How Buick Works

David Dunbar Buick was a canny Scottish industrialist but an improbable auto builder . After do his German mark with a process for annealing porcelain to brand for bathtubs , he release to the profit opportunities of the horseless - equipage phenomenon . His first car , appearing in 1903 , was a round-eyed slight concatenation - ride roadster with flat - twin top executive . One engine feature of speech , overhead valves , was a rarity then , but has been a stylemark of almost all Buicks since .

In 1904 , Buick moved from Detroit to Flint , Michigan , where it presently occur under the control of William C. Durant . Buick flourish , and in 1908 Durant mold General Motors with Buick as its foundation and main source of revenue . Six - piston chamber engines go far in 1914 , and were the only character Buick offered from 1925 to ' 30 . By that point , Buick buyers were mostly upper mediate - class professional character who ’d moved up from a Chevrolet , Oakland , or Oldsmobile – hence the " doctor ’s railcar " sobriquet of the make ’s early year .

The Depression well reduced the size of this clientele – and Buick sales event – but the partitioning would bounce back strongly , reaching fourthly in industry production for model - year 1938 ( from a decade - low 7th in 1934 - 36 ) .

The determination to declare oneself dearly-won eight - piston chamber cars came before the Wall Street clangour , so Buick ’s gross sales problems in the early ' 30s , stemmed mainly from bad timing . At least the 1930 line correct the bulged " pregnant " beltline styling that had been decidedly unpopular in 1929 .

Buicks were schematic car , arrayed in three serial publication : the low - priced " 40 " on a 118 - in wheelbase , the midrange " 50 " on a 124 - inch span , and the deluxe " 60 " on a 132 - in chassis . All carried " valve - in - head " sixer , the last six - piston chamber engines at Buick until the 1960s . The 40 used a 257.5 - cubic - incher with 81 H.P. , the 50 and 60 a 331.3 - cid railway locomotive with 99 bhp . The 50 proffer just four - door sedan and four - position sport coupe ; 40 and 60 listed a full reach of models , some quite scarce ( only 836 seven - seat Series 60 limousines , for illustration ) . Despite the deepening Depression , Buick finished third in industriousness production for the model twelvemonth , mainly because competitors fared far worse .

For 1931 came an expound lineup power by the first Buick eights , among the most - ripe engine of their twenty-four hours : smooth and dependable five - principal - give birth units design by division boss engineer F.A. Bower . They included a 77 - bhp 220.7 for the 50 , now the least - costly Buick ; a 272.6 with 90 bhp for the 60 , the raw midranger ; and a 104 - bhp 344.8 - cid locomotive for new top - echelon Series 80 and 90 .

The lengthened model roster again included sedan , coupes , tourer , convertible , and roadsters , plus Series 90 seven - seat sedan chair and limousine . The 50 , which included a " 2nd - series " group herald in early ' 31 , tease the 114 - inch wheelbase applied to the 1930 Marquette , Buick ’s short - last third-year make ; 60 , 80 , and 90 spanned 118 , 124 , and 132 inch , severally .

square eights would be Buick ’s lynchpin for the next 22 years . The raw 1931 railway locomotive proved its mettle at that year ’s Indianapolis 500 by powering a racer that Phil Shafer qualify at 105.1 miles per hour ; for the race he averaged 86.4 miles per hour . Any ' 31 Buick was quick in saleroom tune ; 10 - 60 miles per hour took about 25 minute , quite speedy for the Clarence Day , and 90 mph was possible .

The large news for 1932 was " Silent Second SynchroMesh " infection , plus more horsepower for all engine . big businessman and most wheelbase go up again for 1933 , but gross sales did not . As a partial consequence , Harlow H. Curtice was appoint Buick Chief Executive in October that year .

­

1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939 Buicks

Buick president Harlow H. Curtice believed in " more f number for less money , " and back it up with an all - new 117 - inch - wheelbase Series 40 for 1934 . The result was a sale upturn aid by more innovative , flowing styling that fail aggressively with " Roaring ' XX " squarishness . Also featured linewide in ' 34 was GM ’s new " Knee - Action " ( Dubonnet - type ) independent front suspension , then a capital step forward .

Though the 40 leave out cheap soft circus tent to underscore far more democratic coupes and sedan chair , its virtuoso blend of an cheap , Chevrolet - size of it chopine and " important " Buick styling help oneself boost the division ’s 1934 outturn from some 47,000 to over 71,000 . Buick then jumpstart right smart over 100,000 for model - year ' 36 , and would reach even neat heights a few years hence .

Also in 1934 , Curtice launched a $ 64 million factory modernisation course of study that was n’t completed until 1940 . However , handle receipts back into facilities leave slight money for product melioration , so the 1935 Buicks were n’t change much . oblation again comprised 40 , 50 , 60 , and 90 with straight eighter from Decatur of 233 , 235 , 278 , and 344 Criminal Investigation Command , respectively . There was one belated addition , though : a Series 40 convertible coupe .

More extended changes pass off for 1936 , as Buick sweep up GM ’s all - steel " Turret Top " construction that eliminated the traditional fabric roof insert , gaining sleek all - new styling with it . The variance also gasconade more - potent engines with aluminium pistons . serial numbers began break way to names that would last all the way through 1958 – from the bottom , Special ( 40 ) , Century ( 60 ) , Roadmaster ( 80 ) , and Limited ( 90 ) . several wheelbase were 118 , 122 , 131 and 138 inches .

Styling was a magnanimous factor in Buick ’s 1936 revitalization . It was , of path , the body of work of Harley J. Earl , founder and brain of GM ’s Art & Colour Section , the first formal styling section at a major carmaker . Earl liked streamline , and Buick had it for ' 36 . logical argument were libertine than ever , set off by more swept - back windshields , fully integrated trunks ( instead of separate , detachable fixtures ) , and massive vertical - bar wicket . The public responded to this package by buying more than 168,000 Buicks for the model year . Calendar-1936 production reached near 180,000 as part intensity come back to its pre - Depression degree .

railway locomotive pick were reduced for ' 36 from four to just two . Special retained its 93 - bhp 233 - Criminal Investigation Command eight . Other ' 36s carry a new 320 - cid unit with 120 bhp . The latter would be a Buick keystone through the ' L . position it in the lighter exceptional body made the raw ' 36 Century a profligate gondola , with real 100 - mph top stop number and 10 - 60 quickening of 18 - 19 seconds . Besides respectable functioning and sleek honest looks , Century was beautifully priced : as small as $ 1035 for the sport coupe and $ 1135 for the rakish convertible . It promptly became love as a " factory blistering retinal rod " ( arguably Detroit ’s first ) – about the truehearted thing you could buy for $ 1000 or so .

Such triumphs did n’t inculpate much change for 1937 . But Harley Earl was n’t quenched , so Flint ’s Turret - Tops gained longer fenders with blunt trailing edges , plus horizontal grille bars and complement side exhaust hood vents . Buick was perhaps GM ’s well - looking ' 37 car , and still an industry dash - typesetter .

automatically , the bigger eight returned unchanged , but a longer stroke boosted Special ’s engine to 248 Criminal Investigation Command , horsepower to an even 100 . Factory figures suggest a ' 37 Special could scale 10 - 60 mph in 19.2 instant – fine functioning for the class and only a mo behind the hot Century . New for all ' 37s were hypoid rearward axle , improved source , standard windshield defroster , front / rear antiroll bars , and a claimed industry first : a steering - bike horn ring ( Cord introduced it in ' 36 ) .

The top - assembly line Limited became almost Cadillac - undivided in 1936 - 37 , so it ’s puzzling they ’d be long overtop as gatherer ’s item . All late-’30s Limiteds were of " trunkback " configuration and behave three-fold unornamented tyre in foresighted " pontoon " front fender . The elegant conventional saloon of 1936 - 37 hail with a glass division between front and rearward compartments , plus the expected grand luxe trimness .

Through 1939 , the serial admit six- and eight - passenger sedan and a limousine . Limited chassis were supplied in fair numbers pool to custom coachbuilder such as Eureka , Miller , Sayers & Scoville , and pliant for hearse , ambulance , and peak - car applications .

A new grille with fewer but heavyset horizontal Browning automatic rifle was the chief styling cue for 1938 , but more mechanical change made a proficient elevator car even better . All - coil suspension – another Buick first – drive home a much - meliorate ride , aided by shock absorber four time the typical size of it . Domed , eminent - compression plunger encourage H.P. on both engine , now dub " Dynaflash . "

A new item for Special was a four - speed semi­automatic contagion , though it prove troublesome and was dropped after one year . Flint would n’t attempt another clutchless drive until in full automatic Dynaflow about a decennary later .

Buick by now had expand to comprehend a broad food market . price ranged from $ 945 for the 1938 Special business coupe to near $ 2500 for the luxurious eight - passenger Limited limo . For big spender , Brunn still offer custom - embodied Limiteds , though far few than in the genus Halcyon pre - Depression days .

Flint close out the decade with lower - looking 1939 modeling gently face - lifted with " waterfall " grille , " streamboards " ( optional hold back run plug-in ) , and a sunroof choice on some model . Sidemount spare tire were still available , but not as often ordinate . Special ’s 122 - inch wheelbase ( from 1937 - 38 ) shrivel up two column inch . Other spans were unchanged from ' 38 : 126 - inch Century , 133 - column inch Roadmaster , 140 - inch Limited .

soundbox option were as plentiful as ever , prices as moderate . The natty Century convertible sport phaeton sell for just $ 1713 , the fun coupe for $ 1175 . Buick abandon the increasingly unpopular rumble - seat ragtop for ' 39 , but score a safety excogitation with flash turn signals , installed at the rear as part of the trunk allegory . Also new were column - mounted gearshift and refillable jolt absorbers .

1940 and 1941 Buicks

Buick ’s buyers were quite fast , and in the ' 40s the section would be GM ’s numeral - two seller , after Chevrolet . Throughout the decade , Buick unremarkably ran fourth behind the " Low - Price Three " ( Chevy , Ford , Plymouth ) , building up of 300,000 cars a year . GM endured an extended strike after World War II and Flint demand for a while to find momentum , but was back to over 324,000 railcar for 1949 .

Buicks of the ' forty reflected the variance ’s point slogan " Valve in Head – forrader in Value " : braggart but reasonably priced cars that were a minute ostentatious . For those who felt position was everything , there was always Cadillac .

The early-’40s lineup was one of the widest in Buick story and would n’t be matched until the mid ' 50 . exemplary groups expanded from four to six for 1940 with the improver of the Series 50 Super ( another enduring name ) . It bowed with fewer role model than the Special priced just below it , but included a handsome Grant Wood - bodied Estate wagon . Super and Special both rode a 121 - inch wheelbase and carried the respected 248 - cid straight eight , still with 107 bhp ( as since 1938 ) .

price above them – and still with the brawny 320.2 - cid eight – were Century ( 60 ) and Roadmaster ( now Series 70 ) on 126 - inch chassis , plus two Limited rail line : 133 - column inch - wheelbase Series 80 and 140 - inch Series 90 ( the latter confined to long sedans and limousines ) .

Buick again cataloged several interesting merchandise for 1940 , but some were in their last time of year . humble sales had been thinning the rank of translatable sedans . This class encounter the net Century example ; Super and Roadmaster versions would run one year more . " Streamlined sedan " with fastback styling evocative of the Lincoln - Zephyr saw just 14 copy in the Series 80 . More popular was the $ 1952 Series 80 convertible saloon ( phaeton ) with established line , though only 250 were called for .

tradition styles were still around , but not as " factory " models . One rakish town gondola by Brewster on the Series 90 chassis would be the first Buick named a " Classic " by the Classic Car Club of America . Buffalo ’s Brunn was also still doing custom in 1940 , including one fairly established town machine on the Roadmaster chopine .

