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The Space Age Hits the Road: Visionary Car Designs in America

1961 Buick Special

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1956 Buick Centurion The Centurion was a two-door, four-passenger concept car unveiled at GM’s Motorama show in 1956. Its avant-garde, aircraft-inspired design included a bubble-top canopy, a freestanding speedometer, and a rear-mounted camera linked to a dashboard display that ostensibly eliminated the need for a rear-view mirror. The two tones of its fiberglass body were separated by Buick’s trademark “sweepspear,” or the curved chrome trim along the side panels. While certain elements of its design were later incorporated into other models, only one of these cars was produced, and it is now on display at the Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan.
1961 Buick Special In 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.
1951 Buick XP-300 In order to test out new features and materials, automakers often develop concept cars that are never mass-produced. One such experimental car, the XP-300, featured a futuristic name reflecting its unusual design and light, sleek body made of heat-treated aluminum. Seen here during a test drive at the Orange County Airport in Santa Ana, this Buick boasted a 300-horsepower, supercharged V8 engine and reached a top speed of 140 miles per hour. Its 6.5 inches of ground clearance typified the “long and low” look GM promoted in the 1950s.