Buick Century

Buick Century is the model name that was used by Buick for a line of upscale full-size cars from 1936 to 1942 and 1954 to 1958, as well as from 1973 to 2005 for mid-size cars.

The first Buick Century debuted as the Series 60 then renamed in 1936 as a shorter and lighter model featuring the same engine as the bigger Roadmaster and Limited series giving it more performance while using the shorter wheelbase body of the Buick Special.[1] During the 1930s and 1940s it was Buick's companion to the top level Roadmaster and was offered as a 2-door and 4-door sedan and convertible. The Century name was used on six generations of cars of varying sizes as well as performance and trim levels. In 1969, Buick developed a concept car known as the Century Cruiser. In the 1970s, the Century Regal became a separate model and market positioning between the two products changed from year to year depending on sales. The Century was updated to front wheel drive in 1982 and was Buick's 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan and station wagon, with regular updates and feature upgrades as customer preferences changed over time.

Series 60 (1930–1935)

Originally, the Series 60 had the 331.4 cuin OHV Buick Straight-6 engine from the Series 70, developing 99 bhp at 2,800 rpm. It had, at the beginning of the generation, a full-length running board denoting the top model for Buick at the time, shared with the short wheelbase, entry level Series 40. In 1930, GM built 38,180 cars. The bodystyles available were torpedo, sedan, coupe, and roadster convertible, using GM's "B-body" platform.[2] Starting with this generation, all GM cars shared a corporate appearance as a result of the "Art and Colour Section" headed by Harley J. Earl and modest yearly changes were introduced to freshen the appearance.[2]

In 1931, the running board was reduced and the OHV 220.7 cuin Buick Straight-8 engine was introduced that developed 90 bhp. Aesthetically, the Series 60 remained almost unchanged, and the same fact occurred also in the following year. In 1931 and 1932, a total of 55,135 were produced.[2]

In 1933, the length of the body increased and the radiator was now concealed behind a façade with a grille. The engine power increased to 97 hp, and 1933 was the first year all GM vehicles were installed with optional vent windows which were initially called “No Draft Individually Controlled Ventilation” later renamed "Ventiplanes". In 1934, the appearance was changed to a more rounded appearance, with a new OHV 278 cuin eight-cylinder engine and 100 hp. In 1935, the model remained almost unchanged while the body style selections were similar to larger Buicks but more affordably priced. Six choices were available to include both 2- and 4-door convertibles using the term "phaeton" for the 4-door convertible with a listed price of US$1,675 ($0 in dollars ). Total production from 1933 to 1935 was 31,385. In 1936, the model changed its name to "Century".[2]

First generation (1936–1942)

Buick renamed its entire model lineup for the 1936 model year to celebrate the engineering improvements and design advancements over their 1935 models, introducing a "streamlined" appearance. Buick's Series 40 model range became the Special, the Series 60 became the Century, the Series 80 became the Roadmaster, and the Series 90, Buick's longest and most luxurious vehicles, became the Limited. The terminology "Series 60" and "Series 70" were shared with Cadillac, while "Series 60", "Series 70", "Series 80" and "Series 90" were shared with Oldsmobile.

The basic formula for the 1936 to 1942 Century was established by mating the shorter wheelbase Special bodies to the Roadmaster's larger displacement straight-eight engine. The Century offered four different types of 2-door body styles to include convertibles and only one 4-door Sedan, with the ratio remaining coupes over sedans until 1938 when there were three coupe and three sedan choices.[2] The 1940 Series 50 Super combined the longer Roadmaster body with the smaller displacement Special engine.

While the Special was powered by Buick's OHV 233 CID straight-8 engine, rated 93 hp at 3200 rpm, Centurys produced between 1936 and 1942 were powered by the OHV 320 CID straight-8 producing 141 hp,[3] making them the fastest Buicks of the era and capable of sustained speeds of 100 mph, hence the name Century (100), earning the Century the nickname "the banker's hot rod".[2] Prices listed for the 2-door Victoria Coupe started at US$1,055 ($0 in dollars ) to US$1,135 ($0 in dollars ) for the 2-door Convertible. By 1940 prices rose to US$1,175 ($0 in dollars ) for the Sport Coupe to US$1,620 ($0 in dollars ) for the 4-door Convertible Phaeton.[2]

The Century was discontinued at the end of the abbreviated 1942 model year due to World War II, when production of passenger vehicles stopped on February 4, 1942, during which total model production only accounted for about 10% of Buick's total output.

