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156-635: Originally introduced as a personal luxury coupe , the Regal was later expanded to a full model line. To showcase its success in NASCAR racing, from 1982 to 1987, Buick introduced the Buick Regal Grand National, Regal T-Type, and the limited-production Buick GNX. During the 1990s, while the four-door sedan superseded the two-door coupe entirely, forced-induction engines made their return, with superchargers replacing turbochargers. For 1999,

312-599: A Monsoon 8-speaker surround sound system, dual climate control, and expansive interior space. Few changes occurred during this version's seven-year run. It offered 5-passenger seating on all trim levels like the Pontiac Grand Prix and Oldsmobile Intrigue (formerly Cutlass Supreme), unlike their predecessors that had optional 6-passenger seating and the Buick Century (formerly built on the A platform ) which had standard 6-passenger seating. This period held

468-608: A naturally aspirated 252 cu in (4.1 L) V6 engine with 125 hp (93 kW) at 4000 rpm and 205 lb⋅ft (278 N⋅m) of torque at 2000 rpm. Of the 215 Grand Nationals produced in 1982, at least 35 were based on the Buick Regal Sport Coupe package with the turbocharged 3,791 cc (3.8 L; 231.3 cu in) V6 engine with 175 hp (130 kW) at 4000 rpm and 275 lb⋅ft (373 N⋅m) of torque at 2600 rpm. There were only 2022 Sport coupes produced in 1982, and

624-470: A "small block" V8 in 1961 with a 4.24 in (107.7 mm) cylinder bore spacing; it was produced in four displacements, 215, 300, 340, and 350. This design also became the basis of a highly successful cast iron V6 engine , the Fireball . Design features include an external oil pump, a forward-mounted distributor, and an integrated aluminum timing cover which incorporates the oil pump mechanisms, leaving

780-495: A 1976 Regal was $ 4,910 ($ 26,290 in 2023 dollars ). The Regal was most commonly powered by Buick's 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 , which was standard equipment on all models for 1973 and 1974 before being made optional on coupes from 1975 to 1977, and the larger 455 cu in (7.5 L) V8 that was optional for 1973 and 1974 models only. Starting in 1975, Regal coupes came standard with Buick's resurrected 231 cu in (3.8 L) V6 engine previously offered on

936-723: A 20 in (508 mm) reduction in length in the case of the Eldorado. Engines were also downsized, with V6 engines available in the Riviera and Toronado models for the first time. The Riviera was named the 1979 Motor Trend Car of the Year . Sales more than doubled to 52,181 for 1979 and reached 48,621 units for the similar 1980 models. Throughout the 1970s, American-built personal luxury cars had grown larger and more luxurious, resulting in heavier cars. However, engine power output decreased because of using six-cylinder engines or detuning

1092-672: A 4.125 by 3.4 inches (104.8 mm × 86.4 mm) (bore by stroke). The Special series cars came standard with the 250 hp (186 kW) two-barrel carburetor version, where all other models got the 300 hp (224 kW) four-barrel engine. The 364 was enlarged to 401 cu in (6.6 L) and produced from 1959 to 1966. Originally a 401, it was later redesignated a 400 to meet 1960s GM directives for maximum allowable engine displacements in mid-size cars . Bore and stroke were enlarged to 4.1875 by 3.64 inches (106.36 mm × 92.46 mm) respectively. The 401/400 became Buick's muscle car powerplant of choice, used in

1248-590: A bore of 3.75 in (95.3 mm) and a stroke of 3.4 in (86.4 mm) for a displacement of 300-cubic-inch (4.9 L). It retained the aluminum cylinder heads, intake manifold, and accessories of the 215 for a dry weight of 405 lb (184 kg). The 300 was offered in two-barrel form, with 9.0:1 compression, making 210 hp (157 kW) at 4600 rpm and 310 lb⋅ft (420 N⋅m) at 2400 rpm, and four-barrel form, with 11.0:1 compression, making 250 hp (186 kW) at 4800 rpm and 355 lb⋅ft (481 N⋅m) at 3000 rpm. For 1965,

1404-431: A ceramic-impeller blowing through a more efficient and significantly larger capacity intercooler with a "Cermatel (ceramic-aluminum) coated" pipe connecting the intercooler to the engine. A GNX specific EPROM , low-restriction exhaust with dual mufflers , reprogrammed turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission with a custom torque converter and transmission cooler, and unique differential cover/ Panhard bar included more of

1560-417: A change to an iron block. GM experimented with aluminum engines starting in the early 1950s, when Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) was pushing all automakers to use more aluminum. An early-development supercharged version of the 215-cubic-inch (3.5 L) V8 was used in the 1951 Le Sabre concept car , and the 1953 Buick Roadmaster concept car. GM designated Buick as engine design leader, and work on

1716-513: A change which was mandated by GM in order to cope with the introduction of new federal laws which would require new cars to use low octane gasoline in an effort to reduce exhaust emissions . Then, starting in 1972, the horsepower rating on paper would be reduced again due to a shift from SAE gross to SAE net , down to approximately 250 hp (186 kW). Unleaded gasoline and catalytic converters came into play in 1975 for all US manufactured cars. Tightening emissions controls would cause

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1872-499: A combination of sports car and luxury car characteristics, typically two-door coupés or convertibles , typically with a small rear seat not intended for regular use by adults. Personal luxury car designs emphasize comfort and convenience, often highly equipped with interior features that were either optional or not available on other models. In contrast to the European grand tourer sporty luxury car, where high-speed performance

2028-489: A coupe and in being aimed once again squarely at the personal luxury buyer, it departed from tradition in being the first front-wheel-drive model, and in having no serious performance option or edition. Neither a V8 engine nor a turbocharged V6 was offered; the only engine available for 1988 was the Chevrolet 2.8 L V6, producing 125 hp (93 kW). From mid-1990, owing to the declining personal luxury car market,

2184-533: A dramatic fall in annual sales. The base price of the 1986 Eldorado increased by approximately 16% to $ 24,251, and production was reduced to about a quarter of what it had been just two years earlier. The Riviera and Toronado used Buick's 232 cu in (3.8 L) V6 engine, while Cadillac continued to use their 250 cu in (4.1 L) V8 engine. Similarly, the 1986 Riviera's base price increased substantially to $ 19,831, and sales plummeted to 22,138 for 1986, only 15,223 for 1987, and 8,625 for 1988 (although

2340-521: A four-door sedan version of the Regal was re-introduced (simultaneously as the Cutlass Supreme and Grand Prix, the latter offered as a sedan for the first time). However, sales of the new sedan were delayed until the 1991 model year. The four-door version was intended as a replacement for the A-body based Century , however, the popularity of that model meant that it would remain in production as

2496-469: A front air dam and rear spoiler were installed. On the inside, special "Lear-Siegler" seats were installed. These seats are fully adjustable and were covered with silver brandon cloth with black vinyl inserts. The front seat had Buick's "6" emblem embroidered onto them. Also, a special clock delete plate was added to the instrument panel which contained the yellow and orange "6" logo and the words "Grand National Buick Motor Division".) The 1982 GN came with

2652-428: A full model lineup. The wagon was discontinued after 1983, and the sedan dropped from the lineup the next year. This generation Regal lasted ten years. The base model was equipped with softer-riding luxury suspension , and did not offer a manual transmission in later years. The 1978 Regal could be equipped with a 3,791 cc (3.8 L; 231.3 cu in) Turbocharged V6 engine with automatic transmission , and

2808-707: A joint venture in 1997 called Shanghai GM , and had begun assembling the Buick Regal in Shanghai , China in April 1999. The Regal has sold well in the Chinese market as a large, relatively luxurious model, despite its high price, costing more than the North American version. The Chinese market Regal has different front- and rear-end styling compared to the North American version and different engines, including

