buick / scale 1/43 / the collection

David Dunbar Buick was a Scottish-born American inventor and founder of the Buick Motor Company. He headed this company and its predecessor from 1899–1906.

Buick is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobile brands and was the company that established General Motors in 1908. Before the establishment of General Motors, GM founder William C. Durant had served as Buick's general manager and major investor. With the demise of Oldsmobile in 2004, Buick became the oldest surviving American carmaker. Buick is positioned as a premium automobile brand, selling vehicles positioned below the flagship luxury Cadillac division.

Headquartered: Detroit Michigan, United States, 1897-1908

Headquaters: General Motors, Flint, Michigan, 1908-now

buick y job 1938

The Buick Y-Job, produced by Buick in 1938, was the auto industry's first concept car.

The car was driven for a number of years by Harley Earl, until he replaced it with a 1951 model car. Sometime after that, the car was restored at the Henry Ford Museum, until 1993 when it was returned to the GM Design Center.

In 2001, Buick recreated the Y-job with modern advancements called the Buick Blackhawk drawing extensively from the Y-job.

Buick Y Job (youtube.com)

Streamliner Norman Timbs 1948

Mechanical engineer Norman E. Timbs created this dramatic streamliner in the 1940s which in many ways was the ultimate American hot rod. He designed and fabricated much of the project himself which included a custom aluminum body and steel chassis. It took him over two years to finish.

Mr. Timbs was no doubt influenced by the 1937 Auto Union Typ C Stromlinie and 1937 Mercedes-Benz W25 Avus Stromlinie which ran the 1937 Avus GP. His sensational shape was a very close approximation to these cars which ran the fastest GP race of all time nearing speeds of 400 km/h.

The car was based around a 1947 Buick “Super 8” engine which powered the 1000kg car to 193 km/h. The main chassis was built up from five-inch steel tubes which kicked up over the rear axle. To offer a smooth ride, a modified 1947 Ford suspension was utilized.

Buick Streamliner Norman Timbs (youtube.com)

centurion xp-301 1956

The Buick Centurion XP-301was a concept car built in 1956.

The Buick Centurion featured an electric razor-like front grill and deeply recessed headlight pods. Aside from the transparent roof, the most outstanding design feature was the television camera mounted in the rear, which relayed a picture to a screen on the dashboard to replace the rear view mirror. Another feature was a dial in the center of the steering wheel which controlled the gear selections for the transmission.

Buick Centurion XP 301 (youtube.com)

roadmaster coupe 1957

The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile that was built by Buick from 1936 to 1958, and again from 1991 to 1996. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with entry-level Cadillac and, after 1940, senior Oldsmobiles. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster served as Buick's flagship.

When it was resurrected for the 1991 through 1996 model years, it became the marque's largest vehicle.

Buick Roadmaster Coupe (youtube.com)

electra

The Buick Electra is a full-size luxury car manufactured and marketed by Buick from 1959 to 1990 over six generations — having been named after heiress and sculptor Electra Waggoner Biggs by her brother-in-law Harlow H. Curtice, former president of Buick and later president of General Motors. The Electra was offered in coupe, convertible, sedan, and station wagon body styles.

The Electra 225 Riviera was the top-line model and it shared its six window hardtop roofline exclusively with Cadillac.

225 sedan mkI 1959-1960

For 1959 the Roadmaster was renamed the Electra and Electra 225. The Electra 225 nameplate was a nod to the car's overall length of over 5.715 m, earning it the street name "deuce and a quarter."

For 1959, the Electra and Electra 225 both used the General Motors C-body shared with the Oldsmobile 98 and all Cadillacs, riding on a longer 3.210 m wheelbase than the B-body LeSabre and Invicta.

The standard and only available engine was the Wildcat V8 with four-barrel carburetor and 325 horsepower, mated to a two-speed Dynaflow automatic transmission, which was also standard equipment along with power steering and power brakes. Power windows and seat and leather interiors were standard on the Electra 225 convertible and optional on all other models.