Second generation (1954–1958)

Buick reintroduced the Century using the same formula of mating the smaller, lighter Buick Special body to its largest and most powerful 322 CID "Fireball" OHV V8 engine mated with a Dynaflow automatic transmission, with the intent of giving Buick a performance vehicle. Included in the model lineup during this period was a station wagon model, a body style that had been unavailable during the Century's first production period of 1936 until 1942. In 1953 The Buick-Berle Show introduced product placement commercials on TV, and later in 1955 The Honeymooners was one of the sponsors.

Introduced in the middle of the 1955 model year, the four-door Buick Century Riviera along with the four-door Special Riviera, the four-door Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, and four-door 88 Holiday, were the first four-door hardtops ever produced. For the first time, the Century was repositioned below the C-body Buick Super and priced lower. It continued to feature four "VentiPorts" on the front fenders like the larger Buick Roadmaster indicating its status equal to the Super, denoting it was a junior level Buick using the shorter B-body. It also introduced the "Panoramic" one-piece wrap around windshield on all GM cars for 1955.

In 1955, the California Highway Patrol placed a large fleet order for 270 Century two-door sedans, a body style unavailable to the general public. It combined the Special two-door sedan body shell with Century powertrain, of which 135 were Dynaflow automatics and 135 were manual transmissions. Broderick Crawford was shown driving a two-door Century sedan during the first season of his popular syndicated TV series Highway Patrol. These Century two-door sedans were actual police vehicles owned by the California Highway Patrol and were loaned to the TV production company, the CHP door emblems were changed to a generic highway patrol emblem. (In later seasons, he drove a four-door Century but these were not California Highway Patrol owned vehicles.) Power brakes were optional.[5] Tubeless tires were new.[6]

The Century remained Buick's performance line, with engine power rising from 200 hp (SAE gross) in 1954, to 236 hp in 1955, to 255 hp in 1956, and topping out at 300 hp from a bored-out 364 cid engine in 1957 and 1958, the last model years for the full-sized Century line.

In 1956, the Century's base price was US$2,963 ($0 in dollars ). Power windows were standard in the convertible. A padded safety dash became optional.[7]

For 1957, Buick styling was notable for its three-piece rear window design. This was a feature in all series fixed-roof body-styles, (excluding wagons and convertibles). Oldsmobile also used this 3-piece rear window design that year, marketed as the “Twin-Strutted Rear Window.”

Because the Century was considered the senior "small Buick", the model received a version of GM's hardtop station wagon, the Century Caballero Estate for the 1957 and 1958 model years and was not continued for 1959.

For 1959, Buick renamed the Century the Invicta.

Third generation (1973–1977)

The Buick Century nameplate was revived for the 1973 model year on the rear-wheel drive intermediate A-body platform, which was redesigned for this year. The name replaced Skylark for Buick's mid-sized cars. The Century Regal coupe was added at the top of the model range and later became a separate series, dropping the Century name for 1976. It was available with two- and four-barrel versions of the Buick 350, putting out 150 and 175 hp, respectively. The 455 was also an option. The base Century and Century 350 coupes had a fastback roof with large rear quarter glass, while the Century Luxus featured a more formal notchback roofline with narrow opera windows. The Century Estate replaced the Buick Sport Wagon.

