Some cars don’t do small. Or economical. They’re big-block-toting, street-sailing cruise ships with little regard for petite parking spaces. Tight garages need not apply. That’s exactly where the Buick Wildcat lives. At almost 18 and a half feet long, a 1970 Wildcat fits the land yacht bill, though it doesn’t fit into many other places. It’s a testament to the automotive excess of the era, right down to its huge, 455-cubic-inch V8. Make no mention of how the average MPG in the ’70s compares to today. Still, even in a time when efficiency is important to the average car buyer, collectors and enthusiasts want the big ol’ boats. If that describes you, this surviving B-body muscle cruiser is up for grabs.
This 1970 Buick Wildcat is clean, too. Original paint? Check. Factory interior? Also yes. Heck, the seller says this big cat has belonged to the same owner since they bought it new over half a century ago. Of course, you might expect a 56-year-old car to have some serious mileage on its clock. Not this one. It’s listed in Mount Clemens, Michigan, with just 31,908 original miles. If you’ve got the garage space, this old Buick needs a driver to rack up some mileage.
This 1970 Buick Wildcat is a low-mileage land yacht without a yacht-y price tag
What’s not to love? First off, it’s called the “Wildcat.” Certainly cool enough to land Buick on the list of automakers that have the coolest model names, according to our readers. This one, posted for sale by Michael’s Auto Sales in Mount Clemens, Michigan, is something of a time capsule. The 1970 Buick Wildcat wears the original Sherwood Green Iridescent shade, along with a similarly verdant original interior. The original seats and interior treatments survived the years, right down to the door sills and green factory Buick carpeting. Even the climate control selector and radio are delightfully original. Speaking of climate control, this one has air conditioning, an option you could have selected from the factory back in 1970.
Then there’s the lump under the hood. It’s a 455-cubic-inch, naturally aspirated big block V8. That’s eight cylinders and 7.4 liters of displacement. Displacement so cavernous, in fact, it puts the Buick’s 455-cubic-inch mill among the biggest V8 engines ever put into production cars. That engine, a first for the Le Sabre-based 1970 Wildcat, had a factory horsepower rating of 370. Doesn’t sound like a lot for such a massive V8, but it also produced a stump-pulling 510 pound-feet of torque.
Don’t go thinking you’re going to find a manual gearbox with which to row that behemoth 455-cubic-inch V8, though. This one sports a three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Don’t expect an immaculate, concours-condition car, either. For instance, there’s a little damage on the hood breaking up the expanses of Sherwood Green Iridescent paintwork. If anything, this Wildcat is a solid, well-preserved driver. It does, however, come with original documentation, including a detailed ownership history.
Somebody put some miles on this clean cat
As of this writing, the Wildcat is up for sale for $29,995. Not too shabby for a big-body American muscle cruiser, especially one in this condition. It is a bit pricier than the average Wildcat of this vintage, though. Hagerty puts the average 1970 Buick in excellent condition at about $12,833. And that’s the high end of the value range. Drop down to an example in good condition, and that average value drops to $8,367 on the high side. Still, your average 56-year-old Wildcat isn’t likely to have a mileage this low.
A 1970 Buick Wildcat convertible, on the other hand, is worth a bit more. A ragtop in excellent condition is closer to $32,700. A drop top in good condition drops things down to around $21,633 on the high side of the value range.
It is rare that a 1970 Buick Wildcat like this one would live its many years without updates and modifications? Definitely, but it’s much wilder that this big ol’ classic cat has such a low odometer reading. It’s true; this one-owner Wildcat shows just 31,908 miles – every one of which the seller says are original. That’s an average of less than 570 miles per year. Somebody, please drive this big green B-body; it’s waited long enough.
