1media/Buick_01.jpgmedia/Buick_04.jpg2020-06-18T14:48:57-07:001961 Buick Special8plain2020-08-22T17:39:55-07:00In 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.
1media/1961_Buick_Special-thumb.jpgmedia/Buick_02.jpg2020-06-18T14:43:49-07:001956 Buick Super8plain2020-08-27T19:28:05-07:00A 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.