By replacing the Skylark, the Century inherited the Gran Sport performance option. The package was available with any engine and included upgraded suspension, additional instrumentation, and unique appearance treatment. Dual exhaust increased output of the four-barrel 350 to 190 hp. While the Stage I 455 was somewhat diminished from its performance heyday due to emission controls, output was competitive for the era at 270 hp and 390 lbft. A Saginaw three-speed manual was standard with either 350 engine. A Muncie M-21 four-speed was available with either 350 or with the regular 455, while the Stage I required a Turbo-Hydramatic 400.[8]

The 1974 Buick Century and Regal were introduced with HEI (High-Energy Ignition systems) instead of points and ignition coil. The 1974 Buick Century Gran Sport was still, "Available only as a Hardtop Colonnade Coupe, it carries the Rallye ride and handling suspension with stabilizer bars, front and rear. Plus a specialized blacked-out grille and head lamp doors, an accent stripe on the rear deck, special tail lamps and Gran Sport grille ornamentation. And if you go for the Gran Sport, you can add the Stage 1, the high performance engine."[9]

For 1975, the Luxus was renamed Century Custom. The new 110 hp 231 V6 was installed as standard equipment along with a three-speed manual transmission on coupes and sedans, and the big-block 455 was no longer available. The four-barrel 350 V8 became standard on station wagons. A new landau top became available for fastback coupes that partially covered the rear quarter glass, giving an appearance similar to the formal-roof Century Custom. A Century Special coupe was added to the lineup, using the fastback roofline. The Special was marketed as an economy variant of the Century and was only available with the V6 engine.

In 1975, the US government legalized rectangular headlights and Buick added them to the Century for the 1976 model year, positioned side-by-side on coupes, and stacked vertically on sedans. Sedans received a taller, more-formal grille, while coupes got an angled, body-colored front end along with new bodyside sheet metal that lacked the traditional "sweepspear". The Gran Sport option was discontinued with the 455 engines and only 231 V6 or 350 V8 were available on the last 1,288 made vehicles merely with appearance and suspension option package.

Buick Centuries were used in the 1975 and 1976 Indianapolis Motor Speedway as pace cars. Buick introduced a 1975 Buick Century "Free Spirit" edition replica based on the Indy Pace Car for the public with patriotic graphic decals and the Buick Hawk on the hood. This 1975 vehicle had a transmission shifter on the floor with bucket seats and "Hurst Hatch" T-tops installed. The white exterior and blue/white interior were based on the 1975 two-door sheet metal. The engine was a 350 V8, as opposed to the 455 V8 used on the actual Indy 500 Pace Car. Alternatively, in 1976, Buick introduced the "Free Spirit" edition of the Indy Pace Car; it was received the 1976 Century Special's facelifted sheet metal with the 231 V6 engine. The original Indy Pace Car had the turbocharged 231 V6. The replica featured a silver, black, and red paint with a black interior. The vehicle included a positive-traction differential.

To commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States, the standard colors available on all Buicks were Judicial Black, Liberty White, Pewter Gray, Potomac Blue, Continental Blue, Concord Green, Constitution Green, Mount Vernon Cream, Buckskin Tan, Musket Brown, Boston Red and Independence Red, with specially available colors on select models Congressional Cream, Revere Red, Colonial Yellow and Firecracker Orange.[10]

In 1977, the V6 engine was revised to be even-firing, and a 403 cuin Oldsmobile V8 was added as an option for station wagons.

Production Figures:

Fourth generation (1978–1981)

GM downsized its intermediate line, reducing wheelbase by 4 in and curb weight by nearly half a ton. The Century was initially offered as an "aeroback" fastback two-door coupe and a fastback four-door sedan along with a station wagon model (sharing bodies with the Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon). The car was over a foot shorter, several inches narrower, and several hundred pounds lighter than its predecessor. Big-block engines were discontinued and the new base powerplant was Buick's new 196 cuin V6 introduced specifically for the Century and Regal. The 231 cuin V6 and the Chevrolet 305 V8 were options. The Pontiac 265 cuin and 301 cuin replaced the Chevrolet engine for 1979.

One of the more rare models of this time was the 1979 to 1980 Century Turbo Coupe, powered by a turbocharged version of the 3.8 L V6, which offered V8-like performance with more reasonable fuel consumption and reduced emissions. The Turbo Coupe was not nearly as popular as the similar Regal Turbo Sport Coupe of the time, and total production is estimated to be less than 2,500.

The two fastback models (along with the Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon) proved unpopular. For 1980, the fastback four-door sedan was dropped in favor of a conventional notchback four-door sedan. After 1980, the Century fastback coupe was discontinued. With the introduction of the new front-wheel drive Century in 1982, the existing notchback sedan and wagon models were transferred to the Regal line.

