'65 & '66 Big Buicks in "Collectible Automobile"

[Centurion]

I received the 20th anniversary issue (April, 2004) of "Collectible Automobile" magazine last night, and was pleased to see an article covering the LeSabres, Wildcats, and Electra 225's of 1965 and 1966. I've not yet read the article, but -- in the magazine's fine tradition -- there are many color photographs of these beautiful cars. There is also a series of styling studio photographs dating from 1962, showing the origins of the mid-60's Buick design. I was particularly struck by one series of photographs showing design concepts that bring the rear styling of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado immediately to mind. I found myself wondering whether some of the preliminary design work for these full-size Buicks migrated to the Olds studio and influenced the final look of the landmark Toronado.

One glaring error jumped off the page, and that was the production figure quoted for the 1966 Wildcat GS. I do not have the generally-accepted figures with me, but I believe that about 1,200 of the Wildcat GS's were built. The magazine article cites production of only 21 cars, but I believe that this figure is the number of '66 Wildcat GS's built with the dual quad 425 Super Wildcat engine, which was not listed as a regular '66 option. (This engine was a regular production option for the '64 and '65 Wildcat/Electra 225/Riviera cars.)

I once read an interview with a retired GM designer, who stated that the GM stylists believed that the '65 full-size cars were the best overall designs they had ever created. The Buicks and Pontiacs received special praise, and were said to have shape and style from every angle.

I was eleven years old when the '65 Buicks were introduced, and I thought that the new LeSabre and Wildcat 2-door hardtops were the most beautiful cars I had ever seen. Never again have I been as thrilled by a new car as I was with the '65 Wildcat 2-door hardtop my parents purchased. When my mother drove the new Buick to the front of my elementary school, all of my sixth grade classmates ran to catch a glimpse of the stunning new design. This would be the car that I would later learn to drive on, and these Wildcats have long ranked at or near the top of my list of favorite Buicks.

The magazine notes that the Wildcat and Electra 225 convertibles have cracked the $20,000 barrier in the collector car marketplace, and noted that this has not yet been the case for most convertibles of the era.

Another article of particular interest to me in this issue is the interview with famed auto artist Arthur Fitzpatrick, who teamed with Van Kaufman to create some of Buick's best ads during the 1953-1957 era. A couple of favorites are the yellow 1954 Skylark ad, which served as the basis for a poster prepared for the Buick Heritage Tour. These great posters were available as freebies in Flint. Another was a stunning night view of a black '56 Roadmaster. The team of Fitzpatrick and Kaufman are probably best known for their contract with Pontiac during the 1959 - 1970 era, which is generally regarded as Pontiac's golden era. This was the pinnacle of the artists' career, and their famous illustrations of Pontiacs for the advertisements and brochures contributed greatly to Pontiac's sales success during the 1960's. A gallery of some of their artwork can be found here: http://www.fitz-art.com/gallery.htm

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Right on with the numbers!

A-8 GS Wildcats-21 (2-4bbls)

A-9 GS Wildcats 1224 (Q-Jet)

Source:Buick Motor Division, Daily Car Report for model 6000, 08-02-66, p.248

I can't wait to get my issue. I let my subscription lapse and had to get the last one at Borders!

[palbuick]

Hi Ted

The BOP Swap meet is on March 28.2004 this year. I know you made several purchases last year. Hope to see you again this year. I will be selling in the same spots again, Anything you need let me know.

Jm Schilf

palbuick@aol.com

[Guest 70 Electra]

Brian,

I haven't seen the issue yet, but several friends that have are questioning the validity of the pix that have the Toronado look. Certainly that was never a viable concept for the mainstream 65 Buick?

[Centurion]

Greg, I'm inclined to agree, but one of the photos clearly shows a LeSabre nameplate and the car is a four door model. The suicide doors are an interesting feature, perhaps reflecting the success of the '61 Lincoln Continental design.

There are other aspects of the car, however, that appear sufficiently advanced to make me question whether the photos really date from 1962 as indicated. The captions convey that there were two separate styling directions considered for the '65's, and the final production cars represent the more evolutionary design track.

I'll be eager to hear your thoughts when you've seen the photos.

By the way, I found myself wishing that the author of this article had searched harder for fine examples of these Buicks. Some of the photograph cars, such as the black '65 Wildcat convertible and the turqouise '66 Wildcat hardtop, are beautiful. In contrast, the white '65 Wildcat sedan has a clearly damaged front bumper and sits too high in the rear. I believe that this is the car that also sports an incorrect outside rearview mirror. And the photo car that represents the '66 Electra 225 convertible has wrong exhaust pipes, a trailer hitch, and gravel shields behind the front wheels that detract greatly from a car that appears otherwise nice. There are many nicer examples of these cars in the BCA, and I wish we had seen some of them in this article.

[Guest my3buicks]

Brian, like a certain 66 Wildcat Sedan with less than 5500 miles we know about?

[Centurion]

Keith, yes, that '66 Wildcat sedan would have been a great addition to the article!