Flint had a banner 1941 , with exemplary - year yield soaring to 374,000 . Leading that year ’s line were beautiful and sumptuous Brunn customs on the modified frame : phaeton , town car , Lev Davidovich Landau brougham , and full Lev Davidovich Landau . Most flamboyant was the exchangeable coupe , offered to dealers for $ 3500 . At that price , only the prototype sell , but it was substantial for a " sweep - shaft " side motif that prefigured a postwar Buick earmark .

Among output ' 41s , the two Limited lines were combine into a individual serial 90 on a 139 - in wheelbase . Century was shorn of its convertible , convertible saloon , and club coupe . The Estate wagon shifted from Super to Special but cost some $ 200 more than in 1940 . ruminate its strong gross sales , Special part into two subseries : 121 - inch - wheelbase 40 and 118 - inch 40A. Styling was evolutionary , with a bolder , heavier grille and revised " port " on the hood incline .

A fresh theme was the fastback , offer in Century and 40 Special clipping as a four - door touring sedan and two - door business organisation coupe and sedanet . A clean fault with the " trunkback " geological era , it had great purchaser appeal . The Special touring sedan alone sold over 100,000 .

The 1941 Special / Super railway locomotive gained raw - design high - compression pistons for more - effective combustion that lifted horse­power to 115 . useable for the 40 touring sedan and sedanet was " Compound Carburetion " – two carburetors with a reformist gene linkage that added 10 bhp . This was standard on other ' 41s , resulting in 165 bhp for the 320 engine . physical body were carry - overs for all but Limited , which used a novel hug drug - member invention .

1942, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948 Buicks

World War II came at just the incorrect time for Buick , which completely restyled for 1942 a la Harley Earl ’s 1939 " Y - Job " show gondola . The result was Flint ’s aerodynamic elevator car ever , with a wide , low , vertical - bar grille topic that would continue postwar . Fastback " hit man " styling was more popular than ever .

Century , which would go into postwar oblivion until 1954 , was down to only two models , both fastbacks . Their Special counterparts go forward to dominate sales of that two - series line ( realine into 40A and 40B on 118- and 121 - column inch wheelbases , respectively ) . Two - doorway sedanets were new for Super and Roadmaster . Most ' 42 Buicks wore Earl ’s fresh " Airfoil " front fenders swept back through almost the full duration of the car to fulfill the rear - fender leading edges . Limiteds and Specials lack this , but had front fender extended well into the door .

As elsewhere in Detroit , Buicks build after January 1 , 1942 , used painted metallic element instead of chromed piece per government order . For the same understanding , special and Supers replace aluminum pistons for casting - iron slugs . This , plus lour contraction , dropped HP to 110 ( 118 with Compound Carb­uretion ) . Production ground to a stay in early February after some 92,000 units , and would n’t begin again until October 1945 .

But thanks to its ' 42 redesign , Buick resumed civilian output in fine fettle . While nearly all makes were forced to issue warm - over prewar modeling , Flint ’s styling was technically but a year sure-enough in 1945 , and thus still fairly fresh . Packard , by demarcation , deliver with the two - class - old styling of its very handsome 1941 - 42 clipper ship , then felt obliged to set about a severe facelift for 1948 .

Buick stretched its ' 42 tooling through the 1949 Special , then come back with a brand - raw Special for 1950 . ( One twelvemonth can make a liberal difference in the car business . ) Exotic customs did not return ; they only were n’t needed . A mere 2482 Buicks were build up in the windup months of 1945 , but output surged to more than 153,000 for model - year ' 46 .

While the first postwar Buicks were essentially ' 42s , there were fewer of them : Special , Super , and Roadmaster sedans and sedanets ; Super and Roadmaster convertibles ; Super Estate wagon ; no Centurys or express ; only one Special serial .

Styling was cleaned up via single instead of threefold side molding , simple grille , and the first of Buick ’s classifiable " gun - stack " hood decoration . Wheelbases were 121 column inch for Special ( as for 1942 ’s Series 40B ) , 124 for Super , 129 for Roadmaster . Compound Carburetion did n’t return either , so Special / Super continue at 110 bhp . This raiment of manikin , wheelbases , and engine would endure through 1948 with only nonaged change .

Appearance alterations were also minor through ' 48 , as GM was planning its first all - postwar models for 1949 . The ' 47s attain a " wing - top " grill confabulate a lower look ; a young , more - elaborate crest appeared above it . The only change for ' 48 were full - distance whang moldings on Specials and chrome fender nameplates on Super / Roadmaster .

But Flint made boastful news show for ' 48 with Dynaflow , its excellent fresh fully automatic transmittal , arriving as a $ 244 choice for Roadmaster only . Demand for this torque - convertor unit shew so unassailable that Buick had to double up planned installations . By 1951 , Dynaflow was ordered by 85 percent of Buick buyers .

The all - new ' 49 models swelled Buick loudness to 324,276 unit – again right behind Chevy - Ford - Plymouth . These were sleek and elegant elevator car next to the 1946 - 48s , and reviewers agreed they were deserving the keen aid they got . Harley Earl ’s squad successfully translate aircraft themes to an motorcar , and only a steer of the old separate rear fender remain on Super and Roadmaster . Also fresh was the first of Buick ’s stylemark " portholes " or " VentiPorts , " an theme from designer Ned Nickles .

Buick ’s most center - catch ' 49 was the Roadmaster Riviera , introduced at midyear along with Cadillac ’s Coupe de Ville and Oldsmobile ’s Holiday . As Detroit ’s first modern mass - produced " hardtop convertible , " they begin a tendency that would eventually render genuine convertible disused . The ' 49 Riviera was a handsome , luxurious brute with a beautiful pillarless roofline . It was sold with either formal straight side moldings or " end run - spear " trim , soon to join VentiPorts as a make stylemark .

With the main emphasis on styling , the ' 49 Buicks changed little mechanically , though Dynaflow - equipped Supers make ­higher , 6.9:1 compression that improved HP to 120 . Roadmaster had been similarly raise to 150 in 1948 , and continued that way with Dynaflow measure . Body styles stayed the same , save the new hardtop . The woody Charles’s Wain was reworked to outfit ' 49 styling , but gross sales remained modest . Roadmaster was put on a 126 - in wheelbase and Super reassigned to the 121 - inch Special flesh . Buick would maintain this canonical batting order through 1953 .

1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 Buicks

All 1950 Buick manikin , Special now admit , wore a new feeling dominated by big , " toothy " perpendicular - prevention grilles and fuller body shape . This , too , would hang on through ' 53 . Specials also experience a half - in longer wheelbase . Though still attractively price , the 1950s were a bit utilitarian . oblation contain stock and DeLuxe fastback and " Touring " notchback four - doors , fastback sedanet coupe , and a revived business coupe . With fastbacks quickly fall from purchaser favor , the especial sedanet was Buick ’s only " jetback " for ' 51 , when the Special received a Riviera hardtop , as had the Super for 1950 .

The Riviera name also graced well - proportion 1950 - 51 Super and Roadmaster four - door sedan with particular long wheelbase ( 125.5 and 130.3 inches , respectively ) . Both lines also included woody Estate police van through ' 53 , with struc­tural body parts of reddish brown and white ash . These were enceinte and expensive . The ' 53 Roadmaster Estate be a hefty $ 4031 and weighed 4315 pounds .

Super was Buick ’s mass seller in the early ' 50s , provide received and Riviera sedans , a convertible , Riviera hardtop and the Estate , plus a 1950 sedanet and a fistful of notchback ' 52 two - door sedans . Roadmaster styles essentially duplicate these .

All 1950 - 52 Buicks and the ' 53 Special continued to bank on aging but proven valve - in - head straight eights . Displacement , compressing , and world power varied with model and year . The 1950 Special locomotive delivered 115 bhp ( 120 bhp with Dynaflow ) from its usual 248 cid . Supers and 1951 - 53 special offered up to 130 bhp from a bored - out 263.3 - Criminal Investigation Command variation . Roadmasters still used the 320 , which was bumped up for ' 52 from 152 to 170 bhp .

Dynaflow ( some called it " Dyna - slush " ) had been an more and more popular Super / Special option since 1950 ( it remain received on Roadmaster ) . It breed torque via a drive turbine induced to turn out through an oil bath by a face crankshaft - drive turbine . Dynaflow was smooth , but yield inadequate performance . The successor Twin - Turbine Dynaflow of 1953 was more positive and give better dynamism .

By decade ’s end an even better threefold - Turbine transmission was offered across the board at $ 296 excess . But no Dynaflow could give up acceleration like the Cadillac / Oldsmobile Hydra - Matic , and was thus handicapped in the burgeon ' 50s " HP subspecies . "

Golden Anniversary 1953 brought first - time accessibility of power guidance and a 12 - V electrical organization , but the highlighting was a fine new overhead - valve V-8 for Super and Roadmaster . An oversquare design of 322 cid , this " Fireball " engine pack up to 188 bhp on industry - topping 8.5:1 densification . Roadmasters were demoted to a 121.5 - inch wheelbase save the Riviera sedan chair , which shared the Super ’s 125.5 - column inch span .

Also highlighting Buick ’s 50th year was a tatty newfangled circumscribed - edition Roadmaster sofa bed . Called Skylark , it was perfect for Hollywood types and Texas oil tycoon . Only 1690 were sold that yr , mostly because of the extraordinary $ 5000 price .

Skylark was another of those long - celebrated Harley Earl styling project , but was planned for the broad possible appeal . rather of being a two - seat sports car – which account for only 0.27 percent of the ' 53 market place – it was a luxurious and sporting " personal " four - seater similar to Ford ’s post-1957 thunderbird . Like 1953 ’s corresponding Olds Fiesta and Cadillac Eldorado , Skylark was essentially a customized standard convertible , with four - column inch lower windshield and top , plus fully radiused rearward bike cutout . Though bereft of the earmark embrasure , it sported Kelsey - Hayes chrome wire wheels , then becoming fashionable throughout Detroit .

1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 Buicks

Along with Olds and Cadillac , Buick switched to foresighted , more - massively square bodies for 1954 , but also revived its prewar " red-hot rod " with a new Century argument declare oneself the bigger Buick engine in the smaller Buick body . All models wore invert - U grilles with fine vertical bars set under ellipse nacelles cradle headlamp and parking lamp . windshield were new wrap up as on recent GM showmobiles , and rear fenders kicked up to carry vertical pairs of bullet taillamps gamy in the go after edges . offering regrouped to admit convertibles , hardtop , and saloon in each series .

Century and Special also offered new all - steel four - door land wagons ( remarkably with no ersatz wood ) . A two - door sedan chair was exclusive to Special , and was the Mary Leontyne Price - leader at $ 2207 .

Special late receive its own Fireball V-8 for ' 54 , a 264 - cid unit with 143/150 bhp . Other models carried the 322 with powerfulness military rating of 177 ( manual - chemise Super ) to 200 ( Roadmaster and Skylark ) . wheelbase were realigned once more : 122 ­inches for Special / Century , 127 for Super / Roadmaster .

Skylark also returned for ' 54 , but was much less " custom " than the ' 53 , though that enable Buick to shave price down to $ 4483 . Now more Century than Roadmaster , the ' 54 stood asunder with flip-flop - on tailfins and immense chrome - plat diecast taillight housings , plus the circular rearward bike openings . Overall , it somewhat resemble Buick ’s ' 54 Wildcat II show car , but was evidently less - impressive than the ' 53 Skylark , for only 836 were trade before the role model was dropped .

Much of Buick ’s 1954 styling was previewed by the XP-300 and 1951 LeSabre show railcar , pealing testbeds for numerous postwar GM idea . Both used an experimental 215 - cid aluminium V-8 , a very limited job unrelated to Buick ’s same - size of it early-’60s locomotive . With incisively square dimensions ( 3.25 - column inch bore and stroke ) , 10:1 compressing , and a root - type supercharger , it produced over 300 bhp – phenomenal for the twenty-four hours . However , it ran on a methanol / gasoline blend , not just vernacular at local fill stations .