2964-489: A key milestone in the decline of the personal luxury car. The 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8 engine produced only 140 hp (104 kW), Reaction in the motoring press was especially vicious, with Car and Driver referring to this Imperial as an outmoded all frosting automobile. Sales were poor. The Imperial was built on the Chrysler Cordoba (second generation) chassis, a car with declining sales, that

3120-519: A lightweight WE4 option was offered. Only 1,547 of this variant were produced. The differences between a WE4 and the Grand National were the interior trim package, wheels, exterior badging, aluminum bumper supports, and aluminum rear drum brakes as opposed to the Grand National's cast iron, making the WE4 a lighter and faster car. The rear spoiler was only available as a dealer-installed option. 1987

3276-437: A lower priced alternative to the Regal until both cars were redesigned for 1997. This generation saw the installation of Dynaride, which was an air compressor that would pressurize the rear Chapman Struts to maintain a level overall ride height. A badge was installed on the dashboard to the left of the steering column on all vehicles equipped. It was not available on vehicles equipped with Gran Touring Suspension, which instead used

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3432-507: A majority of the 1981 and 1982 seasons races and won the NASCAR manufacturers title in 1981 and 1982. Buick would remain the last marque other than Chevrolet or Ford to win the Cup Series manufacturers championship until Toyota scored its first in 2016. V8s for street use were still available, but had shrunk to 265 cu in (4.3 L) (1980 and 1981 only, Pontiac built), and the V6

3588-619: A mix of body, interior, and trim parts from the previous year's Ford Elite, Mercury Montego, and Mercury Cougar, plus unique styling for the rear bodywork. This generation became the best-selling in the history of the Ford Thunderbird. Helped by a $ 2,700 price reduction from 1976, over 318,000 sold in 1977 and 352,000 in 1978 (the best single sales year in Thunderbird history), followed by 295,000 in 1979. The 1978 Buick Regal , Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and

3744-508: A platform shared with far less expensive models. The Eldorado represented 0.5% of Cadillac's total sales in 1953, with 1,690 Buick Skylarks, 458 Oldsmobile 98 Fiestas, and 750 Packard Caribbeans sold. The styling of 1950s luxury cars has been described as a "baroque excess". An example is the Continental Mark II introduced for the 1956 model year. With a price of approximately US$ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 112,069 in 2023) ,

3900-625: A production unit commenced in 1956. Originally intended for 180-cubic-inch (2.9 L) displacement, Buick decided on a larger, 215-cubic-inch (3.5 L) size, deemed ideal for the new Y-body cars introduced for 1961, like the Skylark. Known as the Buick Fireball, the 215 had a bore and a stroke of 3.5 in × 2.8 in (88.9 mm × 71.1 mm), for an actual displacement of 215.51 cu in (3,532 cc). With its aluminum cylinder heads and cylinder block , at

4056-581: A smaller high-volume model. Before the late 1970s, personal luxury cars were usually large, rear-wheel drive vehicles powered by large V8 engines. As a result of the downsizing trend in the American automotive industry during the late 1970s, many personal luxury cars have been produced as mid-size cars with six-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive. By the 21st century, the personal luxury market had diminished as consumers migrated to other market segments. Personal luxury cars are mass-market vehicles that have

4212-525: A stiffer setup with traditional hydraulic rear struts. The Regal was initially offered in base Custom and upscale Limited trim lines. For 1989, the Gran Sport trim line was added, featuring aluminum wheels, body side cladding and a console-mounted shifter attached to the 4-speed automatic. In mid-1990, the Regal gained the option of the Buick 3.8 L V6 with "Tuned-Port-Injection" (TPI). The 3800 V6

4368-566: A stock-block 215-powered car in the 1962 Indianapolis 500 , the first stock-block engine since 1946 and the only non- Offenhauser -powered entry in the race. Rookie driver Dan Gurney qualified eighth and raced well for 92 laps before retiring with transmission problems. Surplus engine blocks of the Oldsmobile F85 version formed the basis of the Australian Formula One Repco V8 used by Brabham to win

4524-472: A subcontractor for finishing. Originally intended for a run of 100 units, Cars and Concepts of Brighton, Michigan , retrofitted 215 Regals with the GN package. Most obvious was the light silver-gray firemist paint added to each side. Red pinstripes and billboard shadow lettering proclaiming "Buick" were applied. The wheel opening moldings and rocker panel moldings were blacked out using black vinyl tape. Finally,

4680-537: A two- or a four-barrel carburetor and 150 or 165 hp (112 or 123 kW), but the two-barrel option was removed for 1979. Meanwhile, the four-barrel's maximum output increased to 170 hp (127 kW). Power remained unchanged until 1982, when it increased to 175 hp (130 kW) and then 180 hp (134 kW) in 1983, when the Sport Coupe was replaced by the Regal T-Type. In February 1982,

4836-456: A unique torque arm that was mounted to a special, GNX only, rear differential cover, for increased traction . The torque arm rear suspension alters the suspension geometry, making the body lift while planting the rear tires down, resulting in increased traction. GNX #001 is the 1986 prototype currently owned by Buick and sometimes makes appearances at car shows around the US. Dragstrip performance

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4992-481: Is often considered the year and model that started the development of the legendary intercooled Grand Nationals. The performance of this package was well ahead of its time and the "little V6" easily kept up with the bigger V8s. 1 ⁄ 4 mile (402 m) performance was listed at 15.9 seconds at stock boost levels of 10 psi (0.69 bar), while for the same year, the Chevrolet Camaro V6

5148-624: The 1966 Formula One world championship , although only the earliest engines had any Oldsmobile components. The majority of Repco RB620 engines were cast and built in-house at Repco. Rights to these engines were purchased by the British Rover Company and used in the 1967 Rover P5B that replaced the 3 L straight six Rover engined P5. Throughout the years, the Rover Company (which became part of British Leyland in 1968), and its successor companies constantly improved

5304-514: The Century nameplate applied to standard equipment sedans and station wagons . In January 1982 the Century was replaced by an all-new car on the front-wheel drive A platform , which meant that the Regal gained a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon - essentially facelifted and rebadged versions of the previous year's rear-wheel drive Century. It was the first time the name appeared on

5460-587: The Chevrolet Corvette . The first-generation Thunderbird was a two-seat car with a V8 engine, a suspension designed for comfort instead of handling , and available in either convertible (folding soft-top) or roadster (removable hardtop ) body styles. The Thunderbird was able to reach a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph), which is similar to many European grand tourers of the era. The Thunderbird's sporty luxury format, with more features, proved vastly more popular with American car buyers than

5616-737: The Continental Mark VI were down 50%. For the 1984 model year, Continental Mark VII was downsized to a mid-size car, with aerodynamic styling based on the Ford Fox platform shared with the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar. For 1986, General Motors drastically downsized the Cadillac Eldorado (eleventh generation) , Buick Riviera (seventh generation) and Oldsmobile Toronado (fourth generation) by 13–16 in (330–406 mm). With an Eldorado Coupe unit sales drop of 72% in 1986, seldom has any model experienced such

5772-590: The Dynaflow transmission's non-shifting design was demonstrably smoother than the other rough shifting automatics then available. With the Dynaflow, a high torque engine was needed to provide adequate acceleration, so that's what the Nailhead was designed to deliver. Both the intake and exhaust valves were on the intake manifold side of a " pent-roof combustion chamber ". To offset restrictive port diameters and

5928-818: The GL and GLX names. Later, G and GS models were added. Production for this generation ended in November 2008 in China being replaced by the Opel Insignia-based Regal. The Chinese-built Regal was also sold in the Philippines from 2005 to 2006 as the Chevrolet Lumina , where it replaced the Opel Vectra . The 2.5 V6 was the only engine option. The Chevrolet Lumina was discontinued from

6084-682: The Pontiac Grand Prix (third generation) downsized from being a full-size to a mid-size coupe in an attempt to reverse the declining sales of the Grand Prix model. Smaller than the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado, it was designed to be nimbler and more performance-oriented than the Ford Thunderbird and Buick Riviera. Sales reached over 112,000 units, almost quadruple the 32,000 full-sized models built in 1968. Due to rising insurance costs and emissions standards in