Production Figures:

Fifth generation (1982–1996)

In January 1982, GM debuted the downsized fifth-generation Century, using the front-wheel drive A platform, in coupe and sedan forms.[15]

The fifth-generation Century shared the A platform with the Cutlass Ciera, Pontiac 6000 and Chevrolet Celebrity, and together the A-bodies became very popular — as well some of GM's most transparent examples of badge engineering, highlighted almost indistinguishably on the August 22, 1983 cover of Fortune magazine as examples of near-uniformity, embarrassing the company and prompting GM to recommit to design leadership.[16][17][18]

In October 1983, a station wagon was added to the lineup to replace the discontinued Regal wagon.[19][20] The 1984 model year also had an Olympic version of the Buick Century, commemorating the 1984 games in Los Angeles, California. In 1985, all 1986 versions were "freshened" with a new, more angular front fascia. Wheelbase was 104.9 in, with 189 in overall length. Both four-cylinder gasoline units and diesel V6 engines were offered in this generation, although neither became popular. Performance versions of several Buick models, including the Century coupe, were marketed in the mid-1980s under the T-Type name. With Buick's 181 cu in (3.0 L) V6 producing 110 hp, the Century T-Type's performance was modest, but the Buick 3.8 V6 SFI engine, producing 140-150 hp, offered passable performance in this comparatively lightweight vehicle.

For 1985 and 1986, Hess & Eisenhardt/Car Craft of Lima, Ohio converted 124 finished Buick Century coupes into coachbuilt convertibles. Although these convertibles were sold as new cars through Buick dealerships, these conversions were not factory authorized. In 1986, the engine distributor was replaced by a coil-pack ignition system that proved to be far more reliable than the system that it replaced. The "Chevrolet Century" were sold in South America and the Caribbean. In Mexico, it was sold as the Century Limited (with no brand, although it wears the Buick logos). Introduced for 1984, it was the top model for General Motors Mexico, and it survived the import car wave from 1991 (previously new car importations were forbidden in Mexico) and continued in production until the 1996 model year. In Japan it was sold as the Buick Regal because of the Toyota Century limousine.

Sixth generation (1997–2005)

For the 1997 model year, Buick released the sixth-generation Century (in December 1996, nearly 15 years after its last redesign).[29] Joining the newly redesigned Regal on the W-body chassis, the Century continued its image of traditional entry-level luxury. While sharing a chassis and nearly identical bodywork with its counterpart (with the exception of its standard steel wheels, the Century was styled with a more upright grille than the Regal), the Century featured less powerful engines and softer suspension tuning. In further contrast to the Regal, the Century was fitted with a full-width bench seat and a column shifter (bucket seats and a console were optional); in place of full instrumentation, the dashboard lacked a tachometer.

Offered solely as a four-door sedan (the Century Estate station wagon was discontinued), the Century carried over the standard "Custom" and upgraded "Limited" trims from the previous generation. Following the retirement of the Skylark, the Century became the entry-level line for the entire Buick brand for 1999.

For 2003, the Century underwent some revision, as both trim lines were consolidated into an unnamed model. A slight de-contenting of the model line began, with many Limited-trim features (antilock brakes, OnStar, side airbags, rear window antenna, cassette player) became optional, with the "Century" nameplate on the doors deleted (remaining only on the taillamps).

For 2005, a Special Edition option package included dual-zone automatic climate control, 16-inch chrome-plated aluminum wheels, touring tires, anti-lock brakes, a chrome grille with revised tri-shield and a rear Special Edition emblem. Only four exterior colors were offered with the Special Edition option package, Sterling Silver Metallic, Cashmere Metallic, Cardinal Red Metallic and Glacier Blue Metallic.

For 2005, the Buick LaCrosse was introduced to replace both the Century and the Regal on the W-body platform. After outliving the Regal by a model year, the final Buick Century was assembled at Oshawa Car Assembly on October 25, 2004.

Usage of the name in China (2023)

In China, the fourth generation Buick GL8 minivan was marketed as the Buick Century.

External links

• A-body.net - 82-96 GM A-body Website & Forum