Both collector’s item were futurist . The 116 - inch - wheelbase LeSabre sported a wrapped windscreen and " Dagmar " bumpers . The XP-300 , on an inch - forgetful wheelbase , predict production ' 54 Buicks in its head-on handling .

Speaking of production , Buick had been pushing relentlessly toward issue - three , break off its all - sentence record in calendar 1950 with more than 550,000 cars . The 1954 tally of 531,000 left Buick trailing only Chevrolet and Ford , a office it had n’t held since the ' 40s . The division ’s 1955 book was another platter : 781,000 , nearly 50 percent higher than the late best .

This winner was owed largely to the Special , which had become one of America ’s most democratic car . Over 380,000 were build for 1955 , Detroit ’s banner year of the decade , including 155,000 Riviera two - door hardtops , that season ’s individual bestselling Buick . A dexterous ' 55 restyle hold open cut-rate sale stentorian , aided by even - more - potent V-8s delivering 188 bhp on special , 236 bhp elsewhere .

For mid-‘55 came four - room access Riviera hardtop sedans in the Special and Century serial publication ; Super and Roadmaster versions pursue for ' 56 . These ( along with the Oldsmobile Holiday ) were the first four - door hardtops , GM once again forcing the rest of the industriousness to toy snatch - up .

The ' 56 Buicks did n’t sell as well as the ' 55s – but then , ' 56 was a " breathing space " for most everyone . Another facelift infix model - class identification to exterior nameplates , which Buick would empty after 1957 amid customer ill that it made the cars obsolete that much sooner .

The " H.P. slipstream " was at full gallop , and the ' 56s were the most - power­ful Buicks yet . The Special now offered 220 bhp , other models 255 . A Century could jump from 0 - 60 mph in 10.5 seconds and top 110 mph , and every ' 56 Buick could do at least 100 mph .

Longer and lower Modern bodies get for ' 57 wear slightly exaggerated ' 56 styling . Though variance general manager Ed Ragsdale never say how much this makeover toll , it must have run several hundred million . Yet despite the most - sweeping alterations since ' 49 , Buick ’s ' 57s did n’t betray that well , mainly because rival were pressing hard for diligence design leadership . Chrysler , in fact , pick out over with its new fleet of longer , lower , glassier , and tailfinned cars create under Virgil Exner .

Still , Flint ’s ' 57s were dashing and somewhat clean for the age . And HP was high still : 250 for Special , an even 300 elsewhere , thanks to a drill hole / stroke job taking V-8 shift to 364 cubes . Model changes were few but interesting : pillarless four - doorway wagons for Century and Special , plus a Series 75 Roadmaster Riviera hardtop coupe and sedan chair . The latter , just upmarket versions of the unconstipated Series 70 models , had every possible stock luxury redeem air conditioning : Dynaflow , power guidance and brakes , three-fold exhaust , robotic windscreen washers , backup lights , clock , special interior with deep - pile carpeting , and more .

But though 1957 was a comme il faut twelvemonth for Buick , it was even beneficial for Plymouth , which pushed Flint from third to fourth in cut-rate sale for the first time in three years .

1958 and 1959 Buicks

Sales were sluggish in 1958 , noteworthy for the gaudy Buicks ever . From cast chrome - draped fins to a monstrosity grille holding 160 shiny little squares , Flint ’s " B-58 " models looked overtly flowery – especially the heroically over - decorated Limited , fresh revivify : The ' 58s were also the fattest Buicks since the warfare – some 400 pounds heavier than the fifties and three to four inches longer than the ' 57s – so performance suffered with unaltered HP .

No ' 58 Buick sold well , though the yr ’s flash recession was as much to blame as the gaudy styling . manakin - yr yield stop at some 240,000 , and Flint dropped behind Olds to fifth in gross revenue . airwave suspension was offered , but rarely ordered . In all , ' 58 was a very bad year for Buick .

So was 1959 . But where the ' 58s were ostentatious , the ' 59s were refined . Though again dominated by omnipresent tailfins – gravid than ever now , and fresh cant – the ' 59s were placid , clean , and fairly self-respectful , with Brobdingnagian windshields , fewer chrome grille squares – and no sweep - spears . Buick now shared corporate A- and B - organic structure with sister GM makes , but it was n’t obvious . Nor was the fact that ' 59 styling was a hasty response to Chrysler ’s successful ' 57s . But thank good for it . Original ' 59 plans called for face - lifted ' 58s , which were grim .

For the first time in two decades , Buick retitled its series for ' 59 . Special became LeSabre , Invicta replaced Century , and Super and Roadmaster were now Electra and Electra 225 . The last two mount a 126.3 - in wheelbase , trim 1.2 inches from 1957 - 58 . LeSabre / Invicta share a 123 - in chassis and Special / Century consistence styles save hardtop Wagon , which were fell due to low sales . Electra were price quite a bit lower than similitude ' 58s , spanning a $ 3800-$4300 chain of mountains . Buick was call 1959 ’s most - changed car , and the changes were for the good .

On the mechanically skillful side , 1959 wreak a raw 401 - cid V-8 with 325 bhp for the upper three series ; LeSabre stayed with the last Special ’s 364 . powerfulness brake and steering were stock on Electras , a $ 150 option elsewhere . Air conditioning was $ 430 across the circuit board . atmosphere abeyance ( for the rear only ) was still nominally available – and still almost never govern due to undecided dependableness problem .

Significantly , Buick dealers sell more Opels than ever in ' 59 . The " captive import " from GM ’s German subsidiary company had been assigned to Buick in ' 58 , and soon nabbed a fairish figure of customer aweary of outsized , overweight cars . But Buick was already planning its own powder compact , and its superstar would develop again .

1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 Buicks

Buick volume hang glide from about 250,000 cars and ninth place in 1960 to more than 665,000 and a tight hold on 5th by ' 69 . This success was due partially to the advent of compacts and part to increased requirement for traditional Buicks . Electra sales agreement , for instance , were only some 56,000 in 1960 but nearly 159,000 by ' 69 . Corresponding LeSabre figure were about 152,000 and nearly 198,000 . Wildcat , which replaced Invicta for ' 63 , commence at about 35,000 but was almost double that by decade ’s end .

The aforementioned concordat appeared for 1961 as the smallest Buick in 50 years . Reviving the especial name , it was one of three " second - wave " GM compacts – the Buick - Olds - Pontiac modeling that followed Chevy ’s Corvair ( and adopt some of its soundbox engineering science ) .

Riding a 112 - column inch wheelbase , Special offered base and DeLuxe coupe , sedan , and four - room access Charles’s Wain in the $ 2300-$2700 range of a function . All carried a new 215 - cid aluminum - block V-8 with 155 bhp – promiscuous , smooth , and efficient . ( Amazingly , product hold out into the twenty-first C . GM sold manufacturing right to Rover , which used it in Rover cars and Land Rover utility vehicle start in the later ' sixty . )

Responding quickly to the jazzy - car craze begun by the 1960 Corvair Monza , Buick field a more special Special DeLuxe coupe for mid ' 61 . This one resurrected another familiar name : Skylark . No - cost pail seats , optional vinyl roof , and a 185 - bhp V-8 aid sell more than 12,000 in that myopic launching time of year . For 1962 came Skylark and Special DeLuxe convertibles , an optional Borg - Warner four - speed gearbox – and more than 42,000 Buick compact sales .

The big Buicks change dramatically after the 1960 models , which were basically toned - down ' 59s . The ' 61s ride unchanged wheelbase but matter 100 - 200 pounds less , looked much cleaner , and boasted fewer gimmicks .

For 1962 , Buick unleash the Wildcat as a specialty Invicta : a two - ton , 123 - inch - wheelbase luxury hardtop priced around $ 4000 and sporting bucket seat , vinyl group roof , and unparalleled exterior badging . First - year sales were so serious that Wildcat replaced Invicta on all midrange elderly Buicks for ' 63 keep open a single wagon ( few than 3500 sold ) , after which the Invicta name disappeared .

As noted , the premium Electras attract increased sales right away . Two serial continued for 1960 - 61 : received Electra and the posher Electra 225 , mention for its overall length in ­inches and soon popularly have sex as the " Deuce - and - a - fourth part . " This setup did n’t last , however , as all Electras became 225s for ' 62 . Buick then concentrated on few offerings . Electra ’s standard engine through 1966 was a 325 - bhp 401 V-8 . A bore - out 425 with 340/360 bhp became optionally useable by 1964 . Both then gave way to a standard 430 with 360 horses .

Buick styling was n’t exceptional in the sixties , with one singular exception : the new - for-‘63 Riviera ( recycling yet another well - known Flint byname ) . This svelte personal - sumptuosity hardtop coupe changed Buicks ' stick-in-the-mud image almost overnight . Many masses experience that GM styling honcho William L. Mitchell ( who ’d succeeded Harley Earl on his retirement back in ' 58 ) had fathered one of the best automotive shapes of all time .

This newfangled Riviera was first conceived as a LaSalle , renovate Cadillac ’s lower - price nameplate of 1927 - 40 . ( It was n’t the first attack . Buick head designer Ned Nickles had penned an experimental " LaSalle II " buggy and hardtop sedan for the 1955 Motorama , both with trademark vertical - themed lattice . ) The impulse was Ford ’s highly successful four - ass Thunderbird that bowed for 1958 . At one time , a convertible , four - room access hardtop , and even a translatable saloon were considered . Ultimately , the hardtop - coupe Lucius DuBignon Clay model approved in early 1961 was set apart to Buick to give it a jibe in the sale subdivision . Not that there was much option . Cadillac did n’t have facility to build the car ( and did n’t postulate it ) , Chevrolet was enjoying record sales agreement , and Oldsmobile and Pontiac had other fish to fry .

Mitchell freely admit to borrowing some of the ' 63 Riviera ’s purpose chemical element . Its razor - edge roof styling , for instance , was inspired by sure 1950s English custom body - piece of work . But the ruined merchandise was handsome and individual . As scheduled , model - year production was exactly 40,000 .

Riding a 117 - in wheelbase , Riviera was about 14 inches little and 200 - 300 pounds lighter than other bountiful ' 63 Buicks . At first , Electra ’s 325 - bhp 401 V-8 was stock and the young 340 - bhp 425 optional , but the latter became base major power for ' 64 , when optional horses increase to 360 . Standard two - speed Turbine Drive was used for ' 63 , three - upper Hydra - Matic thereafter . Handling was up to performance , which was strong . The typical 325 - bhp Riv execute the quarter - international nautical mile in 16 second at 85 mph ; a 360 - bhp railcar manage 15.5 seconds and 90 - plus mph .

1964, 1965, 1966 Buicks

For 1964 , Buick link up Olds and Pontiac in offer large , restyled compact with GM ’s new midsize A - consistence platform , also used by Chevy ’s young Chevelle . Wheelbase stretched to 115 inches for all eubstance styles except the fresh Skylark Sport Wagon , which had a 120 - column inch wheelbase . The Sport Wagon ( and Olds Vista Cruisers ) sport a raised rear roof section with glass insets on three sides .

There were new engines , too : a 225 - Criminal Investigation Command V-6 ( a bauble for Detroit ) with 155 bhp , and a cast - iron 300 - cid V-8 with 210/250 bhp . With that , the plush Skylark rapidly became the most - popular smaller Buick . Skylark / Special output was about 9 - to-10 for ' 64 , but Skylark had reached a near 5 - to-1 proportion by 1969 .

Flint ’s 1964 standards were long overall but unchanged in wheelbase . The compacts ' newfangled 300 V-8 became stand LeSabre power . Like the Century of yore , Wildcat was the division ’s blistering rod , bear the Electra 401 in the lighter , shorter LeSabre chassis . Reflecting its popularity , a four - room access sedan joined the transformable and two hardtop that year . All ' 64 senior retained their ' 63 smell , but with corner and boundary ­rounded off . Riviera was little changed , but output dropped by about 2500 units .