6240-408: The spartan Corvette sports car by selling 16,155 units in 1955, compared with 674 Corvettes, 809 Chrysler 300D , and 2,200 Studebaker Speedsters. This market signal set the stage for further development. The 1958 Ford Thunderbird became the first volume personal luxury car. The redesign added a rear seat in response to Ford's market research that the two-seat layout of the first generation

6396-448: The "B-12000", referring to the 12,000 foot pounds generated by each piston. Second generation Nailheads were painted "Late" Buick Green, with the exception of those installed in the 1963 Riviera, which were silver, and the 1966 Riviera, which were red. Buick, like most of its competitors, continued to expand their V8 engine to larger displacements. The 364 cu in (6.0 L) was introduced in 1957 and produced through 1961, with

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6552-561: The 1964 model year. The second was the 1963 Buick Riviera , which began life as the Cadillac LaSalle XP-715 concept car. However, General Motors management was not interested in the XP-715 concept for Cadillac and offered it up to a competition between interested divisions. Buick won based on its marketing presentation. Total sales for the 1963–1965 model years was 112,244. American Motors' first personal luxury car

6708-569: The 1964–1967 Skylark ; the engine's tooling had been sold to Kaiser Motors for use in Jeep models (Kaiser was purchased by American Motors in 1970 and Jeep became an AMC division) and sold back to GM by AMC in 1974. For 1975 and 1976, the Century and Regal were the only mid-sized cars in America to offer V6 engines. The bolt pattern for this vehicle is 5× 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches (120.7 mm). Production Figures: A downsized Regal appeared for

6864-416: The 1975 model year. Foreign manufacturers took advantage of this American consumer trend. Notably Mercedes-Benz introduced the 450SL and SLC models . Total production was 237,287 (SL) and 62,888 (SLC), and North America was the key market for these models, with 2/3 of production officially sold there - before additional cars from the grey market . Mercedes-Benz were coy in their American ad copy about

7020-586: The 1977 model year, the Ford Thunderbird (seventh generation) was downsized to an intermediate-size platform (based on the Ford LTD II), shedding nearly 10 inches (254 mm) of length and 900 lb (408 kg) of weight. It was repositioned as the replacement for the Ford Elite and sold alongside the closely related Mercury Cougar (fourth generation) . The Thunderbird was assembled using

7176-410: The 1978 model year with Buick's new 196 cu in (3.2 L) V6 engine as standard equipment and a revised version of the venerable 231 cu in (3.8 L) V6 as an option (which became standard for 1980). Initially, a three-speed manual transmission was standard but this was later replaced by an automatic. At the time of introduction, Regals were available exclusively as coupés with

7332-502: The 1988 introduction of the Buick Reatta coupe may have cannibalized some Riviera sales that year). The final year of production for the rear-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (fourth generation) was 1988, during which 27,678 were built. For the 1988 model year, GM moved the Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and Pontiac Grand Prix to versions based on its front-wheel-drive W-body platform . The Chevrolet Monte Carlo

7488-510: The 2.0 L L34 , the 2.5 L LB8 V6 and the 3.0 L LW9 V6. Gearbox choices were a 4-speed automatic for V6 models, while four-cylinder variants are paired with an exclusive 5-speed manual gearbox. V6 models had a set of black dashboard gauges, while the four-cylinder models had white dashboard gauges. These models also had slightly different names: the entry-level model was the New Century , with more upscale models carrying

7644-562: The 200 hp (149 kW) engine with upgrades and the GSE stayed with the 240 hp (179 kW) supercharged engine with upgrades. Also, in 2000 Buick came out with a concept GSX that had an intercooled 3.8 L, but was supercharged rather than turbocharged. It had 295.24 hp (220.16 kW) The North American Regal was replaced in 2005 by the Buick LaCrosse , also built on the W platform. The final 2004 Buick Regal rolled off

7800-430: The 2005 model year. The longest-running nameplate of the personal luxury car was the 50-year production of the Cadillac Eldorado , which started in the 1953 model year, originally designating ultra-premium, low-volume versions of lower-priced Cadillac models, including the hand-built four-door 1957 Eldorado Brougham. According to Hemmings Motor News , Cadillac first entered the "personal luxury car" market in 1967, with

7956-424: The 215. The Buick V8 family can be divided into two sizes, big-blocks and small-blocks ( block size classification refers to the engine block 's bore spacing and external dimensions, not displacement ). All 1953–1966 Buick V8s and the 1967–1976 "big-block" engines shared a 4.75 in (121 mm) bore spacing. The small-block was produced from 1961 to 1981. Some Buick V8s, such as the 350, 400, and 455, have

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8112-473: The 215/300's) meant the intake manifold was of a new design to bolt to the otherwise interchangeable cylinder heads. It was offered with two- or four-barrel carburetion, the two-barrel with a 9.0:1 compression rated at 220 hp (164 kW) at 4,000 rpm and 340 lb⋅ft (461 N⋅m) at 2,400 rpm, and the four barrel with 10.25:1 compression, rated at 260 hp (194 kW) at 4,000 rpm and 375 lb⋅ft (508 N⋅m) at 2,800 rpm. It

8268-477: The 300 V8 (and the 225) were still painted Buick Late Green. The Apollo 5000 GT sports car, (also sold as the Vetta Ventura) used this engine. In 1966, the 300's stroke was increased to 3.85 in (97.8 mm) in a raised block to create the 340 (340 cu in (5.6 L)) as a replacement for the four-barrel-carbureted 300. The taller deck (raised by 0.5625 in (14.3 mm) compared to

8424-425: The 300 switched to cast-iron heads, raising dry weight to 467 lb (212 kg), still quite light for a V8 engine of its era. The four-barrel option was cancelled for 1966, and the 300 was replaced entirely by the 350 in 1968. In 1964, while nearly all Buick engines were painted "Buick Late Green", the 300 V8s were painted silver instead. In 1966 Buick engines switched to "Buick Late Red", but until 1967 at least,

8580-457: The 350 in comparison to other GM V8s are Buick's "deep-skirt" engine block construction, the use of cast iron with increased nickel content, under-square cylinder bore sizing, 3 in (76.2 mm) crankshaft main journals, and 6.385 in (162.2 mm) connecting rods. Of all the GM "350s", the Buick has the longest piston stroke. This design characteristic made the engine significantly wider than

8736-539: The Buick GNX. Buick underrated the GNX at 276 hp (280 PS; 206 kW) at 4400 rpm and a very substantial 360 lb⋅ft (488 N⋅m) at 3000 rpm of torque , although actual output is 300 bhp (304 PS; 224 kW) and 420 lb⋅ft (569 N⋅m). This was created to be the "Grand National to end all Grand Nationals". Changes made included a special Garrett AiResearch T-3 turbocharger with

8892-542: The Buick Regal inaugurated the sale of GM vehicles in the Chinese market, with the 1997 design lasting through 2008. Following the 2004 model year, Buick retired the nameplate in North America, with the Regal replaced by the Buick LaCrosse . For 2008, Opel introduced the Opel Insignia as its largest sedan, with Buick rebranding the model line as the Regal for the Chinese market. For 2011, GM reintroduced

9048-461: The Buick blocks were of a substantially different proprietary company design. The Buick 350 featured the same 3.8 in (96.5 mm) bore as the 231 cu in (3.8 L) version of the Buick 90° V6 and retained the 3.85 in (97.8 mm) stroke of the previous 340 cu in (5.6 L) V8. The exact displacement is 349.31 cu in (5,724 cc). The major differences of

9204-548: The Buick had a 37-cc wedge combustion chamber and used "dished head" pistons. Altering the compression ratio on the Oldsmobile 215 required changing the heads, but on a Buick 215, only the pistons were changed, which was less expensive and simpler. Casting-sealing technology was not advanced enough at that time, and hidden porosity problems caused serious oil leaks, producing an abnormally high scrap ratio. The factory had to make extensive use of air gauging for leak checks, and