The Electra, along with all other 1959 Buicks, featured all new styling not shared with other GM divisions that included slanted headlights in front along with a highly chromed square grille somewhat similar to the 1958 Buick and "Delta-Fins" back along with round taillights. The "slanted" headlights were also shared with the 1958–60 Lincoln Continental.

Buick Electra MKI (youtube.com)

sedan mkV 1977-1984

For 1977, a fifth-generation Electra was introduced as GM downsized its C-body full-size lines. Again a counterpart of the Oldsmobile 98. Coinciding with the major size reduction, Buick ended production of hardtop body styles, with both two-door and four-door Electras offered only as pillared sedans. The downsized model brought increased sales, with 161,627 Electras produced in 1977.

As a consequence of the lighter body and chassis, the 455 V8 of the previous generation was retired entirely, with a Buick 350 V8 returning as the standard engine. The Oldsmobile 403 V8 was introduced as an optional engine.

The Electra was offered in standard, Electra 225, and Electra Limited trims; the Park Avenue option was added to the two-door, though the full-length center console option was deleted from the option package. The Estate Wagon shifted to the B-body chassis of the LeSabre, though adopting the front fascia of the Electra (with premium versions sharing interior trim). For 1978, the Electra Park Avenue was added as a distinct trim level.

From 1977 to 1979, the exterior of the Electra saw minor yearly revisions. For 1980, all GM B and C-bodies underwent a mid-cycle model update, with multiple aerodynamic enhancements to the body. Distinguished by a slightly lower hoodline.

Buick Electra MKV (youtube.com)

riviera

The Buick Riviera is a personal luxury car that was marketed by Buick from 1963 to 1999, with the exception of the 1994 model year. As General Motors' first entry into the personal luxury car market segment, the Riviera was highly praised by automotive journalists upon its high-profile debut. The ground-up design that debuted for 1963 was also Buick's first unique Riviera model.

Unlike its subsequent GM E platform stablemates, the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, the Riviera was initially a standard front engine/rear-wheel drive platform, only switching to front-wheel drive starting for 1979.

mkII 1966-1970

The Riviera was redesigned for the 1966 model year. It retained its cruciform X-frame, powertrain, and brakes, but its curvaceous new body was longer, wider, and 91 kg heavier. Vent windows, a feature GM had introduced in the 1930s, were absent. Headlamps remained concealed, but now pivoted behind the grille when not in use, and they were once again horizontally arranged. The car's added bulk slowed acceleration with the unchanged 425 engine. The Gran Sport package remained available as an option. Rear seat belts and AM/FM radio were optional.

The 1970 Riviera was restyled, incorporating design cues from Bill Mitchell's 1968 "Silver Arrow II" concept car. Exposed quad headlamps were nearly flush-mounted, while the new front bumper wrapped around and over the new vertical bar grille, set between the headlamp pods. A newly optional side trim feature accented the large coupe's flowing lines. Skirted rear wheels became standard, with exposed wheels an option. At the rear, a new rear bumper/taillight motif was seen. The engine was upgraded to 7.46 L, the largest engine Buick offered to date, rated at 370 horsepower gross, 245 hp net. Despite the fact that 1970 sales dropped to 37.366, the second-generation Riviera proved more successful than the first, with 227.669 units sold over five the years.

Buick Riviera MKII (youtube.com)

mkIII 1971-1973

The Riviera was radically redesigned for the 1971 model year with flowing and dramatic "boat-tail" styling. Designed under Bill Mitchell's direction, it was penned by Jerry Hirshberg, future head of design for Nissan, mating the two-piece vee-butted fastback rear window, inspired by the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray coupe, to the Riviera's platform.

The design was originally intended for the smaller A-body or its related G-body.