The class ’s 1965 output was 50 percent above its 1960 total , put Buick 5th in the annual industry subspecies . An elaborate card in universal and the unique Riviera in special were responsible , but so was a very impregnable overall marketplace that buy Detroit elevator car in platter number : over 9.3 million for the calendar year , the estimable since ' 55 .

Like everyone else in 1965 , Buick proliferate trimming and mannikin variations so buyers could almost custom - build their cars . That year ’s next-to-last line comprised V-6 and V-8 Skylarks and standard and DeLuxe Specials price from about $ 2350 to $ 3000 , plus V-8 Special " Sportwagons " in the $ 3000-$3200 range . Wildcat devolve with three body type in standard , DeLuxe , and Custom trim , plus DeLuxe and Custom convertibles . LeSabre and Electra 225 offered the same in standard and Custom versions .

At $ 4440 base , the Electra 225 Custom convertible was the priciest ' 65 Buick , with the elegant Riviera close behind at $ 4408 . Engine assigning stand pat . Riviera attain added eminence via hidden headlamp , the four beams moving from the main grille to stack vertically behind front - cowcatcher subgrilles rework into " clamshells . " Taillights move down into the rearward bumper .

A memorable new choice arrived for ' 65 : the Gran Sport software system for Riviera and Skylark . It delivered some $ 250 worth of performance delicacy , include oversize tire , Super - Turbine 300 reflex , and Wildcat 401 V-8 . The Skylark Gran Sport was every in a tremendous touring car , though it was really Buick ’s " muscular tissue machine " response to Pontiac ’s blistering - sell year - old GTO . The Riviera GS was even grander in its way , adequate to of 125 mph flat out . Motor Trend magazine said it " goes and handles better than before , and that ’s quite an improvement . "

The large attraction for 1966 was a second - generation Riviera , a cousin to that twelvemonth ’s new E - body front - thrust Olds Toronado . The Riv retained rear driving and looked much more massive than the frizzly 1963 - 65 , yet wheelbase was only two inches longer . More - curvaceous contours , wide hidden - headlamp grille , and a sleek semifastback roof with vestiges of the previous razor edge made it telling to the eye . Yet it betray for only about $ 4400 , which today seems unbelievably low .

Other ' 66 Buicks were mainly carryovers , but a stroke 340 interpretation of the 300 V-8 was made received for LeSabres and Skylark Sportwagons .

1967, 1968, 1969 Buicks

Modestly redone grilles , side trim , and taillights were again the principal alteration for ' 67 juniors , but that year ’s senior set about new GM B- and C - body with flow semifastback profiles on hardtop coupes and more voluptuous lines everywhere else . name the ' 67 Riviera was a horizontal - crossbar grillwork and revamp parking lights .

special and Skylarks continued with the 225 V-6 and 300/340 V-8s for ' 67 , but a new 430 V-8 – Buick ’s biggest engine – was now stock for Wildcat , Electra , and Riviera . Though no more strong than the 425 , it was smooth and quieter .

A new Special / Skylark option was a shape - iron 400 , a bore - and - stroked 340 . This form the heart of a new Skylark subseries forebode GS 400 offering translatable , two - door hardtop , and pillared coupe with wield respite , bucket hindquarters , and other sporting touches . A similar hardtop with the 340 engine give in as the GS 340 . Model - twelvemonth sales were excellent , exceeding 560,000 .

Skylark sold in record numbers for 1968 , partly because Specials were trimmed to just three DeLuxe models . Like other ' 68 GM intermediate , junior Buicks sweep up a new " stock split - wheelbase " A - body qualification for 112 - inch Special / Skylark two - door , 116 - inch Special four - doors and DeLuxe wagons , and 121 - inch Sportwagons ( versus 120 inches in 1964 - 67 ) .

The red-hot GS 400 returned minus coupe , while GS 340 give way to a GS 350 with a bored 350 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 packing 280 bhp . A 230 - bhp version was a fresh Special / Skylark option and measure for Sport­wagon , Skylark Custom , and LeSabres ; all these proffer the tune up unit at extra toll . The 225 V-6 gave path to a Chevy - built 250 inline six with blue compression , reflecting 1968 ’s newfangled federal emissions rules .

Like the ' 67s , the fully grown ' 68 Buicks had side sculpturing ( traced with moldings on some models ) call back the ' L " sweep - shaft , " plus dual-lane wicket , big bumper , and , new that season , hidden wipers . The rebodied midsizers wore standardized down - sloped side " character " lines , plus unexampled radiator grille , the hide - away wiper , pointy rear fender , and taillamps in large back bumper . Riviera catch a heavy - handed divided up grill that made it search more artificial than in 1966 - 67 .

Many Buicks returned to tradition with stylized front - fender " ventiports . " Exceptions were Wildcats , g 400s , and Skylark Customs , where rectangular trimness was used to suggest air vents of various type .

No locomotive engine change fall out for record - break 1969 , when Buick built more than 665,000 cable car , its decade high , though it still ran fifth in the diligence . elder again received new body , this sentence with ventless side glass and a squarer , more - formal look .

The year - old next-to-last line displayed the expected minor trim shuffle ; Gran Sports and Sportwagons remained separate series , as in ' 68 . LeSabre still rode a 123 - column inch wheelbase , but so did Wildcat for the first meter in four years .

This hot - selling line carry on into 1970 , but without Specials – the smaller workaday models were now Skylarks – and with the three estates coaster wagon in a separate series . The latter remained big upper - course of instruction two- and three - seat haulers battling the likes of Chrysler ’s Town & Country .

All full - sizers grow new grilles , bumpers , and taillight ; intermediates pick up long hoods , bulkier lower - body contours , and different grilles for each serial publication . Riviera also gained a longer hood , revert to expose headlamps astride a slight - pedigree vertical - bar grille , sported a wider rear windowpane and altered bumpers , and offered rearward fender skirt as a first - time option . The result was more self-respectful , if a shade stuffy .

Buick ’s independent mechanically skillful ontogenesis was an tremendous 455 V-8 . An offshoot of the 430 it supplanted , this monster gulp premium gas at the rate of 12 mpg on concretion ratio of at least 10:1 . The last mammoth V-8 Buick would build , the 455 bowed in ' 70 with 350 , 360 , or 370 bhp , and was standard for the GS and LeSabre 455s , Riviera , Electra 225 , Wildcat , and Estates .

1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 Buicks

Flint would remain stanchly committed to big railcar throughout the ' 70s , but Energy Department economics and political science mandatory inevitably prompt little models as prison term passed . Never­the­less , full - sizing cars remain Buick ’s bread - and - butter through 1975 , accounting for over 40 percent of total division sales .

GM wholly redesigned its full - sizing model for 1971 , and that year ’s big Buicks were the largest and heaviest yet – as heavy as American cars would ever get . Styling was more rounded , with smoothly slue " fuselage " bodysides , monolithic hood , and all-encompassing expanses of glass .

Wildcat was retitled Centurion ( recalling a mid-’50s Buick show car ) , and shared its barn - body political program with the pop LeSabre . The upmarket Electra remain a C - body first cousin to Olds Ninety - Eight and Cadillac de Ville . demesne paddy wagon moved up to its 127 - inch wheelbase .

Big Buicks continued in this form through 1976 , becoming busier and somewhat bulky each year , but not importantly changed except where needed to fill flowering safety and emissions linguistic rule . All were thirsty . The last 455 - cid Electra , for example , was honest for only 8.7 mpg in the Environmental Protection Agency ’s urban center - fuel - economic system ratings .

Riviera also bulge up for ' 71 , win three inch between wheel centers ( to 122 ) . It also gained about 120 needless pound , though it look like more . Dominating swoopy new Bill Mitchell styling was a striking " boattail " deck that proved controversial and was thus short - hold up – gone after ' 73 . The GS option , a last shadow of summercater , vanished after 1975 , but Buick tried to keep enthusiast concerned with a " Rallye " bundle offering reenforce front antiroll bar , a fresh rear ginmill , and with child - duty springs and shocks . This was claim to provide even better ride and handle than the chiliad , and likely should have been standard to cover the size and weightiness of these brute .

Oddball styling and outsize heft must have contributed to Riviera ’s flag fortunes in this period ; by 1975 , sales were less than half of what they ’d been five years before .

The last of the 1968 - time of origin Skylarks appeared for 1971 - 72 . They remain firm , honorable - await middleweights , though their engines were being demasculinize by great power - sapping emission - control devices , which mean Gran Sports were n’t so hot anymore . Signaling the impendent death of midsize Buick convertibles ( ragtop sale were down to a dribble industrywide ) , Skylark hardtop coupe offered a fold - back cloth sunshine-roof as a new ' 72 option . Trim software created a bevy of models : alkali , 350 and Custom Skylarks , plus Sportwagons and Gran Sports .

Buick ’s last true muscle car were also 1970 - 72 models . They ’ve since become sought after collectible for their functioning and miniscule output . A prime exemplar is the 1970 GSX , a bespoilered gee 455 hardtop with new " Stage I " locomotive engine tuning ; it saw only 678 copies ; the GS 455 transmutable was little higher at 1416 . Both were back for ' 71 ( GSX as an option software ) with bold black body stripes and hood pigment , special grill , chrome wheel , and fat tires . Figures are n’t available for the ' 71 GSX , but only 902 GS ragtops were build and just 8268 hardtops , reflecting the big driblet in performance - car demand after 1969 .

For 1973 , the respected Century name returned once more , this meter on redesigned intermediate Buicks with unaltered wheelbase . All hire a new - generation A - body with so - holler " Colonnade " styling that did forth with pillarless coupe and sedans . convertible were no more , GM reacting to a proposed federal principle on rollover protection that would have illegalize ragtops but which ironically never materialise .

bolster by spiffy Luxus and Regal submodels ( the latter made a separate serial publication after ' 74 ) , the midsize Centurys sell well through 1977 , providing an important " safe earnings " at times when splashiness and rising fuel prices sent would - be big - car emptor skitter for thriftier alternatives .

A compact also returned to Buick , its first in 10 geezerhood . Arriving for mid ' 73 as the Apollo , it was just a rebadged knockoff of the 111 - in - wheelbase X - body Chevrolet Nova from 1968 , with the same three body styles ( two- and four - door sedan chair and a hatchback two - door ) plus , ab initio , the same 250 - cid Chevy straight six as stock power . It was a definite asset during the big - cable car gross sales slump touched off by the Middle East vegetable oil trade stoppage late that twelvemonth , but intermediate would remain more important to Buick ’s overall health .

1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 Buicks

Confusing buyers for 1975 was the restoration of the Skylark name at the top of the compact agate line , where it would eventually supplant Apollo . In common with all hug drug - body variants that yr , Buick ’s rendering gained intemperately revised outer panels that gave it something like European " sports sedan " flair .

A genuine surprise was the novel - for-‘75 Skyhawk , the smallest Buick in living memory . A close twin to the Vega - based Chevrolet Monza , this 97 - inch - wheelbase subcompact " hatch - coupe " take a fleck more than eight percent of total segmentation sales in its first six months . Though not light for its size , Skyhawk tender a comely public presentation / economy blend thanks to a young 90 - degree 231 - cid V-6 engine , the only one available . snitch at 110 bhp , and also received power for the ' 75 Skylark , Century , and Regal , this would be a significant locomotive engine in twelvemonth to come .

Model - class 1977 brought the first of GM ’s downsized cars . Sometime before the first energy crisis , management had decided to move to smaller , lighter , more - economical designs in every sizing and price category . Its largest cars were the consistent starting point , and they were render even more well timed by the administration corporate average fuel economy standard ( CAFE ) that study result for ' 78 .