9360-413: The Buick, Oldsmobile developed its own all-aluminum 215 , the "Rockette V8", to install in its F-85 Cutlass Y-body. Its angled valve covers were designed by Oldsmobile engineers to look like a traditional Olds V8. Olds also released a turbocharged version, the 215 hp (160 kW) Turbo-Rocket , in its 1962–63 Oldsmobile Jetfire. Together with Chevrolet's turbocharged 1962 Corvair Spyder, these were

9516-620: The Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Chrysler Cordoba. During the mid-1970s, luxury features become more common in compact and subcompact cars. The 1978 Plymouth Sapporo coupe (a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Lambda built in Japan ) was marketed as a personal luxury car, featuring a vinyl roof with stainless steel targa band , velour interior, "luxury" wheel covers with whitewall tires, and various power accessories. For

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9672-481: The Eldorado's 50th model year (2002) would be its last. To mark the end of the nameplate, a limited production run of 1,596 cars was produced in red or white—the colors available on the original 1953 convertible. Production ended on April 22, 2002. The Lansing Craft Centre was retooled to build the Chevrolet SSR . The Ford Thunderbird (eleventh generation) was introduced for the 2002 model year. It retained

9828-516: The Filipino market in 2006, leaving GM again without a mid-size sedan until the introduction of the eighth generation Chevrolet Malibu in 2013. The fifth-generation Buick Regal is a four-door, five-passenger, midsized sedan with a front engine, front-wheel drive layout. According to GM published information, more than 41 percent of Regal buyers in the US came from non-General Motors brands, and more than 60 percent of CXL Turbo buyers were under

9984-555: The GM intermediates were redesigned in 1973, the so-called "Colonnade" cars that eliminated hardtop models completely. In a curious name swap, the Skylark name was dropped from Buick's intermediate line and instead the Century nameplate, last used in the 1950s, was revived for them. A highly trimmed, two-door coupe , the first Regal, officially marketed as the "Century Regal Colonnade Hardtop coupe", shared its front and rear styling with its Century parent with distinctions amounting to differing grilles and taillight lenses. The Regal shared

10140-811: The Grand National debuted, which was named for the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series (the "Grand National" term was part of the Cup series nomenclature until 1986). Buick had won the Manufacturers Cup in 1981 and 1982, and wanted to capitalize on its success: "What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday", and hoping to revive their performance image from the 1960s with the Buick Skylark Gran Sport . These 1982 cars were not painted black. All examples started out as charcoal gray Regals that were shipped off to

10296-530: The MG RV8 in the 1990s, Triumph TR8 , and various sports sedans and sports cars by the MG Rover Group and specialist manufacturers such as TVR . The engine remains well-supported by enthusiast clubs, specialist parts suppliers, and by shops that specialize in conversions and tuning. In 1964, Buick replaced the 215 with an iron-block engine of very similar architecture. The new "small block" engine had

10452-556: The Mark III included hidden headlamps (with retractable body-colored covers), a Rolls-Royce-style grille, and a simulated spare tire on the trunk lid. The Mark III was the first American-made vehicle with radial tires as standard equipment. In what would become a three-decade rivalry, the 1969 model year Mark III sold 30,858 cars for the extended 1969 model year (although 7,770 were built in 1968), while Eldorado sold 23,333 units that year. The Mercury Marauder (second generation)

10608-648: The Mustang was downsized to become the subcompact Mustang II for 1974, leaving the Cougar XR-7 without a platform-mate. The Cougar XR-7 was marketed from 1974 through 1976 alongside the Ford Elite , styled to resemble the Thunderbird, and marketed at a lower price. The Cougar XR-7 was priced higher than the Elite and included more standard features, but sold about 60,000 units compared to almost 125,000 Elites during

10764-610: The Nailhead, it began as an option on the 1963 Riviera, and was later available on the Wildcat and Electra models. The 1964 and 1966 Rivieras used the 425 engine as standard equipment. Mounted on a trolley, Buick 425s were also used as starter motors for the SR-71 Blackbird supersonic jet. Four-barrel carburetion was standard on the basic 425, called the Wildcat 465 for the torque (as measured in lb-ft) it developed. The Super Wildcat ( Regular Production Option {RPO}-coded Y48)

10920-578: The October 1962 Paris Motor Show . Both followed the close coupled four-seater coupe with powerful engine formula, laid down by the 1958 Thunderbird. The first was the Studebaker Avanti . The Avanti featured a fiberglass body, an optional supercharged engine, and front disc brakes . It was marketed as "America's only four-passenger high-performance personal car". The company built 4,647 Avantis before Studebaker ended Avanti Production for

11076-551: The Pontiac Grand Prix were among the first of the personal luxury cars to be radically downsized, resulting in weight reductions of more than 900 pounds (408 kg) and exterior dimensions similar to compact cars (e.g. the Chevrolet Nova, Ford Granada and Dodge Dart). For 1979, Cadillac Eldorado (tenth generation) , Buick Riviera (sixth generation) and Oldsmobile Toronado (third generation) were downsized to an intermediate-sized front-wheel-drive platform, resulting in

11232-436: The Regal featured woodgrain trim on dashboard and door panels , as well as door-pull straps and bench seats with center armrests upholstered in cloth, velour, or vinyl upholstery. Optional throughout the run was a 60/40 split-bench seat with armrest . For 1976 and 1977, the available Regal S/R coupe included reclining bucket seats with corduroy upholstery. The model lasted five years with minimal changes, although there

11388-530: The Regal to North America, rebranding the Insignia sedan for North America. For 2018, Buick introduced the second-generation Opel Insignia, sourcing all production from Germany; alongside a first-ever liftback sedan, the Regal TourX was the first Buick station wagon in 22 years. After 2020, as the division shifted away from car model lines, Buick ended sales of the Regal in North America. Buick had been

11544-520: The Regal was offered in a special Somerset Limited Edition trim which featured unique tan and dark blue designer exterior paint, wire wheel covers, sport mirrors , and chrome Somerset badging. The interior had tan and blue plush velour upholstery , brushed chrome trim, and additional Somerset badging. A Somerset Limited Edition model was also offered on the restyled 1981 Regal. It had unique dark sandstone and camel exterior paint, sport mirrors, and turbine wheels. The interior's plush velour upholstery

11700-520: The Special in 1956. It has a bore and stroke of 4 in × 3.2 in (101.6 mm × 81.3 mm). The 322 was also used in the 1956 through 1957 10,000-Series conventional-cab Chevrolet heavy duty trucks labeled as the Loadmaster . Buick's second variation of the "Nailhead" was produced from 1957–1966. The "Fireball" name was dropped after 1957, but the 364 was very briefly called

11856-475: The Stage 3 GSX was conservatively rated at 270 hp (201 kW) and 312 lb⋅ft (423 N⋅m) of torque. As GSX parts remained directly available from SLP for many years, Regal GS sedan owners could have their cars independently customized to GSX appearance and performance by SLP dealers, including for Regal GS models from 1997 to 2004. An authentic Buick GSX can be verified from an SLP door jamb label with

12012-590: The Super Wildcat 465 with factory-installed dual four-barrel Carter AFB carburetors as an "MZ" option. Only 179 of the 1966 Riviera GS cars were built with the MZ package. Buick introduced its "Big Block" V8 in 1967 to replace the largest displacement Nailheads. It retained the 4.75 in (120.7 mm) cylinder bore spacing and was produced in three displacements: 400, 430, and 455 cubic inches. Production continued through 1976. The 400-cubic-inch (6.6 L)

12168-671: The V8 engines to comply with increasingly strict vehicle emissions standards . Along with the reduced straight-line performance, the cars also had poor fuel economy. They also needed to meet the rising corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) regulations set by the United States Secretary of Transportation via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . The 1981 Imperial (sixth generation) by Chrysler Corporation marked

