We just bought our first Buick in August - the month I turned 72. The smallest SUV (the Encore) has a $5,000 G rebate, bringing the cost down to around $20K. Best part of the deal is that the Encore performs like a small care and is nimble for in-town driving.
As a 50 year old, I'm the child of Buick parents...a 68 Wildcat, a 74 Electra and a 76 Electra Limited, the latter with the first Astroroof moonroof I had ever seen. My Aunt later had an 84 Park Avenue and in my 40's I owned a 2005 LeSabre, a 2009 Enclave for my wife and a 2010 LaCrosse. My wife and I actually did a commercial for Buick when they found out there was a couple of Buick owners that defied the geriatric stereotype.
Putting age aside, I have always found them to be comfortable, reliable, luxurious, safe and with just the right amount of restrained style. Like the author, I experienced a few of those "driveway moments" with the proud father and the new Buick (later, Cadillac) and I suppose in some way I recaptured that a little with my own Buick's. Brand loyalty is a fleeting thing today. Buick and its brethren inspired the aspirational middle class as a symbol of where they were and where they hoped to go. Thanks for reminding me of this time and way of life.
Putting age aside, I have always found them to be comfortable, reliable, luxurious, safe and with just the right amount of restrained style. Like the author, I experienced a few of those "driveway moments" with the proud father and the new Buick (later, Cadillac) and I suppose in some way I recaptured that a little with my own Buick's. Brand loyalty is a fleeting thing today. Buick and its brethren inspired the aspirational middle class as a symbol of where they were and where they hoped to go. Thanks for reminding me of this time and way of life.
2
Am I the only one who feels this is not primarily about Buicks?
Is it not a short story about growing up?
The shared "... proudest moments," the music, returning from the work-a-day struggles to the Buick while on vacation and the later yearning for adult goals and the memory of a easier time.
Is it not a short story about growing up?
The shared "... proudest moments," the music, returning from the work-a-day struggles to the Buick while on vacation and the later yearning for adult goals and the memory of a easier time.
5
I bought a 1965 Buick "Gran Sport", the brand's first true muscle car. Based on the Skylark chassis, with a big V-8, variable-pitch automatic transmission, and a "minimalist" reduction in chrome trim and badgeing. By coincidence, my wife and I were planning an automobile trip to French Canada. You can imagine the interest in the car wherever we went, with its "faux" French name prominently displayed.
2
Love this. I'm a Lincoln girl myself. We should all own a car big enough that if you get tired you can pull over and lay down without having to move the seats. Besides it goes well with my church hats.
8
Who cares about cool? The Park Avenue (no longer made,) was the most cost-effective way to move six people, with luggage, 500 miles without stopping for fuel. Plenty of leg and head room; lots of comfort. It did precisely what it was conceived to do.
4
At age 24, the first car I owned was a 1946 Buick Roadmaster. The first bank loan and first gift from my freshly-minted husband, it made us a 2 car family. Deep green with an endless hood over the straight eight engine (whose spark plugs I could easily change), it purred & glided through the streets of my new home city, wondrous San Antonio. With a vast limousine cloth covered interior, including a backseat woven rope to hold a lap robe and the novelty of front and rear radio speakers, 8 or 9 folks could pile in. In fall it would go to the market where the backseat & trunk would be filled with pumpkins to distribute around town. Winter trips to the charcoal yard, it would load up with almost a cord of firewood. Best were weekend outings sailing through the hill country. The speedometer didn't work and the ride was so smooth one didn't have the sense of traveling 80-90 mph. Often I was mocked by my peers, fresh young professionals competing for 'coolness' as designers and architects, driving the newest fashions in cars. I loved that car more than any I've ever had, it would be even more stylish today whilst all those Audis, etc. would be passé. Wish I'd never sold it.
10
Buick recently ranked third in Consumer Reports' 2017 Reliability survey. There aren't a lot of great things about being older, but one of them is being able to realize that the definition of cool is quality.
11
I am also 46. My father had a silver 1985 Buick Century, which I thought was a great car. In 2005, following in his footsteps, I bought a sky blue 2005 Lacrosse, the then-rough equivalent to the Century (Buick's model line has been pared down significantly). My wife said that when driving it, she always felt like she was borrowing her dad's car. After about 8 1/2 years I gave in and traded it for a Honda Accord, which, truth be told, is a much better car (better mileage, smaller but just as roomy, better quality interior). But I still rent Buicks and they still stir something inside of me.
8
I couldn't agree more. My husband at the age of 57 got a Buick as a company car--I have never loved a vehicle as much as I loved that one: comfort, warmth (I live in Canada), class and such a plush, oomphy ride. If only it were a hybrid...