The first fruits of this program were dramatically evident at Buick , where LeSabre and Electra shrivel to almost Century size . Wheelbases compact to 116 and 119 inches , ­respectively ( Estate waggon rode the short one ) ; curb exercising weight dropped several hundred pounds . This made humble railway locomotive feasible , yet interiors were within in of the sure-enough giant ' size . Riviera was n’t left out , becoming a eminent - spec version of the new B - body LeSabre ( though it would before long return to the corporal E - body ) .

Electra through 1979 swear on a standard Chevy - built 350 V-8 ; a new 403 with 185 bhp was optional , good manners of Olds . Convertibles were no more ( killed after ' 75 ) , but two- and four - door sedan were offered in LeSabre , LeSabre Custom , Electra 225 , and 225 Limited series . The following twelvemonth brought even fancy Electra Park Avenue models . An interesting 1978 accession was the LeSabre sportsman coupe , power by that twelvemonth ’s new 165 - bhp turbocharged version of the Buick V-6 .

Intermediates were next on the bodied slenderizing docket , so a smaller Century bow down for 1978 along with a freestanding Regal series of personal - luxury coupes , all establish on a newfangled 108.1 - inch - wheelbase A - body . Regal sold well from the start , but Century did n’t . Sloped - roof " aeroback " styling on the two- and four - room access saloon was out of phase with vendee tastes , though there was nothing wrong with the bighearted wagon .

Buick redress this mistake for 1980 with a more - formal - looking notchback four - door bearing a lightheaded resemblance to the first - generation Cadillac Seville , and sale accept off . Buick had turbocharged its V-6 with the new midsize line in mind , offering it in sporty Century and Regal sport coupe models . But the sale pattern was the same , and the mess up Century disappear with aerobacks .

Riviera was downsize a second time for ' 79 . Styling was crisper and tighter , and front - wheel drive at last put the model in line with its Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado cousin . A turbo V-6 was usable here , too . Though most buyers opted for standard powerplants , the pursy Riv was a hunky-dory performer – able-bodied to jump from 0 - 60 mph in under 12 indorsement while averaging close to 20 mpg in more - restrained driving , this despite a still - bulky 3800 - British pound sterling bridle weight .

Though it forebode much , the little Skyhawk crosshatch - coupe was never a big vender and disappear after 1980 . One interesting 1979 - 80 mutation was the Road Hawk , a software system take at younger buyers more concerned in sportscar look than actual power . Fore and aft spoilers , special rouge and tape stripes , identifying decals , mag - style wheels , and larger tyre were included , but there was little natural process to back up the gasconade .

Yet despite the periodic blemished ware and mart misreckoning , Buick had moved with change buyer demands in the ' 70s , glean the benefit of good sale while some other makes faltered . Per tradition , Buick anticipated most market tendency and responded with cars that , if not on the extend edge of design , were at least in tune with the clock time . Strong sales year after twelvemonth were proof that Buick not only knew its mart but how to fulfil it .

Buick Strategy in the 1980s

Buick start the ' fourscore by again reaching out to the younger , more - affluent types who ’d bought Gran Sports in the " peak power " earned run average . This reflected the product policy of Lloyd Reuss , a former division headman engineer who became Buick general handler in 1980 . A real " machine guy , " Reuss wanted some Buicks to be American - style BMWs , and he draw his way .

By 1983 , there were clean tetraiodothyronine type editions of every Buick save for the LeSabre and plushy Electra , feature black exterior trim , firmer chassis , more - stiff engine , and " gadget driver - oriented " interiors . Buick also put on an Indy - car racing programme for its V-6 and offered over - the - return record hop - up parts to cement its hop-skip - for image as a more youthful , performance - oriented outfit .

This strategy worked well for a sentence , but ultimately backfired . Buick jumped to third in industry production for 1982 - 83 and ran fourth in model years ' 81 and 1984 - 86 . Even so , ' 86 book was well down on ' 85 ’s , and the playground slide continue into 1987 , when Buick fall to fifth , behind Oldsmobile .

A important factor was strong new competition from Pontiac , which offered many of the same canonical cars but had latterly returned to its ' sixty - stylus performance theme and return to third for the first time since 1970 . Trying to be all thing to all people , Reuss later conceded , only confused Buick ’s image – and its customers .

In the end , it did n’t count . Chairman Roger Smith ’s wholesale collective shake-up , ordain in 1984 to reverse GM ’s withering marketplace share and in evidence by ' 87 , call for returning each GM make to its distinct spoke on the price - and - prestige ladder fashioned back in the ' 30s by legendary president Alfred P. Sloan . At Flint , this meant a headlong hideaway from T types and turbo V-6s , and by decade ’s end the section had mostly generate to its traditional brand of upper - middle - class luxury – a " Doctor of the Church ’s car " once more .

Big Buicks enter the ' eighty with subtly restyled sheetmetal tell to reduce wind resistance as an aid to fuel economy . Toward the same death , more extensive use of lighter material also clear an median 150 - pound weight unit savings , about half that achieved with the ' 77s . It ’s left how perspective change . GM ’s first downsize magnanimous cars seemed quite small next to Big Three rivals of the twenty-four hours . Now they look just as large as their outsized predecessors .

The 1980 Riviera was essentially a reprise but introduced a longsighted - time Cadillac feature : " Twilight Sentinel , " the automatic on / off headlamp control with delay timer ( for keeping the light on for up to three minutes after switch off the ignition to illuminate your path ) .

An important new Buick get in the spring of ' 79 as an early-1980 entry . This was a front - campaign replacement for the long - running rearward - thrust Skylark , partake in GM ’s technically innovative new 104.9 - inch - wheelbase cristal - body political program with siblings Chevrolet Citation , Pontiac Phoenix , and Oldsmobile Omega . Buick had learned its styling lesson , so this raw , small concordat was offered only in traditional notchback form . Design highlights included rack - and - pinion guidance , all - coil suspension , and transversely wax engines – either 2.5 - liter Pontiac - build inline - four or an optional 2.8 - liter 60 - point V-6 from Chevrolet .

Skylark perform well with the latter , and tastefully done sport coupe and athletics saloon model put up firmer dangling and sportier appointments for more - serious drivers . Likely on the enduringness of the Buick name , Skylark became the secondly - best - sell X - car after the eminent - volume , lower - priced credit . Unfortunately , instruction execution left much to be desire on all X - railcar , which soon supplanted the Dodge Aspen / Plymouth Volare as the most - recalled cars from Detroit .

Buick ’s generally strong sale in the ' 80s reflected a consistent exemplar lineup , which evolve in whole tone with those of other GM divisions but was , perhaps , more clear - slew to buyers from year to yr . Some individual models certainly seemed eonian . The bountiful 1977 - vintage Electra and LeSabre , for example , hardly switch at all after their 1980 update , receiving only minor styling and equipment shuffles through mid - decade while accounting for about a quartern of partition turnout each year .

The full - size Estate wagons proceed in this vein through 1990 , collect fewer sale as fourth dimension happen , but coupe and sedan models gave way to more - efficient and popular front - parkway successors , beginning with 1985 ’s new C - consistence Electra . A alike H - body LeSabre arrived the following year .

denote a second wave of GM downsizing , these smaller expectant Buicks shared a 110.8 - inch wheelbase and value some two feet shortsighted and 400 pound swooning than the 1977 - 84 models . Yet they barely sacrificed any passenger room and were vastly more enjoyable to push back , thriftier with fuel , and adequately quick . Transverse - mounted V-6s mated to four - speed over - drive automatic transaxles across the panel .

Initially , 3.0 - liter gasoline and 4.3 - litre diesel engines were offered , but soon vanish in favor of the old reliable 3.8 - liter accelerator social unit , though update with sequential multiport electronic fuel injection and , from ' 86 , roller valve shoplifter . A limited " 3800 " engine with 165 bhp ( versus 150 ) arrived on certain ' 88s . Electra coupes disappeared after 1987 , when the top - line Park Avenue became a separate poser and a laudable novel antilock brake system ( announced for ' 86 ) became more widely available for both series .

Electra offered a subtly sporty T Type sedan , LeSabre a T Type coupe . But , as always , the traditional Custom and Limited lines sold better by far . And those sales were practiced : around 100,000 - 150,000 a yr .

But though Buick suffered from come up sales of Japanese cars as much as any Detroit make , it could not escape the accumulative effects of misguided corporate policies that seriously gnaw GM ’s market place part by 1990 .

1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 Buick Riviera

New for 1986 , the sixth propagation Buick Riviera , the third downsized personal - sumptuousness Buick in 10 years lay a mammoth egg . Sales plunge to an 11 - yr Riviera low , the ' 86 tally off a whopping 70 percent from fashion model - year ' 85 . The 1987 - 88 results were even misfortunate .

In a path , this was curious . On a tighter 108 - inch wheelbase , this young Riviera was far more nimble than the old , and its quiet , well - mannered drivetrain was basically the same as found in Electra / LeSabre . But it was apparently a bit too small for Riviera customers . An inauspicious styling resemblance to Buick ’s N - consistence Somerset / Skylark did n’t assist , and scarcely anyone wish the gimmicky Graphic Control Center , a contact - tender TV - type screen that needlessly complicated even simple chore like change radio station .

Hoping to work things around , Buick made the ' 89 Riviera look more " important , " adding 11 inches to overall duration , ladling on chrome , and restyling the tail to resemble that of the 1979 - 85 fashion model . Did it work ? Yes and no . Production leaped from about 8600 for ' 88 to over 21,000 for ' 89 , but the latter ­wasn’t even half the total of a decade before . The 1990s sell only about 1300 units better . A more - conventional dash was a welcome change that time of year .

All this must have greatly disappointed Flint executive , who ’d check the 1981 - 84 Riviera average 50,000 exemplary - year sales and the ' 85 over 65,000 ( the increase no doubt due to emptor learning of the shrunken ' 86 ) . Like the last rearward - campaign Buicks , these motorcar changed little after 1980 .

There was a mild facelift for ' 84 , and an optional Olds - built 350 V-8 was offered through ' 82 , but turbo and nonturbo V-6s were usable all along ( the latter a new 4.1 - cubic decimeter from ' 81 ) , as was a 350 Olds diesel V-8 ( a troublesome brute , and thus seldom ordered ) , and pick of standard and T Type coupes .

Riviera ’s most interesting ' 80s maturation was the advent of its first convertible , bowing at mid 1982 . A coupe conversion do by an external contractor , it was a handsome outfit , middling hearty for a droptop and as luxurious as any Riv . But it was heavier and slower with its standard 4.1 V-6 ( fitted to most examples , though the turbo 3.8 was ostensibly available ) and retrieve few taker at $ 25,000 - plus .

output was predictably limited – just 1248 , 1750 , 500 , and 400 , severally , for 1982 - 85 – scarcity that guarantees this as a underage next payable at least . Of of course , the ragtop Riv died with the ' 86 E - soundbox , which was hold too low to be a practical four - seater in convertible form ( though Buick later on show a prototype of just such a railcar ) .

Buick Skyhawk and Buick Somerset

Buick still peddled a subcompact Skyhawk in the ' 80s , though quite dissimilar from the same - name late-’70s hatch coupe . bow for ' 82 , this was one of GM ’s five front - drive J - consistence model , ride a 101.2 - inch - wheelbase form with all - coil hanging via front MacPherson struts and a rearward ray axle on trailing arm . Buick would n’t get a translatable translation like Chevy and Pontiac , but did propose their two- and four - room access notchback styles plus 5 - door wagons from ' 83 and a " fasthatch " coupe from ' 86 .

Engines were the same four - piston chamber fare used by sis Js : Chevy - built overhead - valve 2.0 - liter ( abandoned after ' 87 ) and a Brazilian - built overhead - cam unit . The latter , initially a 1.8 , was also offer as a more - potent turbocharged version from 1984 ; both grew to 2.0 liters for ' 87 , after which the blown engine was scrub . Custom and plusher Limited clipping was catalogue all along .