12324-574: The Year and a nomination for the North American Car of the Year in its first year. However, many publications did not regard the Thunderbird's revival that highly. It garnered a place on Car and Driver magazine's 2009 list of "The 10 Most Embarrassing Award Winners in Automotive History". Sales did not meet Ford's expectations and the Thunderbird was discontinued in 2005. The 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (sixth generation)

12480-420: The addition of a dual stainless steel cat-back exhaust system and free-flowing cold air induction system. The Stage 2 package added a Hypertech Power Programmer with an SLP custom calibration tune was included with the Stage 1 components — good for an extra 20 horsepower. The Stage 3 package added a 3.5-inch smaller diameter supercharger pulley to increase the boost. With an advertised 30 more horsepower than stock,

12636-481: The age of 55. Personal luxury car Personal luxury car is a North American car classification describing somewhat sporty, sophisticated mass-market coupés that emphasized comfort over performance. The North American manufacturers most often combined engineering, design, and marketing to develop upscale, distinctive " platform sharing" models that became highly profitable. Although luxury coupes had been produced in North America for several decades,

12792-563: The assembly line on June 1, 2004. The Regal LS from the factory had a 1/4 mile (≈400 m) elapsed time (ET) of 15.8 seconds and could do 0-60 mph in under 8 seconds. The supercharged Regal GS had a 1/4 mile ET of 14.9 seconds, and acceleration to 60 mph (97 km/h) took 6.7 seconds. The Regal GS, equipped with the supercharged 3.8 liter V6 engine (L67) produced 240 hp (179 kW) & 280 lb⋅ft (380 N⋅m) of torque. The Regal GS's PCM has programming that activates torque management to reduce wheel spin at launch. The Regal LS

12948-422: The beginning of the "personal luxury car" market segment is generally considered to have started in 1958. It was the success of the Ford Thunderbird (second generation) when it was redesigned from a two-seat car to a four-seat vehicle. These changes shifted the Thunderbird's emphasis from sporting to comfort and luxury, and sales increased by 50 percent. The Thunderbird was sold for eleven generations up until

13104-399: The car being a sports car, advising potential buyers "Spoil Yourself" and asking "How can a 2-seater weighing 3,500 pounds loaded down with an automatic transmission and luxury power amenities be considered a sports car?." The 450SL addressed the same market niche as the 1955-57 two-seat Ford Thunderbird personal car , which had similar categorization issues. The mid-size Chrysler Cordoba

13260-542: The company's Skylark Gran Sport , Buick Sport Wagon and Buick Wildcat models, among others. The engine was variously designated the Wildcat 375, Wildcat 410, and Wildcat 445 depending on the torque each version produced. The Wildcat 410 was the two-barrel carbureted engine, standard on the 1962-63 LeSabre . The Wildcat 375 was a no-cost option for the 1962-63 LeSabre that used a lower compression ratio to run on lower- octane fuel. The various Wildcat engines had decals on their air cleaners indicating their version; however,

13416-562: The correct part number for the kit. From 2001 to 2004 Buick offered a Joseph Abboud appearance package on both the GS and LS models. This package included either a solid taupe or two-tone taupe/ chestnut leather seats, two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather shifter handle and boot, 16-inch aluminum wheels; and Joseph Abboud signature emblems on the front doors, floor mats, front-seat headrests, and taillights. General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) established

13572-430: The cost was equivalent to a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud , and 3,012 Mark IIs were sold from 1955 until 1957. It was produced in the two-door hardtop body style with extensive standard equipment for the time that included power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats, power vent windows, leather interior, and a tachometer. The only option was air conditioning for $ 595. The Ford Thunderbird , released in 1955,

13728-459: The downsized Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was introduced for 1970 and was sold alongside the larger Oldsmobile Toronado. The base price of the Monte Carlo and Cutlass Supreme were much lower than the Grand Prix. However, all three models were priced similarly if they were ordered with the same level of equipment. Nonetheless, it is claimed that Chevrolet and Pontiac "took personal luxury cars to

13884-421: The earlier three-speed, and a 3.42 rear axle (7.5"). Inside there were new bucket seats and a sport steering wheel and quicker steering ratio, while the suspension was honed with a larger diameter anti-roll bar, altered spring rates, and re-valved shock absorbers. For 1984, the Grand National returned, now in all black paint. The turbocharged 3,791 cc (3.8 L; 231.3 cu in) became standard and

14040-455: The early 1970s, the muscle car's decline coincided with a strong upswing in the personal luxury segment as American buyers shifted emphasis from performance to comfort. Offsetting this, the 1973 and 1979 oil crises impacted upon demand for cars with relatively poor fuel economy. The 1970s personal luxury models were marketed based on luxury, not performance. They were conventional in design and shared many parts with lesser models. Due to

14196-525: The end of the manufacture of the RWD "G-Body" Regal, but GM had to extend the build of the Grand National to meet customer demand into December. For the final year, 1987, Buick introduced the limited production GNX, for "Grand National Experimental", at $ 29,900 ($ 80,189 in 2023 dollars). Made in partnership with McLaren Performance Technologies / ASC , Buick produced only 547 GNs with the interior trim package, that were then sent off to McLaren and upgraded into

14352-497: The engine and systems. Buick dropped the T-Type package for Regal for 1987 models and opted for a "T" sport package instead. There were only 7,896 turbo Regals produced in 1986. In 1987, when turbo Regals reached their peak in popularity, a total of 27,590 turbo Regals were produced through December, with those models produced between September and December of that year window stickered as "1987½ Buick Grand National" vehicles. For 1987,

14508-596: The engine making it much stronger and more reliable. Capacities ranged from 3.5 to 5.0 L (215 to 307 cu in). This engine was used for V8 versions of the MGB GT known as the GTV8 . Rover also used the engine in the 1970 Range Rover . Morgan used the Rover version in its Plus 8 . American 215s have also been engine swapped into countless other platforms, especially Chevrolet Vegas and later British cars including

14664-437: The engine to drop in power still further, a little at a time, through 1976. The 455 was one of the first "thin-wall casting" engine blocks at GM, and because of this advance in production technology, it weighs significantly less than other engines of comparable size (for example, 150 lb (68 kg) less than a Chevrolet 454 and only 25 lb (11 kg) more than a Chevrolet 350 ). Applications: Buick introduced

14820-633: The fastest Buick since the days of the 1987 GNX : the Buick Regal GS. This car was now supercharged instead of turbocharged, and produced 240 hp (179 kW) and 280 lb⋅ft (380 N⋅m) of torque. When introduced in January 1997, Buick advertised the Regal GS as "The official car of the supercharged family". Buick also released two other model types, the LSE and the GSE. The LSE stayed with

14976-463: The first front-wheel drive personal luxury car. The Toronado provided the platform for the Cadillac Eldorado (eighth generation) to switch to a smaller high volume 'personal luxury' front-wheel drive layout the following year. Up until 1967, personal luxury cars were grouped with muscle cars and pony cars as the "specialty cars" classification. Rather than marketing to broad income classes as with their standard models, each of these car classes

15132-547: The first turbochargers ever offered in passenger cars. Produced on a separate assembly line, the Olds 215 was somewhat heavier at 350 lb (160 kg). Intended to alleviate a head-warping problem on high-compression versions, Oldsmobile added a sixth head bolt on the intake manifold side. This meant that the five-bolt Buick heads would fit on Oldsmobile blocks, but not vice versa. The Oldsmobile used wedge-shaped/quench combustion chambers/pistons that allowed larger valves, while

15288-657: The first GM division to bring a personal luxury car to market with its 1963 Riviera , but was otherwise slow to react to the developing lower-priced mid-size personal luxury market, which Pontiac created with the 1969 Grand Prix and Chevrolet with the Monte Carlo the following year, 1970. At the same time, Oldsmobile added a formal notchback coupé to its intermediate line, the Cutlass Supreme , in 1970 and that model soon became Olds' best-selling intermediate. Buick did not get its own personal luxury coupe until

