My favorite Buicks are the '53 Skylark and '60 Electra convertibles, as well as the '63 Riviera because of its dramatic styling. I can still remember where I was and what I was doing when I saw the first one. My least favorite model years are '57 and '58. I felt the exterior styling was too cluttered and too chromy. Interestingly enough those were among Buick's worst selling years too.
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| The dramatic styling of the 1963 Riviera makes it one for my favorite Buicks of all time. (Photo: General Motors) |
Fortunately refocusing on the brand's core values found Buick flush again, thanks to good leadership. Throughout the years Buick had the management of stars. Their past personnel have included Charles W. Nash, who later started the Nash car company that eventually became American Motors; Walter P. Chrysler, who started Chrysler Motors; Harlow H. Curtis, Time magazine's 1955 Man of the Year, and lastly Louis Chevrolet, for a time the power behind Buick's racing team, who later started his own car company.
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| Buick's famous portholes, originally called Venti Ports, made a welcome return this year on the 2003 Park Avenue Ultra. (Photo: General Motors) |
It was an executive's wife, though, that was responsible for an entirely new automotive niche. Sarah Ragsdal, married to Buick executive Edward T. Ragsdal, liked the look of and often bought convertibles, but never lowered the various tops as she didn't want the wind to mess her hair. In 1949 her husband introduced the "hardtop convertible." The metal-roof-and-convertible-window-with-no-center-pillar-style, that lasted more than a decade, may never be manufactured again as carmakers now make every attempt to keep their cars as light as possible.
Buick's famous portholes, originally called Venti Ports, made a welcome return this year on the 2003 Park Avenue Ultra. They ventilate the engine compartment so cooler heads will prevail. Some doubt whether or not they are just esthetic, but they really are functional.