The inevitable T Types arrived for ' 83 – notchback two - doors first , then fasthatch coupes too . Styling change little through the final ' 89 models save an optional obliterate - headlamp olfactory organ from 1986 . coupe , turbos , and T Types were all dropped after ' 87 due to dwindle away sales and the class ’s riposte to its more - traditional " Premium American Motorcars " push .

In sales , Skyhawk typically ran in the middle of the J - car pack – behind Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac ’s 2000 / Sunbird but ahead of Olds Firenza and Cadillac Cimarron . While none of these elevator car fit sure Japanese rival for refinement , craft , and economy , they were at least competent and sometimes pleasant .

Skyhawk credibly benefited as much from the Buick corporate badge as any design feature , but would for certain have sold better without so much intramural competition . As it was , production peaked with the ' 84 models – over 145,000 build . After dropping for ' 85 , mass recovered to some 91,500 for industry banner - twelvemonth ' 86 . But that spurt was a fluke . By ' 89 , Skyhawk sale were down below 30,000 .

Much of the J - elevator car ’s basic engineering appeared in the 1985 Somerset Regal , a notchback two - door heralding the comer of GM ’s novel N - soundbox . Buick was n’t able to trade on the democratic royal name the room Olds did with Cutlass , so this car soon became just Somerset . Companion N - trunk four - door arrive for ' 86 under the Skylark , finish off the last 10 - body model ; Somersets became Skylarks two years subsequently .

Through 1987 , Somerset / Skylark railway locomotive comprised the intimate 2.5 four ( updated to " Generation II " specs that season ) and extra - price Buick 3.0 V-6 . An added option for ' 88 was Oldsmobile ’s new " Quad 4 , " a two-fold - smash - cam 2.3 - liter four with four valves per cylinder , an aluminium head , and a plaster cast - atomic number 26 block . With a salubrious 150 bhp even in meek initial tune , the Quad-4 prognosticate much . But it was n’t in the same league with similar Japanese engines for smoothness , tranquillity , and tote power . Buick was thus wise to retain the V-6 ( unlike Pontiac , which dropped it for the ' 88 Grand Am ) .

The N - consistency Buick obtain off to a good starting signal . Some 86,000 were built for the abbreviated debut model class , followed by nearly 138,000 of the ' 86s . Like Skyhawk , this was not a country - of - the - art rival , but it keep getting better . Among the more - notable improvements was the 1989 interchange of 3.0 V-6 for the torquier 160 - bhp " 3300 " social unit . The follow year fetch more logical biotechnology to all Skylarks , plus a novel Luxury Edition four - doorway and a Gran Sport coupe .

Having hear with the J - car that too many corporate clones spoil the sales broth , GM returned to more case-by-case styling for a leash of 1988 midsize coupe . At Buick , this new front - drive GM10 or W - body design replaced the rearward - drive Regal , but retained make appearance " pool cue " to stand asunder more clearly from the link up Pontiac Grand Prix and Olds Cutlass Supreme . importantly , wheelbase was cut just 0.6 - inch from the previous Regal ’s , to the benefit of rider space ; base curb bit weight slimmed some 250 pounds and overall distance by 8.4 inches , to the benefit of economic system and handling .

The usual Custom and Limited adaptation were on hand , and a Gran Sport appearance / handling parcel offered front " bib " spoiler , rocker - panel skirts , black radiator grille , atomic number 13 route wheels , and other " Euro " touches .

All models initially carried a thwartwise , port - inject 2.8 Chevy V-6 of 125 bhp and four - focal ratio overdrive robotlike trans­axle , plus all - disk brakes – rare in aggregative - market Detroiters . Equally laudable was the all - self-governing suspension with the expected front prance and coil springs , plus rear struts on single dog links and dual lateral link connected by a individual transverse pliant folio outpouring , as on the bountiful C / heat content - bodies .

Despite such technological finesse , Regal finished well - down on the midsize sales chart for 1988 . The cause , said many savant , was GM ’s wait in introducing plan four - door models , a fashion far preferred in this course .

GM remedied its mistake for 1991 , and Buick added Regal sedans with the same trim layer and wheelbase as its W - dead body coupe . By that head , the 2.8 V-6 had been enlarged to a 3.1 with 10 more bhp , and a extolment - worthy antilock braking system ( Av ) was offer optionally on modified and GS simulation . Despite all this , majestic gross sales go along to disappoint .

Buick Reatta

Another ' 88 freshman was a more impressive sign of Buick ’s late - decade fortunes . It was Flint ’s first production two - seater , name Reatta ( infer from an American Indian password for ­lariat ) . Though essentially a Riviera rationalise down to a 98.5 - in wheelbase , Reatta was only 4.5 inches shorter overall and almost as threatening ( at 3350 pounds ) . Powertrain and dashboard also came from the Riv , but styling was Reatta ’s own : smooth , rounded , " friendly . "

Buick ask pains to notice that Reatta was not a sports automobile but a " mature " two - seater emphasizing luxuriousness , comfort , even practicality . Extensive received equipment limited options to just an electric sliding sunroof and a driver ’s bum with no fewer than 16 great power adjustments . You had to grapple with the in question Graphic Control Center in 1988 - 89 models , but the roomy two - place cabin and a biggish trunk with drop cloth - down communicate - through control board invite long - space touring .

Even substantially , Reatta was shrewdly priced : around $ 25,000 initially , about half as much as Cadillac ’s easy - sell Italian - bodied Allanté convertible .

An open - air Reatta crouch for 1990 as Buick ’s first " in - sign " ragtop in 15 years . ( It would have appeared in former ' 89 but for last - minute production troubles . ) Both 1990 Reattas gained a stock driver - side airbag and conventional audio and mood control condition . The ' 91s boasted a further - improved 3800 V-6 , new electronic shift control for the four - upper automatic transmission , stock touring tire , and a shorter final drive for sprightlier pick-me-up .

Yet for all its appealing qualities , the Reatta was a fish out of water system : conceived in the heady days of Buick sportiness but have a bun in the oven to a division fast return to " The Great American Road . " It did have the handcrafted nimbus of a genuine circumscribed edition , built at a particular new " Reatta Craft Centre " ( though that was fix at Olds in Lansing , not at Flint ) . Yet Riviera offered the same canonic auto for less money – plus the bonus of a back seat .

Worse , Reatta craftsmanship was erratic , especially on the convertible , which not only made do with a manual top but was downright costly at an initial $ 34,995 – $ 6700 above the coupe .

With all this , Reatta failed to fulfil even its minimum yearly sales finish of 10,000 unit of measurement and was thus drop after 1991 . full production was precisely 21,850 , including a bare 2437 ragtops ( only 305 of which were built to ' 91 glasses ) .

Reatta was a sad loss for those who prize interesting cars , but it died in a good cause . The ripening of America ’s vast " baby - boom " generation implied develop need for the variety of " modern conservatism " traditional from Flint .

Indeed , the division enjoyed something close to prosperity in the other ' XC , running third in calendar - year sales among domesticated brand before give in to a renascent Pontiac in 1993 . Still , this succeeder was only comparative , as Buick mass was down to barely half its mid ' 80s tier – about half - a - million cars per yr . bad , GM as a whole was lose money by the long ton : $ 2 billion in 1990 alone , a massive $ 4.5 billion in ' 91 .

Analysts found no mystery in that . Quite but , they said , GM still had too many factories with too much capacity to build too many vehicles for too few customers . By contrast , Ford and Chrysler had become lean and more effective in the ' 80s .

GM merely redrew its organisational chart to enroll the ' 90 with the high overhead and last-place per - unit profit of the Big Three ( not to bring up the Japanese " transplant " operations that now loomed with child in the total U.S. picture ) . By 1993 , GM ’s nett losses over four long time had reached a towering $ 18 billion .

By that degree , GM had endured another awful shake-up and numerous plant closing , plus an unprecedented 1992 " palace coup " that summarily ousted chairman Robert Stempel and president Lloyd Reuss after just two years in office . GM was making money again just two years later , thanks to the exertion of new president John F. " Jack " Smith , who ’d lately turn things around for GM Europe , and John Smale , the former chief executive officer of Proctor & Gamble .

In a sensation , Buick had long been exhibit the way of life to GM ’s future . As the purveyor of " Premium American Motorcars , " it entered the ' 90s with one of Detroit ’s stronger " brand icon , " thanks to a well - found card of motorcar that made no apologies for being fluid , lush , and Detroit - traditional . Buick worked hard to strengthen its position even further in the ' 90s . Dropping Reatta had been but a first step .

1990s Buick Roadmaster

In its quest to strengthen its position in the 1990s , in 1991 Buick introduce the first Roadmaster in 35 years . It was only that year ’s restyled Chevy Caprice in Buick dress , build on the same buns - drive B - organic structure chassis from ' 77 .

But this unexampled " Roadie " was braggy , broad , and well - outfit in the best tradition of full - size Detroiters . In other Bible , it was a lot of automobile for the money , considering it was cheaper than the small , more efficient front - drive Park Avenue .

An Estate wagon bow down first with fake - wood siding , eight - passenger seats , handy two - way tailgate with freestanding elevator - up windowpane , and a $ 21,500 price shred .

Six - passenger standard and Limited sedan follow for ' 92 in the $ 22,000-$24,000 range . That same year , the substructure 170 - hp 5.0 - liter V-8 was bolstered by a much torquier 5.7 - liter option .

The ' 94s could run near to $ 27,000 , but they also guide with a standard 350 LT1 V-8 from Chevy ’s late Corvette sports car , though in low - tenseness , 260 - bhp tune . Car and Driverclocked one at 7.8 second 0 - 60 , but pull force , not cobwebby acceleration , was the name of this game – as in tow trailers and sauceboat .

The born-again Roadmaster pulled a fair act of client , all things see : a good of 85,500 for ' 92 , 30,000 to 40,000 for 1993 - 95 . Though that was n’t much compare to the levels of 10 and 20 years before , each sales event was almost perfect gravy , as the aged program and other major components had been devote for long ago .

But the Roadmaster would die after ' 96 to make way for more - profitable sport - utility vehicle output at the Arlington , Texas , factory that also ramp up the Caprice . Like Reatta , the ' XC Roadmaster serve up a purpose , but it was clear a car of Buick ’s yesteryear , not its hereafter .

Buick Century and Buick Regal

Smaller cars , particularly intermediates , were far more crucial to Buick ’s fortune in the ' 80s . For 1981 these constitute the workaday Regal coupes and a mostly carryover group of Century sedans and wagons . All retain the 1978 A - body figure that was renamed G - body for ' 82 , when the Centurys became Regals and Buick ’s 4.1 - liter V-6 replaced a 4.3 V-8 option .

Model - year book was some 384,500 for 1981 and over 328,000 for ' 82 , not bad for two very difficult industry years . yield ease to some 226,000 for 1983 - 84 , by which time four - speeding automatonlike transmissions had been adopted as a much better wager for improved mileage .

meanwhile , Buick had introduced the first front - drive Century , a notchback coupe and sedan built on the new 1982 A - body used by sister Chevy , Olds , and Pontiac models . Like them , this Century was just a " deluxe " X - car with more expansive sheet - alloy and plusher interiors on the same 104.9 - column inch wheelbase . Initial locomotive alternative were a 2.5 - l Pontiac four ; a new 3.0 - liter Buick V-6 ( destroked from 3.8 ) ; and a 4.3 - liter Olds diesel engine V-6 .

Euro - style T Types were added for ' 83 . The stick with year brought a 3.8 - liter option ( measure for T Types ) and new five - door Custom and Limited Estate Big Dipper ( replacing the old Regal models ) .

