A 58 WHAT ??????

[Guest Scott Roberts]

It seem's that the 58 buick is buick's red hedded step child. I know, I have one. Yes, I know it's covered in chrome and stainless steel (Which my dad and I have been polishing and removing dents from for two months) But it is still a nice buick. It is very similer to the 56, and the 57. It is nothing like the 59 and 60, yet I don't feel people give the cars The credit they are due. We have a 1958 buick special 46R with a three speed manual trans, the car is warwick blue with a 411 interior. It is rather plain for a 58 buick the only option the car has is power steering. Maybe that's what appeals to me is the rarity of the car due to lack of options and a manual transmittion. I was a Ford and Pontiac lover until this Buick came along now I'm hooked. So hooked that when the opertunity arose to get a 1935 model 47 I did. Now I have two buicks to restore. What's your opinion on the 1958 buick?????

[JohnD1956]

If I say 58 Buicks are great, Zonda will probably disagree, but too bad. The 58 Buicks are great!

[Guest ZondaC12]

Hahaha yeah no one seems to like the 58s. I dunno, call me a gaudy person but I'm a sucker for the huge fins the wild grille and the general smattering of chrome and stainless all over those! Nice! She'll be great when she's all done for sure.

[serb]

In my opinion, the 1958 Buick was one of the best that Buick produced. I learned how to drive on a silver, '58 Roadmaster 75 two door hardtop. What a car. If I ever run into the car, I will have to get it. I still remember the last 4 of the VIN only because it is the same as the last 4 of my SSN. How's that for a coincidence?

stevo

[Guest imported_Thriller]

I really like the '58s. They are almost brash compared to other cars...they are so unique and I love unique cars (that's how I wound up with Buicks).

[Dave@Moon]

<span style="color: #3333FF">As I answered on the AACA forum:</span>

I've seen several books and/or articles that mention Harley Earl's by then failing eyesight as a partial explanation for the 1958 GM line. There's no doubt that 1958 was probably the first year that GM was clearly behind both Ford and Mopar in design. The Buick was arguably the least progressive of GM's designs that year.

It certainly was the glitziest, and the most extreme. The 1958 Limited had 200 pounds of purely decorative chrome trim. That does not count bumpers, grille, switches, door handles, or any other part on the car that'd be there chrome or not. It was over-the-top during an era when extravagence was a given.

Personally I don't like it as a work of art, but I love it as a piece of history (see my avatar at left). While the lines (especially the oddly curved hood) & trim do way too much to add visual weight to an already heavy shape, they do give the car a flavor of an age that is long gone. Great designs are timeless ('53 Studebaker, '48 Cistalia, '48 XK120, etc.). The 1958 Buick is of an age that barely lasted through the model year.

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For another perspective, I offer this conversation with my 11 year old son at the 2003 Buick 100th Aniversary meet in Flint, MI:

"Dad, I think I get the 1958 Buick now"

"What do you mean?"

"The 1958 Buick is the Hummer H2 of 1958."

I think he said it all (and yes, those are direct quotes).

[michel88]

I like the 58 Buicks as an icon of the fifties. Having one with a 3 speed manual trans is very cool!

[Guest wk's_olds]

In the 1960's I owned a '58 Limited; the biggest Buick that year, and bigger than a Cadillac! The Limiteds had some problems with suspension and transmission........ But they were beautiful!