Buick built a long line of comfortable, well-appointed cars that filled American driveways for generations, and a few of them were genuinely quick. From a prewar 100-mph sedan to a turbocharged coupe numbered one by one at the factory, the range covers plenty of ground. Here are twelve Buicks worth remembering, one for each stage of that history.
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1. Buick Century (1936): A Name Earned at 100
Built from 1936 to 1942, the Century earned its name by being able to reach 100 mph, according to Jerry’s roundup of classic Buicks. The badge was a direct promise about performance at a time when such a speed was a notable claim.
Buyers could read the capability right in the name. The Century set an early pattern for Buick pairing a comfortable ride with a dash of speed, a mix that later models would repeat.
2. Buick Roadmaster Skylark (1953): Skylark Debuts in 1953
Buick introduced the Roadmaster Skylark in 1953 alongside the division’s 50th anniversary, as described by Wikipedia’s Buick history. The Skylark name later returned in 1961 atop the compact Special line.
The nameplate proved durable, resurfacing on a very different kind of car eight years later. A special edition tied to an anniversary is a reminder of how Buick used limited trims to mark milestones. The 1953 car carried the Skylark name on the Roadmaster, the division’s celebration model for its 50th year.
3. Buick Electra 225 (1959): Deuce and a Quarter
The Electra debuted for 1959 as the replacement for the Roadmaster, wearing Delta-Fins and a 325-hp 401 Wildcat V-8, per Wikipedia’s Electra entry. The long Electra 225 earned the street name deuce and a quarter.
That nickname came from the car’s size, and it stuck with owners long after the model changed. For collectors, the Delta-Fin styling places the car firmly in the late-1950s design era. Its fins and 325-hp Wildcat V-8 summed up the Roadmaster’s successor as a large, powerful luxury Buick.
4. Buick Riviera (1963): Over a Million Rivieras
The first-generation Riviera sold 112,544 cars, and 1,127,261 Rivieras were built in all before production ended on Nov. 25, 1998, with a final run of 1,956 cars, according to Wikipedia’s Riviera article. The personal luxury coupe therefore spanned decades of production.
Those totals show a model that found steady buyers across many redesigns. The small final run marks the end of a long-lived nameplate in the Buick lineup. The 112,544 first-generation sales set the pace for a nameplate that eventually reached more than a million cars.
5. Buick Wildcat Gran Sport (1966): Gran Sport Muscle
The Wildcat ran from 1965 to 1970, and the 1966 Gran Sport offered a big V8 with 340 horsepower, or 360 with dual carburetors, as noted by Jerry’s Wildcat entry. Fewer than 1,500 were said to be ordered.
A full-size Buick with that much power was a quiet sort of muscle car. The low order count suggests the Gran Sport is a scarce find today. Owners seeking one would need to accept that production was small, with fewer than 1,500 reportedly ordered.
6. Buick GSX (1970): The 7.4-Liter GSX
The 1970-72 GSX carried a 7.4-liter V8 rated at 350 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, per Jerry’s GSX summary. The torque figure in particular marks it as a serious performance model.
With that much twist at the crankshaft, the GSX stood out within the Buick catalog of its day. It remains one of the badges that classic car fans associate with the brand’s muscle-era work. Its 1970 to 1972 production window was brief, which adds to the appeal for collectors of the era.
7. Buick Regal (1973): Regal and the 3800
Built from 1973 until it was retired in 2020, the Regal is credited with popularizing Buick’s 3800 V6 engine, according to Jerry’s Regal profile. That gives the nameplate nearly five decades of production.
The long run means the Regal appears in many forms, from classic coupes to later sedans. Its link to the 3800 V6 ties it to an engine that many drivers came to know. Production spanned 1973 until 2020, so shoppers find Regals from many different eras.
8. Buick GNX (1987): Numbered One by One
Buick released just 547 GNX coupes, and each one got its own number from #001 to #547, according to Buick’s GNX legacy page. The individual numbering made every car a documented piece of the production run.
That small, countable total is the reason the GNX sits at the top of many Buick wish lists. Serial numbering lets owners confirm exactly where their car falls in the sequence. Each car carrying a number between 001 and 547 makes the count verifiable for any prospective buyer.
9. Buick Park Avenue (1991): Park Avenue Goes Solo
First a 1975 trim package on the Electra 225 Limited, Park Avenue became its own model for 1991, and the Park Avenue Ultra introduced a supercharged 3.8-liter V-6, per Jerry’s Park Avenue entry. The upgrade moved the name from an option list to a full model.
The supercharged Ultra added a performance edge to what had been a comfort-first badge. It shows Buick willing to pair luxury with extra power in a full-size sedan.
10. Buick Roadmaster Estate (1994): Last of the Big Wagons
Called the last of the big-body family haulers, the 1994-96 Roadmaster Estate wagon carried a 260-hp, 300 lb-ft V-8 before production ended at the end of 1996, according to Jerry’s Roadmaster Estate write-up. Its size made it a rare holdout of a vanishing body style.
Families who wanted space and towing-friendly torque found it in this wagon. Its brief run of just a few model years makes it a distinctive piece of Buick history.
11. Buick LeSabre (2000): The Best-Seller
Introduced in 1959 alongside the Electra and Invicta and front-wheel drive from 1986, the 2000 LeSabre was billed as the best-selling U.S. full-size car for eight straight years, as covered in Jerry’s LeSabre profile. The claim places it among the era’s most popular sedans.
Strong sales help explain why LeSabres remain common in used-car lots and family stories. It stands as the mainstream face of Buick at the turn of the century.
12. Buick Encore (2013): Encore Leads Sales
Unveiled in January 2012 at the Detroit auto show, the small Encore crossover was Buick’s top-selling North American model before its 2022 discontinuation, according to Wikipedia’s Buick history. The compact crossover thus closed out the list on a commercial high note.
Its success marked a shift toward smaller utility vehicles in Buick showrooms. The Encore shows how the brand moved from big sedans of earlier decades to compact crossovers. Its January 2012 Detroit debut preceded the 2013 model year, and the 2022 discontinuation ended its run.
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