Though little changed for ' 85 , Century displaced Regal ( now down to coupe only ) as Buick ’s good - trafficker , with one-year production through 1987 of over a quarter - million units . The ' 86s were modestly restyled via a curiously unaerodynamic under - excision nozzle . The T Type coupe vanished , Chevy ’s familiar 2.8 V-6 boot out Buick ’s 3.0 as the pace - up engine , and the 3.8 gained 25 horse ( for 150 total ) via low - friction roller valve lifters , sequential - interface injectant , and distributorless treble - coil ignition .

For 1987 , the T Type became a software choice , and both the four and 2.8 V-6 received " Generation II " betterment conferring slightly more power . More stock equipment eased the sticker shock absorber of 1988 toll that were up to the $ 12,000-$15,000 stove ( versus $ 10,000-$12,000 five years before ) .

The 1989s take in a minor facelift and a fresh 160 - bhp 3.3 - liter V-6 derived from the veteran 3.8 ( to put back the 2.8 ) . Nevertheless , volume wither to some 150,000 for ' 88 , then dropped below 90,000 for ' 89 , thanks to a worsening national economic system and other factors . Still , this was highly authoritative business for Flint – and extremely creditable for such an elderly basic design .

The aging front - driving Century was one of Flint ’s most profitable plus in the early nineties . Buick increase calibre and supply features that customers need while keeping the lid on terms . While hold on to an former design might seem confutative , Buick could n’t open to get this one go bad , because the Century had descend to have great appeal for rental - motorcar company and other fleet buyers ; in fact , they now calculate for the absolute majority of cut-rate sale .

The improved workmanship was just a timely incentive , the result of a gradual but wholesale reengineering endeavor for both Century and Oldsmobile ’s related Cutlass Ciera . And it paid off . In 1993 , the influential J.D. Power organization ranked this senior duo near the top of the industriousness for initial vehicle quality .

Sales , of course , were the most significant payoff , and Century exemplar - year production continue well above 100,000 for 1990 - 95 . This was achieved with unmistakably few change : a more - Eastern Orthodox nerve for ' 91 , new downpriced Special models for ' 92 ( recycling yet another familiar Buick name ) , a new 2.2 - liter base four for ' 93 ( ousting the sure-enough Iron Duke at last ) . A received driver - side airbag and ABS arrived for ' 94 , when offerings thinned to Custom and Special sedans and a exceptional wagon .

By that point , Buick was into " value pricing " ( like other GM division ) , which meant selling well - fit cars for several hundred dollars less than if they were " optioned up " the usual way . Yet Century ’s Mary Leontyne Price spread had n’t changed that much , with stickers still in the low-cost $ 16,000-$18,000 range . Even more than Roadmaster , Buick ’s " old dog " A - body had study some profit­able raw tricks – enough to realise a stark redesign for ' 97 .

Two collectable ' 80 Buicks are found among the rearward - drive Regal coupes , which were reskinned for ' 81 with crisper , more - aerodynamic lines that persisted through the end of series yield in December 1987 . These are the red-hot turbo - powered T Type and Grand National .

The new - for-‘82 Regal T Type replaced the previous sport coupe as Flint ’s " factory spicy rod , " offer fat tyre , beefier chassis , care - getting exterior , and plush interior . Horse­power was rated at 175 - 180 bhp at first , then boost to 200 bhp for 1984 via serial - port fuel injection .

The GN bowed at mid ' 82 as a low - bulk commemorative car ( named for the Chevy - power Regals then start to clean up on the NASCAR lap ) , but in realness , it was just a fancy T Type . After a one - year foramen , though , Grand National returned with a mean all - black exterior and more unique pinch .

For 1986 get along a turbo intercooler that swelled knight by 35 for both T Type and GN . Recalibrated engine electronics gave the ' 87s 10 bhp more – and truly phenomenal acceleration . In fact , these Buicks wish fair as the truehearted elevator car in the terra firma , capable to bound from 0 to 60 in about six seconds .

Quicker still was the 1987 GNX , a $ 30,000 oddment - of - the - job limited edition ( 547 build , by contractor ASC ) with higher turbo boost , " smarter " electronics , cleaner porting , bigger tires , meaner looks , a claim 300 bhp ( 276 literal ) and a mighty 355 - 420 Ezra Pound - foot of torque . cartridge holder testers clocked 0 - 60 in the mid - fives and the quarter - mile in about 14.5 seconds at 95 mph .

For all this grandstanding , the Regal T Type was always a peripheral seller and the GN almost invisible ( only 215 of the ' 82s , about 2000 for ' 84 , even few for 1985 - 87 ) . Still , they were gravid play , even if Buick was n’t the office one expect to obtain a modernistic brawniness railcar .

1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 Buick LeSabre

Continuing as Buick ’s top - vendor by far , the full - size H - body LeSabre drew well over 150,000 orders each model year in 1992 - 94 . Its star second - situation finish in J.D. Power ’s 1989 quality survey prompted Buick to charge itself as " the new symbol for quality in America . " LeSabre also earned " best family gondola " honors fromFamily Circlemagazine and a drawing string of yearly Best Buy blurb fromConsumer Guide ® .

Helping the crusade was a thorough 1992 redesign featuring a more rounded and contemporary looking , a fluid 3800 V-6 , standard driver - side airbag , and useful no - monetary value extras like tycoon window and GM ’s " PASS - Key " antitheft ignition .

coupe disappeared , but Custom and Limited sedan chair kept moving out the door on the strength of appealing eminent - teens starting prices and see yearly feature rising slope like standard power door lock ( ' 93 ) , rider airbag and high temperature - reflecting " solar control " glass ( ' 94 ) and high - note value " Select Series " models ( ' 95 ) . Though LeSabre had no more allure for enthusiasts than a Century or Regal , it offered satisfying family conveyance with a modicum of sumptuousness at a fair damage , a combination many kinfolk observe intemperately to resist .

Buick ’s flagship C - trunk line of products received a standardised makeover for 1991 , gaining more - oleaginous line inspired by the ' 89 Essence show car , plus plastic front cowcatcher and eight inches in overall length ( wheelbase was unchanged ) .

Models thin to a $ 24,385 Park Avenue sedan and a posh young $ 27,420 Park Avenue Ultra . Both carry 3800 V-6s with tune up - porthole injection and 170 bhp , plus four - fastness automatic transaxles with electronic shift control freshly desegregate with the locomotive engine computer . Also on hand : received driver - side airbag , ABS , solar - control windshield methamphetamine , and full powerfulness assists .

befit its name , the Ultra came with a leather - lop interior and a few unique styling touches . Come 1992 , it added a supercharge V-6 , the only such engine in U.S. production other than Ford ’s Thunderbird SC unit . Unlike Buick turbos of the ' 70s and ' 80s , Ultra ’s supercharged engine was tuned for down - hurrying torsion , not high - end power . Still , its 205 bhp was n’t exactly runty , so neither was performance . Where the steady Park Avenue took 9.2 minute 0 - 60 , the Ultra postulate about eight .

Also newfangled for ' 92 was optional traction control for both model ( later extended to LeSabre as well ) . This applaudable feature was appreciated even more when the Ultra went to 225 bhp for 1994 – good for seven seconds flat in the benchmark sprint to 60 .

The 1995 base manikin got a reengineered " Series II " 3800 with vibration - quelling " balance shafts . " The blown V-6 followed causa for ' 96 and muscled up to 240 bhp – not bad for a petty pushrod engine then over 20 years onetime .

Like their linemates , Park Avenue / Ultra add together a few standard lineament each year . While that inevitably tug up prices , customers seemed unforced to go along . That was especially true for ' 91 , when the serial doubled its model - twelvemonth yield to over 100,000 . Annual volume then settled to between 55,000 and 68,000 through mid - ten .

Buick Skylark

The compact Buick Skylark was an X - body for 1981 - 85 , an N - body thereafter . For all the recall and attendant bad publicity that chivy GM ’s X - cars in these yr , the Skylark sell well . Buick built over a quarter - million of the ' 81s and more than 100,000 a class for 1982 - 84 .

The ' 85s ended the billet at around 93,000 . change in styling , applied science , and poser were stringently evolutionary . There were always 2.5 four and 2.8 V-6 coupes and sedan ( except ' 85 , sedans only ) in base / Custom and Limited trim .

variation versions through ' 82 and the two - door 1983 - 85 T case could be had with a high-pitched - production V-6 ( port - injected for ' 85 ) and fall with distinctive exteriors and Buick ’s fast " Gran Touring " dangling software . In all , this Skylark serve Buick well .

The compact N - body Skylark was much less authoritative to Buick in the other ' ninety than it was in the ' 80s . Indeed , sales declined most every model year even as Pontiac ’s similar Grand Am steadily drew up to four time as many purchaser . Skylark ’s 1992 redesign did n’t help , with a jazzy , sharp - lined outside and an oddly drawn panache worthy of Salvador Dali .

Skylark offered coupes and sedans in base and Gran Sport trim for ' 92 , then in Custom , circumscribed , and thousand guise , through ' 95 . GS models always had a standard V-6 : a Buick 3.3 through ' 93 , then a Chevy - built 3.1 . Either was preferred to the otherwise - criterion Quad-4 , which remained a rough - and - rowdy runner despite GM ’s best efforts to civilize it ( let in the belated gain of twin symmetricalness dig for ' 95 , when it was unimaginatively retitled Twin Cam ) .

A three - speed automatic was still the lone infection and thus quite passé even for a compact . An optional four - f number social unit go far for ' 94 , when all Skylarks realize a driver - side airbag as well as standard air conditioning , cruise dominance , argument direction wheel , major power windows , and reflexive power room access lock .

By that point , Skylark had added peculiar " value - price " models in the hotly contested $ 14,000-$18,000 bracket . Yet despite such tactics and suitable interim change , this was still one of those railroad car that seemed to aspire more at Hertz and Avis than Joe and Jane America .

Buick tried bolstering Skylark ’s saleroom appeal with a 1996 facelift have a toned - down exterior and a more Russian Orthodox dashboard with standard rider ’s airbag . At the same time , the base four was enlarged to 2.4 liter , mostly for good down in the mouth - amphetamine torsion ( horsepower was unaltered ) , and was teamed with the four - speed automatic like the V-6 . And all mannikin boasted standard traction mastery .

But none of this helped sales , which actually refuse to the 50,000 - unit level . With that and a new cost - cutting push by GM managers , Buick exited the compact theatre of operations after 1997 .

1990s Buick Riviera

A changing market and GM ’s steady declining share of it – down to less than 30 percent by the mid ' ninety – would ­eventually claim another Buick , the once - gallant Riviera . Its future for certain depend bleak as the decade opened , as the restyled ' 89 was leave to soldier on for four model years without significant change .

Though there were commendable technical advances like electronic transmission controller and standard ABS , they only kept the car current without make it more compelling . spoiled , the luxury - coupe grocery store started to nosedive in an early - decade recession . As a result , Riv sales were flat for 1991 - 92 at some 12,000 - 13,000 per twelvemonth , then plunged to a paltry 4555 for ' 93 . And there were no ' 94s at all .

But that ’s only because Buick had prepared an all - young Riviera for a spring ' 94 debut . foxily elaborated and refreshfully unlike , the 1995 model marked a renaissance for the ­personal - luxury Buick – arguably the most - exciting Riviera in a quarter - 100 . Styling was a major attraction . grow under studio chief Bill Porter , it had begun as a variant on the curvy Lucerne showmobile , but ended up like no Buick before . Some find out a tip of voguish " cab forward " proportioning , others a touch of Jaguar and even Ferrari Dino in the smoothly carved nose , ass , and profile .

Even if you did n’t like the newfangled face – and not everyone did – you had to admire its audacity . Car and Driver , for one , praise " the cheek and coherence of the Riviera ’s design , [ though ] the figure somehow does n’t make our warmness flutter instantly . But neither did we tire of it quickly , for there ’s a wealth of visual particular that was gradually revealed to us as we spent fourth dimension with the car . "

The reborn Riviera was decidedly bombastic and more " substantial " than the 1989 - 93 generation , arise nine inch longer , 1.9 inch wider , and 238 Cypriot pound heavier . The weight addition ­partly reflected the use of a new " G - gondola " platform , lay claim to be the strong in GM history . It was the same structure used for Oldsmobile ’s young ' 95 Aurora sedan , but aside from sharing a few underskin components and a 113.8 - inch wheelbase , the two car were nothing alike .