6
Now let's hear it for Oldsmobile. Gone, but not forgotten.
11
One important aspect of Buicks that no one has mentioned: the fake exhaust ports in the fenders that were Buick's particular styling motif. Someone should publish a coffee table book on Buick holes through the decades, printed on creamy pages like marzipan.
7
Thank you for this. It brought back memories of my own childhood, our Buick LeSabre, and all that it represented. Both my parents were making a break from their past and, with that, came the pursuit of material comfort. Growing up in our secure suburban environment, I felt less of a need to pursue things, and more of a desire to find fulfillment elsewhere. I am still on that path, but, as I approach 50, with kids and a mortgage, I find it hard not to compare what my parents had achieved at this point in their lives with where I am now. It's a different path, but I have a much greater appreciation for where they were going.
4
My grandfather left the Dodge Brothers in Detroit and went to work at a start-up in Flint. The start up was called Buick. He retired 46 years later.
I learned to drive in a 1955 Buick.
I learned to drive in a 1955 Buick.
11
Wonderful article. I'm now 75, in 1980 I bought an Olds 98 which had similar characteristics to the Buicks of that decade. My 2 sons were 13 and 14 and enjoyed riding in the back listening to Mystery theater late at night right after I bought the car. They each expressed thoughts that this article brought to mind. Thanks
6
Wonderful stpry.
3
My grandfather always drove Buicks and traded them in every two years. The culmination was a stunning red and black 1957 Roadmaster. Then, finally there was a huge ugly pink 1959 Cadillac. Not sure what prompted that choice but soon thereafter he passed on, surely to a great GM dealership in the sky.
5
Excellent story Mr Pandolfi. I hope you get your wristwatch, down payment on a home and a Buick for yourself.
10
"Buicks were for old people" - listen to your wife.
2
Wonderful story.
This evening I will get into my 1978 baby blue Buick Electra 225 and drive home from work. I take it easy and enjoy the softness and silence of the car. Even the smell when the heat is on brings me back in time. The car is crude yet it works just right. Nothin like a Deuce N Quarter!
This evening I will get into my 1978 baby blue Buick Electra 225 and drive home from work. I take it easy and enjoy the softness and silence of the car. Even the smell when the heat is on brings me back in time. The car is crude yet it works just right. Nothin like a Deuce N Quarter!
12
My husband had a 94 Buick Lesabre that he drove for 10 totally trouble-free years. He never once had to do anything to that car but routine maintenance. It rode smooth as glass. But our children teased him constantly about driving an "old fogey" car, and the guys at work teased him as well. Eventually he got rid of the Buick for something more sporty. Back problems and eventually neck surgery followed in the wake of the "sporty car" years. Now he drives a Honda Odyssey van, a mom car with the smoothest ride he was able to find now that for some reason people seem to prefer to "feel the road".
The kids are grown, we no longer need a van. Maybe it's time to go back amd buy a Buick.....
The kids are grown, we no longer need a van. Maybe it's time to go back amd buy a Buick.....
4
I owned two Buick LeSabres - a '94 and a '93. I bought the '94 first and managed to get about 100,000 miles on a used car. IOt had been owned by a farmer and was what we call "farmer blue" although I'm sure Buick didn't call it that. When it got to the point of diminishing returns I took it back to the dealer from whom I bought it. . As luck would have it he had a nice shiny older Buick (a '93) with negligible miles on it. It had been owned (really) by a couple of Norwegian bachelor farmers. I think it had about 48 k miles on it and it was about ten years old. I put well over 100,000 miles on it and with my trade in of the '94 it cost less than the '94 had. Great cars for Minnesota driving - front wheel drive - and 120 mph (at which point I chickened out). Great cars. I'd buy another if the chance came up. This year someone smashed into our Ford Focus at "a high rate of speed" according to a witness. We survived with no blood - just minor concussions and assorted aches (100 days later). So we're in the market.
1
My '75 LeSabre described to a T. Loved those velour seat covers....
5
Google that '59 Buick noted in the article--one beautiful looking car, especially in white. My folks had a '62 Special rag top. It required 'no-nox' gas. I have a couple of photos of my mom behind the wheel w the top down. Looking back, I never knew that my mother had once been so cool.
6
Looking at historic photographs of the people who originally lived in my house, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places in consequence, they drove two cars: one a Buick. And they look very happy on its seats. Wonder of wonders, the family matriarch was at the wheel in the picture from the early 1900s. And despite its great length the 1912 vehicle fit entirely in our capacious stable.
