Buick Special

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From 1936 to 1958, Buick's Special model range represented the marque's entry level full-size automobile. By 1955, the Buick Special was one of America's best selling automotive series. Buick Specials are easily identified — the model range had three ventiports while senior Buicks had four.

Buick renamed the Special the LeSabre for the 1959 model year.

1961

In 1961, the car returned after a short absence of two years, but this time it was on the brand new unibody intermediate GM Y platform. The Special was powered by an innovative aluminum-block 215 in³ V8. In mid-year a Skylark option was released with special trim, optional bucket seats and a 4 barrel version of the 215.

1962 and 1963

In 1962, the Special was the first American car to use a V6 engine. This 198 in³ Fireball was reverse-engineered from the 215 and used many of the same design parameters, but was cast in iron. Output was 135 hp (gross) at 4600 rpm and 205 ft·lbf at 2400 rpm. In their test that year, "Road & Track" was impressed with Buick's "practical" new V6, saying it "sounds and performs exactly like the aluminum V8 in most respects." In 1963, the Special's body was restyled. Mechanically, however, the car was identical to the 1962 model. There was also some minor interior restyling, particularly to the dash and instrument cluster. The 1963 Special was available as a 2 door pillared hardtop, a four dour sedan, a convertible, and a station wagon. Engine choices were a 198 cubic-inch V-6 with 2-barrel carburetor, a 215 cubic-inch V-8 with two-barrel carburetor, and a 215 cubic-inch V-8 with 4-barrel carburetor. Transmission choices were a 'three on the tree' manual transmission, a floor shift Borg-Warner T-10 4-spd. manual transmission, and a two-speed automatic. The two speed "Dual Path Turbine Drive" automatic was a Buick design and shared no common parts with the better known Chevrolet Power-Glide transmission.The 1963 body was only produced for one year as the entire car was redesigned for 1964. After then, the 215 engine found its way into the MGB-GT-V8 in the early 1970s, but was never sold in North America, a testimony to British Leyland's marketing "prowess". It also found its way into other Brits including the Rover TC3500 and the Triumph TR-8, as well as retrofits into non V8 MGBs and MGAs

The V6 Special was "Motor Trend" magazine's Car of the Year for 1962.

The Skylark also became a separate series for 1962.

1964-1972

The Special, along with the upscale Skylark, were redesigned for the 1964 model year with separate body-on-frame construction -- renamed the GM A platform -- and marketed as an intermediate-sized car. The Skylark was expanded to a full top-line series that now included two- and four-door sedans, two-door hardtop coupe and convertible, along with a station wagon. The other series models included the base Special and the slightly fancier Special DeLuxe.

Also new for 1964 were engines. The capacity of the V6 engine was increased from 198 to 225 cubic inches, while the aluminum V8 was replaced by a new cast iron-block 300 cubic inch V8 with aluminum cylinder heads. This engine, produced until 1967, was based on the aluminum V8, and many parts (such as the cylinder heads) were interchangeable.

The Special nameplate was used on lower-priced intermediate-sized Buicks through the 1969 model year.

1975

The Special returned briefly to the GM A platform as an entry level subseries of the Buick Century as the Buick Century Special. Century Specials were usually powered by Buick's own 231 V6; a V8 (from either Buick, Olds, or Chevrolet) was rarely optioned. It ued the "fastback" roofline but was fitted with a landau roof that covered most of the rear quarter windows. The opening that was left was the same shape as the windows on the higher series formal-roof cars.