15444-527: The four-barrel edition of the 1966-67 small-block Buick 340 V8 was also labeled Wildcat 375 on its air cleaner, but was not a Nailhead. The Wildcat 445, with a single four-barrel carburetor, was the standard engine in the Invicta , 1959-1966 Electra , 1962–1966 Buick Wildcat , 1963 Riviera , and 1965 Riviera (the 1964 and 1966 Riviera models used the 425 with a single four-barrel carburetor, labeled Wildcat 465, as standard equipment). In an effort to overcome

15600-461: The four-barrel-equipped engine's compression ratio was increased to 10.25:1 and horsepower to 190 hp (142 kW) at 4,800 rpm and 235 lb⋅ft (319 N⋅m) at 3,000 rpm. The two-barrel engine was unchanged. For 1963, the four-barrel was bumped to 11.0:1 compression and an even 200 hp (149 kW) at 5,000 rpm and 240 lb⋅ft (325 N⋅m) at 3,200 rpm, 0.93 hp (0.7 kW)/cu in. The higher output "Power Pack"

15756-403: The front of the engine, as opposed to the 401/400 nailhead, which had its near the firewall. The 430-cubic-inch (7.0 L) was only produced from 1967 until 1969. This engine had a bore and a stroke of 4.1875 in × 3.9 in (106.36 mm × 99.06 mm). The 430 four-barrel engine was rated at 360 hp (268 kW) and 475 lb⋅ft (644 N⋅m) of torque. This engine

15912-535: The full black-out trim WO2 option making them extremely rare (similarly, a base Regal could also be ordered with the Turbo 6, and, the WO2 blackout trim was also available; all rare). Limiteds were treated to a very luxurious interior with plush carpeting and optional bench pillow seats and a column shift . It was also possible to order the 1987 Regal T with the 5.0/307 V8 instead of the turbo 3.8/231 V6. The 1987 model would be

16068-589: The introduction of an all new electronically controlled 4T60-E automatic transmission to replace the previous 4T60. For 1994, a driver's-side airbag was added, along with standard ABS on all models, standard power windows, and 20 hp (15 kW) more in the base engine due to a revised intake manifold and cylinder head. The Limited coupe was deleted; only the Custom and Gran Sport (GS) coupes remained. For 1995, another facelift occurred with new smoothed out bumpers, taillights, and body cladding. The interior

16224-519: The market for personal luxury cars to decline even more. The Oldsmobile Toronado was discontinued in 1992. The Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar were discontinued after the 1997 model year (although the Cougar nameplate was revived for 1999 as a mid-size sport compact ). The Lincoln Mark VIII , introduced for 1993, was discontinued in 1998, thereby ending the Mark series. The total production of Mark VIII

16380-492: The masses". The introduction of the Monte Carlo and Cutlass Supreme did cut into the Grand Prix's dominance, and sales dropped 40%. The 1972 Ford Thunderbird (sixth generation) had a significant increase in size over the previous generation, making it larger than most other personal luxury cars. The 1974 Mercury Cougar XR-7 was upsized to an intermediate platform (shared with the Ford Torino and Mercury Montego), since

16536-466: The number of cars with both the GN and Sport coupe packages is estimated to be fewer than 50. For 1983, there was no Grand National. The Sport Coupe model was renamed the T-Type ; 3,732 were produced (180 hp (134 kW) at 4000 rpm and 280 lb⋅ft (380 N⋅m) of torque at 2400 rpm). The power gains came courtesy of a low-restriction dual exhaust, stainless steel headers (rather than

16692-508: The oil filter exposed to oncoming air for added cooling. With the exception of the silver 1964 300, Buick small-blocks were painted "Late" Buick Green through 1966. Buick engines were painted red from 1967-1974, medium metallic blue from 1975-1977, and light blue from 1978-1982. The small-block was originally produced as an industry-first all-aluminum engine. Alas, after 3 years of production, persisting cylinder liner issues, trumped with new and cheaper thin-wall iron casting techniques, pushed

16848-548: The original cast iron items), and other detail improvements. Drivability was improved thanks to better electronics for the exhaust gas recirculation system as well as the knock sensor. The T-Type trim name had been used on other Buicks, starting with the Riviera in 1981 (in 1979 and 1980, it was the S-Type). Other improvements on the 1983 Regal T-Type included Hydro-Boost II brakes , 200-4R four-speed overdrive transmission replacing

17004-521: The others — essentially the same as the Buick big-blocks, which have the shortest stroke of the GM big-blocks. The engine garnered a reputation as rugged and durable, and some of its design characteristics are found in other Buick-designed GM engines, such as the 231 cu in (3.8 L) V6 and its 3800 descendants. The 350 was used by Kaiser-Jeep and AMC Jeep in the Jeep Gladiator and Wagoneer models from 1968–71; in these applications,

17160-415: The performance modifications. Exterior styling changes include vents located on each front fender, 16 inch black mesh style wheels with VR-speed rated tires, and deletion of the hood and fender emblems. The interior changes of the GNX included a serial number on the dash plaque and a revised instrument cluster providing Stewart-Warner analog gauges , including an analog turbo boost gauge . The GNX used

17316-455: The resemblance of its grill to his helmet's mouthpiece), coupled with the fact that the Grand National was initially released during the popularity of Star Wars movies, earned it the title " Darth Vader 's Car.” Due to the turbocharged six-cylinder engine, the Buick make, and the black paint Grand Nationals were sometimes referred to as the "Dark Side". The "Dark Side" contrasted with the more common V8 Mustangs and Camaros that were popular at

17472-442: The restrictive exhaust-port design of the Nailhead, Buick drag racing enthusiasts in the 1960s adapted superchargers with a custom camshaft to feed intake air in through the exhaust ports; the larger intake ports became the exhaust outlets. The 425 cu in (7.0 L) was produced from 1963 to 1966. Its bore and stroke measured 4.3125 by 3.64 inches (109.54 mm × 92.46 mm). The largest-displacement version of

17628-448: The same "Colonnade" pillared hardtop roofline (a hardtop with B-pillars (center pillars) but frameless doors unlike a sedan body) and greenhouse (window area) with the Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, and Cutlass Supreme as well as the lower-priced Buick Century Luxus coupe. Like its corporate cousins, the Regal (and Luxus) featured the newly fashionable opera windows, which were small fixed rear-side windows surrounded by sheetmetal, instead of

17784-431: The same displacements as V8s of other GM divisions , but they are entirely different designs. Buick Nailhead V8s can be distinguished by the top surfaces of their valve covers being horizontal ( parallel to the ground). Later Buick small and big block V8s have a front-mounted distributor tilted to the drivers side (like Cadillacs ), but siamesed center exhaust ports (unlike Cadillacs). Buick's first generation V8

17940-550: The smaller-sized valves [1.75 in (44 mm) intake, 1.25 in (32 mm) exhaust], the Nailhead V8s used a camshaft with greater lift and duration. The small-diameter intake runners allowed these engines to develop high torque , with many exceeding 1 ft-lb/cu in (exceptional for the time). First-generation Nailheads were painted "Late" Buick Green (also called Apple Green, used from 1953 to 1965). The 264 cu in (4.3 L) produced in 1954 and 1955

18096-549: The success of the 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix, other GM divisions followed suit and introduced similar cars in 1970. The  Chevrolet Monte Carlo — considered an upscale vehicle for GM's lowest-priced division— was slightly shorter than the Grand Prix due to being built on the Chevrolet Chevelle platform. The Monte Carlo was marketed as providing "elegance and prestige", however, some reviewers found it more similar to Chevrolet's more utilitarian models. The coupe model of