4
Years ago, 1978, my older brother passed down his 1971 Skylark. It was old and rusted but has push button windows, leather seats and a 350 under the hood. I needed it. My young family was struggling. I was at UT Austin as a temporary adjunct art instructor with few prospects. But evenings we would take the Buick out to the hill country and drive under the sunset with Waylon Jennings on the radio and forget our problems. I still smile remembering that car.
1
I love my 1992 Buick LeSabre, which was originally my Mom's. It's my daily driver.
6
Nicola Bulgari (of luxury jewelry fame) is a passionate Buick collector. Here's what he said about them: "“I fell in love with the Buicks. To me they were a symbol of America. They had glamorous styling, personality, power and responsiveness. They are luxurious without being ostentatious and offer the quality normally associated with far more expensive import cars.”"
9
I was about 10 years before you. For me, it's always been before '76 and after '76, 1977 being the year of the great reduction of the GM fleet. All those beautiful, sensuous early 70s sedans. They slithered through suburban streets like Steely Dan's famous 'viper' from Deacon Blues. Long, low and elegant, be they Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs or Cadillacs. To this day, one of my happiest memories of my father was the evening he came home with his first Cadillac - a '75 Sedan deVille. He saw the look on my face, threw me the keys and said "Have fun!" I was 16 and in seventh heaven. New cars are great, but they don't - they can't - have that old-fashioned glamour.
Thanks for a beautiful reminiscence.
Thanks for a beautiful reminiscence.
5
Just got rid of a '91 Park Avenue Ultra with a sunroof. It had 170k miles and the engine still ran like a Swiss watch and burned no oil. The car was a knock off Jaguar sedan as far as styling. The cost of ownership was about $2 a day. The suspension was tired and I wanted a change. I found a very low mileage last of the Cadillac Eldorados and haven't looked back.
3
Fun to read this!
Many of my car friends have similar views about "big old American cars" and I think it's stories like this that create much of that appeal (my daily driver is a '69 MGB and I also own a Lotus Super 7 so even at 65, I don't quite fit this demographic)
Still, the article was a treat for anyone who sees cars as more than just objects of transportation.
Many of my car friends have similar views about "big old American cars" and I think it's stories like this that create much of that appeal (my daily driver is a '69 MGB and I also own a Lotus Super 7 so even at 65, I don't quite fit this demographic)
Still, the article was a treat for anyone who sees cars as more than just objects of transportation.
2
My father, was passionate about a Buick, it was a desire, a dream, a devotion to a true love. And today, whenever I see one, I cannot ever avoid the association of the car's beauty and spirit, which feels, like a hidden secret between those who knew or grew up with the legend as I did -- hidden from others, our children or grandchildren, because unless you were raised on the milk, one sadly, cannot make the association with the Buick's on the road today ... .
4
My dad was a Buick owner back in the 1950s. He would buy a new Super model every year. But the neighbors always thought he was hanging on too long to that old Buick. They didn't realize he would get the same color car every year, black top with a yellow bottom.
He stopped buying bricks when they changed the model names. Instead of Super or Roadmaster they gave names like Electra. How envious I was when our neighbor came home with a new 1960 Electra 225 convertible. To this day I wish I owned one. What a beautiful gigantic moving tank it was. Those were the days when Buick and Cadillac ruled the open road.
He stopped buying bricks when they changed the model names. Instead of Super or Roadmaster they gave names like Electra. How envious I was when our neighbor came home with a new 1960 Electra 225 convertible. To this day I wish I owned one. What a beautiful gigantic moving tank it was. Those were the days when Buick and Cadillac ruled the open road.
3
Gimme an AMC Pacer any day
3
My dad was also a 100% Buick guy. For years it was the LeSabre. And he would trade it in for a new one about every two years. But then he graduated to the Electra 225. To save money, while he opted for all the bells and whistles on the exterior, the interior had cloth seats, manual windows and no tape deck. His last car was dark blue with a white vinyl top and whitewalls. I will never forget the fun of rolling all of the windows down (manually), and then going for a drive. Because there was no B pillar, the car was a true hardtop. What a blast to push that 455 motor down the road.
3
I had a Buick Regal for 5+ years - in college and the year that followed. Navy blue and cream with cream velour upholstery that was edged in navy blue. The most beautiful car I've ever owned. Rode like a flying carpet, huge heavy doors that kept my left arm/shoulder in shape and a worn out ignition that didn't even need a key to start the car. I still think about that car and regret trading it in for an "economical" Ford Escort. They just don't make 'em like that any more...although I am going to take a look at the new Buicks when my current lease it up. Wonderful story!!!