The move from due east - body to G - car gave Riviera a modern independent rear dangling with semitrailing arms , toe - control radio link , curlicue bounce and antiroll bar . Together with a prance - eccentric front closing and Buick frame tuning , the Riv handled with trust , if not Euro firmness , and delivered a great American - stylus ride .

The internal raise comfortableness by offering space enough for six – five with available front buckets – plus the await upscale decor and a handsome reverse gear - slant instrument venire that prompted faint memory of 1963 .

Early ' 95 Rivieras hold the 225 - bhp supercharged V-6 from that season ’s Park Avenue Ultra . Despite fair massiveness ( almost 3800 pounds ) and compulsory four - speed autobox , the winded Riv clock a brisk 7.9 seconds in 0 - 60 runs byConsumer Guide ® .

A less - expensive , standard example soon follow with the unblown 205 - bhp Series II locomotive engine . Both versions packed standard four - wheel ABS , full power , dual - zone climate command , a distant - keyless - entry organization and many other amenities now gestate in the class . Even so , the base Riv stickered at just over $ 28,000 , one thousand less than pricey foreign luxuriousness coupes , not to bring up domestic rivals . The supercharged framework was only some $ 1100 upstream , and even a full pick load ­wouldn’t push it much beyond $ 32 grand .

partisan must have been happy to see Riviera not only alive and well but more elegant and desirable than it had been in a long , long time . Buick was well-chosen to see sales go through the ceiling , comparatively speaking , turn out 41,442 for the drawn-out 1995 run . But that would be the peak . With emptor fast deserting big coupes for upscale sport - utility vehicles ( SUVs ) and sumptuousness import - brand sedans , Riviera sales spend to just over 18,000 for ' 96 , inched up to almost 19,000 for ' 97 , then plunged to 10,953 for ' 98 .

There were few changes along the way though , the supercharge railway locomotive was boosted to 240 bhp for ' 96 and was the only engine available for ' 98 , when bucket seats were standardized too .

But the market had spoken , and Riviera was consign to history after a token 2000 - social unit runnel for 1999 . Of those , about 200 were especially trimmed Silver Arrow manikin , a nostalgic nod to the Bill Mitchell show car preview the classic ' 63 Riviera . Though the valedictory edition may emerge one 24-hour interval as a small-scale collector ’s token , it was a sorry finis for what had been one of the most glamorous of all Buicks .

1997, 1998, 1999 Buicks

lose Riviera and Skylark did not badly bear upon Buick business in the belated ' 90s , which abide jolly firm with some 400,000 or more sales each calendar year through 2000 .

Timely redesigns were a big assistance , with 1997 a pivotal model twelvemonth . Century and Regal were recast on a new embodied W - body political program shared with Pontiac Grand Prix and Oldsmobile ’s new midsize ' 98 Intrigue . Coupes were forget , but sedans arrive still , bighearted lines on longer wheelbases that made for roomier interior .

Century place the folk mart with six - rider Custom and Limited models using a 3.1 - liter V-6 . Regal supply to sumptuosity seekers with LS and bucket - seat GS sedan using 3.8 - cubic decimeter V-6s – a 195 - bhp variation for LS , a hot 240 - bhp supercharged version for GS , which also boasted leather upholstery , sporty styling accents , and manipulation - oriented Gran Touring suspension .

Centurys base - priced some $ 2000-$3000 less than Regals and , perhaps as a issue , were far more democratic , draw well over 100,000 calendar - year sales in 1998 - 2000 versus 65,000 - 75,000 for Regal .

To its cite , Buick generally held the monetary value line while adding features most every time of year . The ' 99 Centurys , for example , got standard traction mastery and a useful tire - pressure monitor , while GM ’s new OnStar communications system travel from optional to monetary standard for 2001 GS Regals and Limited Centurys .

Century and Regal were salutary values for traditional sedan buyer . Despite few changes to an aging conception , sales continue strong for the first few old age of the twenty - first century . However , volume fell rapidly precede their death during the 2004 time of year .

The admirable G - platform was the foundation for redesigned large Buicks , starting with 1997 ’s Park Avenue and Park Avenue Ultra . Here , too , styling was more bosomy , though still Buick - conservative , and interiors became more spacious thanks to a longer wheelbase ( by three inches ) , though overall length was little alter .

Predictably , Flint ’s flagships offered a pile of novel feature , include front shoulder whack conveniently integrated with the seat , an aircraft - mode head - up display projecting speed and other information onto the windshield at number one wood center level , and " rain - sensing " wiper that varied intermittent sweeps according to wet detect on the windscreen .

Arriving a bit after was Cadillac ’s praiseworthy " StabiliTrak " electronic antiskid system , which throttle back ability and/or apply brake to individual wheels to keep you on course of study .

With all this , plus sensible monetary value of $ 30,000-$35,000 , Park Avenue calendar - year sales improved a sizable 44 percent in ' 97 and held in the 58,000 - 62,000 range for ' 98 and ' 99 .

Buick come to a custom with the addition of portholes to the front fenders of the 2003 Park Avenue Ultra . Last learn on ' 83 Electras , the portholes returned as part of Buick ’s 100th day of remembrance celebration . For its last class in 2005 , all Park Avenues ( not just Ultras ) proudly displayed portholes . exemplar - year sale dwindle down to just 9,363 for that final year .

LeSabre got a soft cosmetic freshening for 1997 before it , too , became a G - gondola . The intro of the new LeSabre transpose output to Detroit and marked the goal of Buick output in Flint , where most Buicks had been built since 1904 . Buick moved its headquarters from Flint to Detroit ’s Renaissance Center the previous year . Thus ended nearly a century of association between Buick and Flint .

befittingly , the redesign 2000 models bowed in early 1999 , the 40th anniversary of the LeSabre nameplate – on output Buicks , that is . Interior way improve via a longer wheelbase , plus a short extra width and even height , yet overall length and weight unit were again little changed . Styling was more nearly aligned with Park Avenue ’s , and many of the flagship ’s lineament were on script .

Even the advanced StabiliTrak scheme was uncommitted in a new " Driver Confidence " package that also include the head - up display and self - sealing tires , though it required the Gran Touring suspension option .

Yet for all the changes – include more nimble treatment , a bene­fit of the hardy G - car structure – LeSabre remained a resolutely button-down , upper - middle - social class Buick with a family - friendly character reference and value pricing in low-$20,000 territory . difficulty was , many phratry had long since choose minivan and S.U.V. over full - size of it sedans , which part explains why LeSabre calendar - year sales remained essentially flat at just under 150,000 per class through 2000 .

To mark Buick ’s 100th class in 2003 , LeSabre sum up a Celebration Edition which featured StabilTrak antiskid control , headspring - up musical instrument presentation , and unequaled trim . The gm - auto LeSabre went out of production after the 2005 season .

Buick LaCrosse, Buick Lucerne, Buick Rendezvous, Buick Rainier, and Buick Terraza

For 2005 , both Century and Regal were put back by a undivided nameplate : LaCrosse . CX and CXL rendering , aimed at the traditional Buick buyer , had a soft ride and were power by GM ’s venerable 3.8 - liter V-6 with 200 horsepower .

CXS was aimed at import buyers with firmer suspension and a 240 - bhp 3.6 - cubic decimetre twincam V-6 that had been introduced in the 2004 Cadillac CTS and SRX . The new engine was not only quicker than the 3.8 - liter , but was also smoother . Styling was cleaner and showed the fresh direction of Buick design . The upcountry design also moved forward with better cloth and assembly .

The LaCrosse was a significant advance over the manikin it replaced . All versions were comfortable and the CXS offer good manipulation as well . However , LaCrosse give out to match the coalesce sales of its two forerunner .

Just as LaCrosse interchange two conversant nameplate , so did Lucerne in 2006 . take up over for both LaSabre ( a Buick staple fiber since 1959 ) and Park Avenue , the Lucerne apportion a program with the Cadillac DTS . Occupying a middle ground between the fast-growing Chrysler 300 and the materialistic Toyota Avalon , Lucerne redefine traditional Buick values for the twenty - first century .

Ride was flabby in the Buick tradition , but some complain that the avenue ride was realize at the toll of sauceboat - like handling . quiet was also a Buick tradition and Buick put a reincarnate try into the quietness of its Modern example . The 3.8 - liter V-6 with 197 bhp from the previous elevator car was joined by Cadillac ’s Northstar V-8 engine with 275 HP – Buick ’s first ­passenger - car V-8 in more than a tenner . Interiors were more luxurious with fit and materials to match any motorcar in its division .

Light - truck demand grew at a phenomenal pace throughout the 1990s , one of the most important market movement of the decade . Another was GM ’s unshakable exit of grocery contribution , which wither to only some 25 percent by the start of the new millenary .

Attempting to twist thing around , GM embrace " brand management , " a philosophy that said beneficial mathematical product were less significant to sales than a good name with a in effect image . It was a young twist on the old " trade the sizzle , not the steak " thought , and it did n’t work in the much more competitive late-’90s market . bad for Buick , brand direction was a misdirection that left the class on the sidelines of the profitable light - truck action .

GM finally compensate the oversight with the 2002 Rendezvous , Buick ’s first truck in 70 years . Actually , this was one of a young breed of " crossover voter " vehicle that were rake in openhanded money by combining truck - type styling and utility with carlike purification and driving ease .

Rendezvous was related to Pontiac ’s similarly conceive Aztek , which bow about a year before it , but was far more attractive , as most critic said . Both amounted to clever reskins of GM ’s introductory 1997 front - driving force minivan design , with different outer sheetmetal giving a quasi - SUV appearance , plus four conventional side doors .

As a Buick , Rendezvous one - upped Aztek with better stock trim and equipment , not to mention a four - inch longer wheelbase that made room for uncommitted three - row seats for up to seven , a must have for this new kind of vehicle . Each extend models with front - roulette wheel drive or GM ’s new " VersaTrak " all - bike drive , but the only engine was the corporation ’s hoar 3.4 - cubic decimeter pushrod V-6 , which send 185 bhp through a four - speed automatic transmission .

A much requisite rise in world power add up in 2004 with the availability of a 245 - bhp twincam 3.6 - liter V-6 . For 2006 a new foot railway locomotive added ten H.P. . Despite the pedestrian underpinnings , Rendezvous emerged as a pleasant , well - equipped package that expanded Buick ’s market range .

That reach was elaborate further with a truck - base SUV in 2004 and a minivan in ' 05 . The Rainier was Buick ’s version of GM ’s much - cloned midsize sport ute . Other variations were the Chevrolet TrailBlazer , GMC Envoy , Oldsmobile Bravada , Isuzu Ascender , and Saab 9 - 7X. The Buick ’s standard locomotive engine was a 275 - bhp inline six ; a 290 - bhp V-8 was optional . Rainier included luxuriousness expected of a Buick – leather upholstery , powerfulness front seats , and automatonlike clime control . Buick also added supernumerary insularism and laminated ice for a quieter drive .

Terraza was a General Motors minivan with an SUV - stylus nose tot to create what GM name a " crossover sport van . " The Chevrolet Uplander , Pontiac Montana SV6 , and Saturn Relay share the same intention . Terraza was the most expensive and sumptuous of the group .

Buick entered its second century with declining sales and securities industry share . However , a renewed centering on quilt and quiet was patent in the Lucerne . The crossover Enclave concept is expected as a 2007 yield mannequin and promises to be a stronger SUV entry than Rendezvous or Rainier . After a rocky start to a new century , Buick seems to be finding guidance and building near vehicles .