18252-403: The time it was the lightest mass-production V8 in the world, with a dry weight of only 318 lb (144 kg). Measuring 28 in (71 cm) long, 26 in (66 cm) wide, and 27 in (69 cm) high (same as the small-block Chevy ), it became standard equipment in the 1961 Buick Special . At introduction, Buick's 215 was rated 150 hp (112 kW) at 4400 rpm. This

18408-461: The time promoted them as "sports cars." This connoted "anything with a convertible top, lots of performance, a few unique styling touches, and top-of-the-line price tag. These included the Cadillac Eldorado , Buick Roadmaster Skylark , Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta , Imperial Newport , Chrysler New Yorker , Chrysler 300 and Chrysler Windsor , Packard Hawk , and Packard Caribbean . All models had two-door convertible or hardtop body styles, built on

18564-458: The time. GNX serves as the title for hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar 's 2024 album and its eponymous 11th track, as well as the car being featured on the album's cover. A new Regal appeared in October 1987 on the GM W platform as the first vehicle on that platform; this generation ran with few changes for nine years. Though the new Regal returned to Buick's original concept in being offered only as

18720-612: The traditional rear-wheel drive layout and was based on the Ford DEW platform . With styling cues from the original 1955 through 1957 Thunderbirds, it was part of an early-2000s retro styling trend that included the Volkswagen New Beetle , Chrysler PT Cruiser , Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler and Mini Hatch . It was initially well received by the automotive press, garnering accolades such as the Motor Trend Car of

18876-495: The traditional roll-down windows. For the first model year in 1973, the Regal nameplate was only used for Buick's version of the GM intermediate personal luxury coupe , but the following year gained a sedan companion (there was no Regal station wagon ). The Century moniker was discontinued for 1976, with the model now marketed as the Buick Regal . Interiors were generally more luxurious than lesser Century models, as

19032-545: Was EPA rated at 19/30 MPG city/freeway while the supercharged Regal GS was EPA rated at 18/27 MPG city/freeway. In the 2003 and 2004 model years, Buick officially offered — in collaboration with Troy, Michigan based tuners, Street Legal Performance, aka SLP Performance — the Buick Regal GSX, with dealer-supplied and installed options for both LS and GS models. The SLP GSX offered three packages, marketed as stages . The Stage 1 package added 10 horsepower with

19188-498: Was a direct replacement for the 263 straight-eight and the only engine available in Buick's economy "Special" series vehicles. It was the smallest displacement Nailhead, sharing stroke and deck height with the 322, but having its own smaller bore 3.625 in (92.1 mm). The larger 322 cu in (5.3 L) was the original Nailhead, used by Buick from 1953 through 1956 in the Roadmaster, Super, and Century models, and

19344-444: Was a fairly substantial facelift for the coupe for 1976. The sedan retained its original 1973 sheetmetal through 1977. 1976 models incorporated the recently legalized rectangular headlights, mounted horizontally on the coupe and vertically on the sedan . The Regal coupe sold reasonably well, although it lagged behind the Monte Carlo and Cutlass Supreme, which had become the best-selling cars in America by 1976. The listed retail price for

19500-511: Was added to celebrate Buick's partnership with the 1996 Summer Olympics , complete with gold accents and traditional Olympic logos on the exterior and interior. Production Figures For the 1997 model year, the Century and Regal once again rode upon the same platform; the revised W platform that was shared with the Oldsmobile Intrigue , the Pontiac Grand Prix , the Chevrolet Lumina and Chevrolet Monte Carlo . The Regal coupe

19656-514: Was also influenced by the retro trend, incorporating styling cues from its 1970s and 1980s predecessors. The Monte Carlo was the final, personal luxury car in production when it was discontinued at the end of the 2007 model year. Buick V8 engine#350 The Buick V8 is a family of V8 engines produced by the Buick division of General Motors (GM) between 1953 and 1981. All were 90° water-cooled V8 OHV pushrod engines , and all were naturally aspirated except one turbocharged version of

19812-520: Was available for 1969 and 1970 as its model line of personal luxury cars in base and X-100 trim. The Marauder utilized Ford's redesigned XL hardtop's wheelbase that was 3-inch (76 mm) shorter than other full-sized Mercury models and included a 429 cu in (7.0 L) V8 engine. It featured hidden headlamps, a flying buttress-style roofline with available matte-black rear and trunk lid finish, rear fender skirts as well as five-spoke aluminum wheels with white wall bias-ply tires. Also, for 1969,

19968-399: Was available on the 1964 Riviera as a factory option (2,122 produced), 1964 Electras (any model, production numbers unknown), 1965 Riviera Gran Sport and 1966 Wildcat GS, which included two four-barrel carburetors and matching intake manifold . Coded "MW", these parts were delivered in the car's trunk for dealer installation. Toward the end of the 1966 model year, around May 1966, Buick offered

20124-460: Was camel with dark brown piping. A major facelift for 1981 gave the Regal a much more aerodynamic profile, helping make it possible for the car to compete on the NASCAR racing circuit. The sloping hood and nose of the car made it the favorite of several NASCAR teams, and reduced the drag coefficient by eighteen percent. Richard Petty drove one to victory in the 1981 Daytona 500 , and the car won

20280-422: Was completely redesigned to be more streamlined and ergonomically friendly with dual front airbags now standard. For 1996, the larger 3.8 L; 231.3 cu in (3,791 cc) V6 engine became the 3800 Series II and bumped power to 205 hp (153 kW) and 230 lb⋅ft (310 N⋅m). All models were now modified to be OBD II compliant. A special "Olympic Gold" edition (also available on Skylark )

20436-506: Was discontinued after a short 1988 model year run (replaced by the 1990 Chevrolet Lumina mid-size coupe). With the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Celebrity and Pontiac 6000 , the Regal, Cutlass Supreme, and Grand Prix moved from the personal luxury segment to the conventional mid-size segment and were also offered in the four-door sedan body style. In the early 1990s, the trend towards four-door sedans and SUVs caused

20592-511: Was discontinued in 1983. The 1980 model year Ford Thunderbird (eighth generation) and Mercury Cougar (fifth generation) were downsized to a mid-size car and described by some as "stodgy-looking". Sales were drastically reduced, resulting in extensive revisions for the 1983 model year. While remaining a personal luxury coupe, the redesign of the Thunderbird and Cougar introduced highly aerodynamic body design to Ford vehicles in North America and significantly increased sales. In 1981, sales of

20748-511: Was discontinued. Differences between the Regal and Century were mostly cosmetic. As the upmarket version, the Regal offered larger engines and fancier trim, and once again boasted a newer version of the 3.8 L V6. While the Century was mainly a reliable, economy-minded car based upon the W-body, the Regal was fitted with many amenities, including heated leather seats (optional on the Century),

20904-466: Was equipped with higher lift camshaft .0.518" intake/ 0.523" exhaust with increased duration 305/310 and required 99 research octane fuel. Pontiac used the Buick version of the 215 in its Y-body cars, the Tempest and LeMans . At that time the engine was closely associated with the Buick brand, and Pontiac sold few cars with it, using it only in 1961 and 1962. Although sharing basic architecture with

21060-601: Was introduced in 1975 as the company's first coupe produced specifically for the personal luxury market (despite the company declaring earlier that there would "never be a smaller Chrysler"). The Cordoba used vintage styling cues like Rolls-Royce -style radiator grilles, opera windows , and vinyl roofs . By 1975, other models that had entered the personal luxury car segment included the AMC Matador (second generation) , Buick Regal , Dodge Charger (fourth generation) . The two highest-selling personal luxury cars for 1975 were

21216-514: Was key, the American personal luxury car typically blunted performance by mating large engines to heavy vehicles. The cars were usually mass-produced and often shared major mechanical components with other models from the manufacturer to reduce production costs. The initial luxury cars of this category during the 1950s in the United States were expensive, niche market , low-volume vehicles. Described as "quasi-custom" models, marketers at