5
I am a French guy often traveling to the US for business. We don't have Buick in France so there is no old man stigma associated to it and I randomly rented one on a previous trip. I drive a Lexus at home but remember being struck by how awesomely comfortable was that car. Especially compared to all the other US brands I ever drove.
5
Nostalgia is great, but the E R is no fun at all.
My first daily driver was a '47 Special. For a while I drove a '48 Roadmaster .
I wouldn't put my Grandchildren in those cars and back down my driveway.
Get something with bags and crumple zones.
My first daily driver was a '47 Special. For a while I drove a '48 Roadmaster .
I wouldn't put my Grandchildren in those cars and back down my driveway.
Get something with bags and crumple zones.
2
I've always liked certain Buicks. I'm a Buick Reatta fan, though I don't own one (wish I did) and I also like the Buick Regals. And of course, we HAVE to mention the Buick Grand National ('85-'87) with the Turbo Intercooled 3.8 Six. Big and cushy enough for a couple of kids, and fast enough to smoke some 'vettes.
3
This article is a perfect example of how successful automobile manufacturers have been in marketing their products to us. They don't sell vehicles to get us from point A to B, they sell us virtual reality machines to suit our fantasies. Would you like to:
.. Run with the lions across the Serengeti? (Range Rover is for you)
.. Display your refined taste in luxurious comfort? (Lexus, Mercedes)
.. Flaunt your virility? (Corvette, Ferrari)
.. Etc.
.. Run with the lions across the Serengeti? (Range Rover is for you)
.. Display your refined taste in luxurious comfort? (Lexus, Mercedes)
.. Flaunt your virility? (Corvette, Ferrari)
.. Etc.
4
"a step up from the Chevy and a corner office shy of the Cadillac"
Back then I always thought the pecking order was Chevrolet-Pontiac-Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac.
Back then I always thought the pecking order was Chevrolet-Pontiac-Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac.
3
I suspect this is so the younger readers can relate...only Chevrolet and Cadillac still survive with Buck and those under 30 may not have ever heard of an Oldsmobile.
My favorite cars, stylewise, are the 1965 Buick Skylark (great taillights), and the 1966 Pontiac LeMans.
2
Before there were kids when dad was in his 30's his peers drove Buicks; he drove a Volvo (but wished for a Citröen Prestige). When we were kids and dad was in his mid 40's his peers drove Buicks; he drove a Saab 99. When dad was in his mid 50's his peers drove Buicks; he drove the new rotary engine Mazda RX 4. I guess he was an all-American guy interested in design and engineering. Dad is dead now; and so are his peers. The children of his peers might have inherited Buicks. I inherited a taste for something more unusual.
3
I loved my champagne color 1985 Park Avenue, which I bought new for full sticker price. At 25, I had just received an offer for a tenure track faculty position, and was totally ignorant to the ways of the world.
The ride was like that of an aircraft carrier. No console and shifter on the column meant lots and lots of knee room. That car's only problem was the 3.8 liter V6, which died at 96k miles.
Thanks for the nostalgia, enjoyable article...
The ride was like that of an aircraft carrier. No console and shifter on the column meant lots and lots of knee room. That car's only problem was the 3.8 liter V6, which died at 96k miles.
Thanks for the nostalgia, enjoyable article...
6
Nice story. No one will ever write something like this about the Honda Accord.
There is no question that the American cars built in the 70s and 80s were objectively horrible in a lot of ways. They weren't particularly well-built or efficient. But they had a presence about them that the utilitarian imports still haven't managed to capture. The American makers understood that in America at that time, a car was much more than just transportation, it was supposed to be a statement about the kind of person you were. Cars used to be designed and built primarily around that idea.
Those days are long gone. Today, cars must meet rigid safety and environmental efficiency standards, and reliability expectations are far higher. Cars are designed primarily using CAD software and built largely by robots. But there is a blandness about modern cars, a sense that they are all basically pretty well the same regardless of the badge on the front of the car. So something definitely got lost along the way, and that is a shame.
Soon, cars are going to drive themselves, safety will increase radically and cars as we know them will turn into little mini-RVs where people can nap, surf the web or watch TV. They will be about as interesting to look at from the outside as a delivery van. With all progress, there are costs.
There is no question that the American cars built in the 70s and 80s were objectively horrible in a lot of ways. They weren't particularly well-built or efficient. But they had a presence about them that the utilitarian imports still haven't managed to capture. The American makers understood that in America at that time, a car was much more than just transportation, it was supposed to be a statement about the kind of person you were. Cars used to be designed and built primarily around that idea.
