1media/1956_Buick_Super-thumb.jpgmedia/Buick_03.jpg2020-06-18T14:46:18-07:001956 Buick Centurion20plain2020-08-22T17:28:18-07:00The 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.
1media/Buick_03.jpgmedia/Buick_01.jpg2020-06-18T14:41:59-07:001951 Buick XP-30011plain2020-08-27T11:07:04-07:00In 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.