21372-414: Was known as a Regal Sport Coupe. The Buick LeSabre was also available with the turbocharged engine. The only other turbocharged cars available in the U.S. market in 1978 were imports from Mercedes-Benz , Porsche and Saab . The Regal Sport Coupe also included a firm handling suspension with larger tires and sport wheels. Bucket seats and a center console with a T-shifter were also available. For 1980,

21528-439: Was limiting sales. The convertible/roadster body style was replaced by two models, a fixed hardtop and convertible. Sales totaled 198,191 over three model years, approximately four times that of the earlier two-seat model. The Thunderbird received the 1958 Motor Trend Car of the Year award. Two competitors inspired by the continued marketplace success of the four-seat Thunderbird appeared for model year 1963, both shown at

21684-592: Was listed at 17.0 and the Chevrolet Corvette at 15.2 seconds. For 1985, the Grand National remained unchanged. For 1986, a modified engine design with air-air intercooling boosted the performance even further to a specified 235 hp (175 kW) at 4000 rpm and 330 lb⋅ft (447 N⋅m) of torque at 2400 rpm. The Grand Nationals (quantity 5,512) and T-Types (quantity 2,384) were both produced in 1986. For 1987, performance increased 10 hp, to 245 hp (183 kW) and 355 lb⋅ft (481 N⋅m) of torque, however no design revisions were applied to

21840-405: Was marketed as a personal car and is often credited with playing a key role in the creation of the personal luxury car segment. In the early 1950s, both Ford and General Motors were developing competitors to address what they perceived as the growing popularity of the European sports car niche in the North American market. The result was the Ford Thunderbird , Studebaker Speedster , and

21996-523: Was measured as faster than the Ferrari F40 and the Porsche 930 with a 1 ⁄ 4 mile (402 m) time of 12.7 seconds at 113.1 mph (182 km/h) (0.3 and 0.8 seconds quicker, 2.9 and 13.3 mph (21 km/h) faster) and a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 4.6 seconds (0.4 and 0.3 seconds quicker, respectively). The stealthy appearance of the all-black GNX and Grand National (and

22152-491: Was offered from 1953 through 1956; it replaced the Buick straight-eight . While officially called the "Fireball V8" by Buick, it became known by enthusiasts as the "Nailhead" for the unusual vertical alignment of its small-sized valves (Originally it was known to hot-rodders as the "nail valve", because the engine's small heads contained valves with long stems, which made them look like nails.) During this era, Buick ranked smoothness above most other marketing objectives, and

22308-457: Was only produced through 1967, being replaced by the new small block 350 cu in (5.7 L) in 1968. Buick adopted the popular 350 cu in (5.7 L) size in 1968 for their final family of V8 engines, the 350 , which was produced through 1980. Although it shared the displacement of the other GM small blocks, including the Chevrolet 350 , Oldsmobile 350 , and Pontiac 350 ,

22464-399: Was produced from 1967-1969. This engine has a bore and a stroke of 4.04 in × 3.9 in (102.6 mm × 99.1 mm). It was the only large V8 engine available for the intermediate-sized A-body Buicks due to the GM cubic inch limit restriction in effect through 1970. Most parts except the pistons interchange with the 430 and 455. This 400 engine had the distributor towards

22620-563: Was raised soon after introduction to 155 hp (116 kW) at 4,600 rpm. 220 lb⋅ft (298 N⋅m) of torque was produced at 2,400 rpm with a Rochester 2GC (2 Jet) two-barrel carburetor and 8.8:1 compression ratio . A mid-year introduction was the Buick Special Skylark version, which had 10.0:1 compression and a four-barrel carburetor, raising output to 185 hp (138 kW) at 4,800 rpm and 230 lb⋅ft (312 N⋅m) at 2,800 rpm. For 1962,

22776-495: Was rapidly gaining popularity. From 1986 to 1987, the 307 cu in (5.0 L) V8 was available as an option. The 3,791 cc (3.8 L; 231.3 cu in) 2-bbl V6 was standard. The 200-4R overdrive transmission was an option with either engine. Production Figures: In 1978, the first turbocharged Regal was introduced as the Regal Sport Coupe. Turbo versions were originally offered with either

22932-433: Was rated at 350 hp (261 kW), while the 455 Stage 1 equipped with a single 4-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor was rated at 360 hp (268 kW) at 4600 rpm. The regular 455 produced a rated 510 lb⋅ft (691 N⋅m) of torque at 2,800 rpm, more than any other muscle car engine. The horsepower was somewhat reduced in 1971 mainly due to the reduction in cylinder compression ratio ,

23088-439: Was refined with sequential fuel injection , distributor -less computer-controlled ignition , and boasted 200 hp (149 kW) at 4400 rpm and 300 lb⋅ft (407 N⋅m) of torque at 2400 rpm. Only 5,204 turbo Regals were produced that year, only 2,000 of which were Grand Nationals. Because this was the first year of production of the computer-controlled sequential fuel injection and distributor-less ignition, this

23244-425: Was released, moving further upmarket and with a four-door pillarless hardtop body style being added. The Continental Mark III two-door coupe was introduced for the 1969 model year as the flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company and as a successor to the 1956 and 1957 Continental Mark II . The Mark III was based on the chassis of the Ford Thunderbird (fifth generation) to lower development costs. Styling features of

23400-506: Was slightly more than 126,000 units. General Motors ended production of the Buick Riviera in 1998, with 1,956 cars produced in the final model year. For the 1995 model year, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo was re-introduced and built on the front-wheel drive GM W-body platform. It was the two-door coupe version of the updated Lumina four-door sedan replacing the previous year's Lumina two-door coupe. In 2001, General Motors announced that

23556-474: Was targeted by the automakers to smaller and more specific market niches while offering long lists of options to satisfy consumer demands for individuality. For 1967, the AMC Marlin was increased in size but still considered an intermediate, a "larger 3+3 family coupe designed to appeal to the market's trend toward bigger cars with more appointments." Also for 1967, the Ford Thunderbird (fifth generation)

23712-678: Was the intermediate -sized 1965 Rambler Marlin . The Marlin was described as "unusual, distinctive and in a class by itself". Its design feature is the fastback roofline that terminates at the rear bumper. It was renamed as the AMC Marlin for 1966 to focus it on the personal luxury market. The Dodge Charger was introduced in 1966 and is similar in size to the AMC Marlin. The cars like the Charger were still classified "specialty cars" as they were not muscle cars but included premium trim and other features. The 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado became

23868-473: Was the only year that the LC2 turbo option was available on any Regal, making it possible to have a Limited with a vinyl landau roof and a power bulge turbo hood. Turbo Regal Limiteds were one of the rarest models of turbo Regals produced second only to the GNX at 1,035 turbo Limiteds. Turbo Regal Limiteds could be ordered with many options with most having chrome external trim but for $ 35 could have been built with

24024-459: Was unable to detect leaks on blocks that were as much as 95% complete. This raised the cost of complete engines to more than that of a comparable all cast-iron engine, so aluminum blocks were cancelled after the 1963 model year. Another problem was clogged radiators from antifreeze mixtures incompatible with aluminum. The 215's very high power-to-weight ratio made it immediately interesting for automobile and boat racing. Mickey Thompson entered

24180-445: Was unique to the Regal amongst the W-body cars, differentiating it from the mechanically similar Chevrolet Lumina , Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme , and Pontiac Grand Prix . Anti-lock brakes were made standard on all but the base Custom cars from 1992. For 1993, the Regal sedan received a minor facelift with a new hood and larger grille more reminiscent of the larger Buick models, as well as larger taillights. Along with this change came

24336-400: Was used in large B- , C- and E-body Buicks. Most parts except the pistons interchange with the 400 and 455. Applications: The 400-based 455 cu in (7.5 L) was produced from 1970–1976, with a bore x stroke of 4.31 in × 3.9 in (109.5 mm × 99.1 mm). Most parts (except pistons and heads) interchange between the 400 and the 430. The base model

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