1media/1956_Buick_Super-thumb.jpgmedia/Buick_03.jpg2020-06-18T14:46:18-07:001956 Buick Centurion27plain2020-08-27T19:27:26-07:00The 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/1961_Buick_Special-thumb.jpgmedia/Buick_02.jpg2020-06-18T14:43:49-07:001956 Buick Super6plain2020-08-22T17:28:44-07:00A popular four-door sedan put out by General Motors in the 1950s carried the tagline, “Superbly spacious and a superlative buy is the Buick Super.” It featured a wide front grille with a medallion in the center showing the car’s year, make, and model. The vehicle also used a partial automatic transmission called Dynaflow, which Buick developed during World War II for the M18 “Hellcat” tank destroyer. Much of the Super’s styling, from the hood ornament to the chrome trim and the configuration of its taillights, reflected the era’s interest in jet-like design.