction control systems. It relied purely on displacement, airflow, and clever engineering. Compare that to today’s torque monsters, and the achievement becomes even more impressive. Then vs Now Torque Comparison: What stands out is how long it took for naturally aspirated engines to significantly surpass Buick’s number. Even decades later, big displacement remained the only way to chase those kinds of torque figures without boost.The GS 455 wasn’t just ahead of its time—it set a benchmark that took generations to meaningfully surpass. Current American Torque Champ DodgeIn the modern age, there are hybrids and all electrics that have gonzo torque ratings, like the 973 lb-ft of the Corvette ZR1X or the 1,741 of the Rimac Nevera. Electric assist seems like cheating, so we're disqualifying all those rides and handing the crown to a good old gas-burner.The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 and it's supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 produces an almost inconceivable level of power with 1,025 hp and 945 lb-ft of torque. Before people start whining about the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport's 1,180 torque rating, this is about American cars, and we are not about to let some pretentious European steal our thunder. Buick GS 455 Stage 1 Collector's Market Mecum Despite being GM's most lethal street machine and one of the baddest of the Golden Age, the 1970 Buick GS 455 doesn't get the same respect from collectors as many of its contemporaries. Hagerty sets the Concours condition of a GS 455 Stage 1 coupe at $123,000. While that's not exactly chump change, it's nothing compared to the $220,000 a '70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 is worth. Over in Mopartown, a '70 Dodge Challenger Hemi R/T in top condition is valued at $245,000, while a Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda is $275,000. These values are obviously for hardtops, as Hemi convertibles can and do stretch into the millions.Speaking of drop-tops, that super-vanilla white convertible pictured above is the most expensive '70 GS 455 to ever sell at auction, crossing the block at Mecum Kissimmee 2024 for $285,000. With only 278 units of the '70 GSX Stage 1 ever built, it's tempting to think it would be the highest seller, but the most one of them ever fetched at auction was $236,500. Classic.com reports the average auction price for a '70 GS is $102,788, but they do list several great condition 455s and even a few Stage 1 cars that sold bellow the six-figure mark. This is clearly an undervalued gem that is due for a market correction.Sources: Classic.com, Hagerty, Mecum