Large, round wheel openings were intended to convey more of a sporty air. The only engine available was Buick's own 455 ci V8 engine producing 315 hp, with 330 hp with the Gran Sport (GS) package. With a 0–100 km/h time of 8.3 seconds for the GS, but the Riviera's sporty image was rapidly fading.

For 1973, the Riviera underwent a number of changes but they only led to a marginal increase in sales, with 34,080 being produced for the model year.

Buick Riviera MKIII (youtube.com)

mkVI 1979-1985

The 1979 model year was the debut of the first front wheel drive Riviera, which was also the first front-drive production model in Buick history. Built on a 2.900 mm wheelbase, it once again shared its mechanical design and platform with the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado. The Olds 403 and Buick 350 were dropped, but the Olds 350 remained, as did a new turbocharged Buick V6 engine of 3.8 L displacement with 185 hp which was installed in the Riviera S-Type, shared with the Regal Sport Coupe turbo for model year 1980. The Riviera became Motor Trend's Car of the Year. Sales more than doubled, to 52.181 for 1979 and 48.621 for the similar 1980 models.

1982 saw the first-ever Riviera convertible, although relatively few were built, owing to a high price.

In 1983 a special edition of 500 "Riviera XX" was offered, celebrating twenty years since the introduction of the first Riviera (502 were built in the end). These have a special two-tone exterior paint, real wire wheels, a leather, and walnut interior as well as 24-karat gold plated "Riviera XX" badging.

Buick Riviera MKVI (youtube.com)

wagon 1971-1976

The Buick Estate was a line of full-sized station wagons manufactured by the Buick division of General Motors. As its premier luxury division, Cadillac, didn't offer a station wagon, the Estate was GM's most expensive and most fully equipped entry in the market.

The Buick Estate wagon was re-introduced as the top-level luxury station wagon for GM in 1970 to compete against the Mercury Colony Park and Chrysler Town & Country. Buick's first full-sized station wagon since 1964.

Buick Wagon (youtube.com)

park avenue 1990-1996

The Buick Park Avenue is a full-size car. The nameplate was first used in 1975 for an appearance option package on the Electra 225 Limited. It became an Electra trim level in 1978 and its own model starting in the 1991 model year after the Electra was discontinued. There were two generations of the Park Avenue that were manufactured in the United States until 2005.

The Park Avenue was Buick's largest front wheel drive sedan, but the even larger rear wheel drive Roadmaster returned to the line in 1991 for the station wagon and 1992 for the sedan.

The base model Park Avenue came with a 3.8 L naturally-aspirated V6 engine and plush velour interior upgradeable to leather. Starting in 1992, the Ultra came with a 3.8 L Supercharged V6 engine and standard leather interior.

The Park Avenue received various exterior and interior cosmetic changes, as well as powertrain updates, during this run.

This generation of the Park Avenue was the last Buick to be officially marketed by GM in Europe.

Buick Park Avenue (youtube.com)

lacrosse 2009-2016

The Buick LaCrosse is a sedan manufactured since 2004. The LaCrosse is now in its third generation, slotted above the Buick Regal as the brand's flagship vehicle.

The first-generation LaCrosse replaced the Century and Regal in North America beginning in the 2005 model year, serving as the brand's mid-size car. For 2010, the LaCrosse was completely redesigned and moved upmarket as a larger premium sedan.

Launched at the 2009 North American International Auto Show the second-generation Buick LaCrosse was redesigned from the ground-up and moved the nameplate upmarket, becoming Buick's flagship sedan.

The 2.4 L Ecotec four-cylinder replaced the 3.0 V6 as the standard engine on the CX model in the first quarter of 2010. The 3.6 L V6 continues to be an option on the CX and front-wheel drive CXL and standard on the CXS and all-wheel drive CXL.

The receptions by car critics was generally positive, recognizing the LaCrosse as competitive to the Lexus ES, Hyundai Azera, and Toyota Avalon.

Buick Lacrosse (youtube.com)