The Buick Electra was Buick’s full-size luxury car from 1959 to 1990, built over six generations. It replaced the Roadmaster and remained the flagship sedan line until it gave way to the Park Avenue.
Buick Electra at a glance
| Maker | Buick, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1959–1990 |
| Class | full-size luxury car |
| Replaced | Buick Roadmaster |
| Bodies | two-door sedan and hardtop, convertible, four-door sedan, estate wagon |
| 1959 engine | 401 cu in Wildcat V8, 325 hp |
| 1959 transmission | two-speed Dynaflow automatic |
| Name origin | Electra Waggoner Biggs, Texan sculptor |
| 1977 | first downsizing |
| 1985 | front-wheel drive, unibody |
| Replaced by | Buick Park Avenue for 1991 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Electra.
History of the Buick Electra
The Electra was named after Electra Waggoner Biggs, a Texan sculptor and socialite who was the sister-in-law of GM president Harlow Curtice. She also gave her name to the Lockheed L-188 Electra airliner.
For 1959 Buick reshuffled its range: the Super became the Invicta, the Roadmaster became the Electra and Electra 225, and the short-lived Limited was dropped. The new car shared the GM C-body with the Oldsmobile 98 and Cadillac, and rode on a 126.3-inch wheelbase, longer than the B-body LeSabre and Invicta. The only engine was the 401-cubic-inch Wildcat V8 with a four-barrel carburettor, 10.25:1 compression and 325 hp (242 kW), driving through a two-speed Dynaflow automatic.
The Electra 225 took its name from an overall length of more than 225 inches, which earned it the street name «deuce and a quarter». The 225 Riviera was the top-line model, with a six-window hardtop roof shared exclusively with Cadillac. Standard equipment was extensive: power steering and brakes with Buick’s finned aluminium drums, power windows and seat, and leather in the convertible.
The 1959 styling was new from the ground up, with slanted headlights, a heavily chromed square grille and «Delta-Fins» at the rear with round tail lamps. For 1960 the car received a concave grille, horizontal headlights centred on the tri-shield badge and the return of the chrome VentiPorts — four per front fender on the Electra, three on lesser Buicks.
The Electra was downsized significantly for 1977, and again for 1985, when the sixth generation moved to unibody construction and GM’s new front-wheel-drive C platform. Together with its Oldsmobile 98 and Cadillac relatives it became one of GM’s first full-size, transverse-engined, front-drive cars.
For 1991 the Electra name was retired. The front-drive premium sedan continued as the Park Avenue, a name previously used for the top trim of the Electra itself, while the Electra Estate was redesigned as the Roadmaster Estate. In late 2022 Buick announced that the Electra name would return on electric models for 2024.
Design and features
- Flagship status: the top Buick sedan line for more than thirty years.
- Electra 225: over 225 inches long, hence the «deuce and a quarter».
- VentiPorts: four per fender on the Electra, three on lesser models.
- First front-drive full-size Buick: the 1985 generation led GM’s switch.
Buick Electra versions
- Electra: the standard car, two-door hardtop and four-door sedan.
- Electra 225: the longer, better-equipped model, including the convertible.
- Electra Estate: the station wagon, replaced by the Roadmaster Estate in 1991.
- 1985 generation: unibody, front-wheel drive, transverse engine.
The Electra replaced the Roadmaster and was replaced by the Park Avenue; it also shared its market with the LeSabre. More Buicks are in the Buick collection.
Sources
- Buick Electra, English Wikipedia: name origin, 1959 model, 1960 facelift, later generations
