1media/Buick_01.jpgmedia/Buick_04.jpg2020-06-18T14:48:57-07:00Anne-Marie Maxwell326ac6eff123bb3f77fb517c66299be8b435b479375149plain2020-08-27T15:14:59-07:00Anne-Marie Maxwell326ac6eff123bb3f77fb517c66299be8b435b479In the mid-20th century, General Motors positioned Buick as the leader in engine design among its various nameplates. After a two-year hiatus to implement under-the-hood improvements, the Buick Special returned to production in 1961 with the lightest mass-produced V8 engine in the world, made entirely from a block of aluminum instead of iron. Unfortunately, many of these new engines developed irreparable oil leaks, and the company soon abandoned its experiment. During the 1960s, Buick’s car designers gradually reduced the size of tailfins for aesthetic and utilitarian reasons.