Those days are long gone. Today, cars must meet rigid safety and environmental efficiency standards, and reliability expectations are far higher. Cars are designed primarily using CAD software and built largely by robots. But there is a blandness about modern cars, a sense that they are all basically pretty well the same regardless of the badge on the front of the car. So something definitely got lost along the way, and that is a shame.
Soon, cars are going to drive themselves, safety will increase radically and cars as we know them will turn into little mini-RVs where people can nap, surf the web or watch TV. They will be about as interesting to look at from the outside as a delivery van. With all progress, there are costs.
5
I once had a 1929 Buick that got 4 gallons to the mile. Big old lumbering job.Carburetor likely needed a tweak. had a '26 Buick too, that I cut down to be a pickup truck.
3
I remember the Buick Electra 225 also known as the deuce and a quarter as the poor man's Cadillac but still a fine luxury car something that showed You were somebody or at least thought you were .
5
My Father bought a new Buick LeSabre in 1963; I learned to drive on that car. What I liked best were the front bench seats called S-O-B seats (slide over baby). Great for a teenager starting to date. Alas, bench seats are no more.
6
A high school buddy's Dad owned a 1949 Buick with the upside-down-smile front grille. I know this is accurate, because another high school classmate had almost the same upside-down smile with his teeth as the grille. Unlike my own situation with the family car, my buddy got to use the Buick to cruise with us in the back seat. A Chicago disc jockey always called the Buick automatic transmission 'Dyna-Flop' instead of the trademark 'Dyna-Flow.' The interior was just as Mr.Pandolfi described. The engine noise was muffled. The pickup slow, but smooth. One night, in an effort to pass a car on the right through an intersection, my buddy shifted into reverse instead of second gear (LO). There was a clunk sound followed by the driver's "Oh sugar!" The Buick didn't drive as normal on the way to dropping me off at my home. I didn't worry too much. After all, I didn't shift into reverse from Drive at speed.
2
Was just cited as among the top in reliability.
3
The GM designers responsible for the pictured 87 Buick LeSabre and its near twin the Pontiac Gran Prix obviously ignored the dictum that discretion is the better part of velour - an observation I blurted out to my mother the first time I got into her new '87 Gran Prix.
6
Oh my goodness. This story struck a cord. My Dad was an electrician, a true blue-collar worker who worked hard every day to support his family in a blue work shirt. He always drove a Chevy, usually purchased used. He dreamed of one day owning a Buick. In the early 1980s, he would take me to Thorson Buick to test drive the latest models. I recall siting in the plush velour backseats of various Lesabres and Regals listening as he and the salesman talked about the car's Cadillac-like ride. As we drove through the streets of Pasadena, I knew we couldn't afford a luxury like a Buick. But I always hoped he would find away. My Dad like the horses, and he would spend many a Saturday at Santa Anita Park. In my mind's eye, I can see him briskly walking through the vast parking lot towards the Oz-like structure that is Santa Anita Park. He would always dress for the races. Instead of a blue collar, he would wear a blue, brass-button blazer and slacks with The Daily Racing Forum stuck in his back pocket, skewing the tails of his blazer. One day as we walked through the parking lot, we passed a brand new Regal Turbo RS--it was silver. He paused at the car and said to me, "When I hit the Pick Six, I'm going to buy this car." He never did hit the Pick Six and never did own a Buick.
5
W had two LeSabres and loved them. Great road car, roomy, silent, powerful, surprisingly good on gas (because of the gearing, I assume). We gave the first one to our daughter when she was a stay-at-home mom, and they loved it. When they decided to replace it, a Chinese-American bought it without a road test, to use to in teaching his wife to drive. I'd probably still be driving a Buick but felt stung by the last one, which needed a $1500 repair job to remedy what several mechanics and gearheads told me was a known engineering flaw.
2
Actually, Buicks are cool -- in China! I learned this on a recent visit there. It seemed to have considerable prestige there, and they were surprised when I told them it was out of fashion in the US. GM sells 8 Buicks in China for each one in the US. I can't say why.
5
Oh man, I've got tears in my eyes. My Pop was a Buick driver. I'm 68 now and would never think of driving "my father's Oldsmobile" (or Buick). But the description of the "fleeting security of being a kid" was so perfect ....Thank you for being a writer.
4
A lovely piece. My first car was an '86 Buick Century. What a soft ride--sometimes I miss that mushy handling that said "I have nowhere to be in a hurry". And the seats! It really was a snuggly sofa on wheels and a gem for riding around with a handful of friends. Perhaps automakers will one day tack away from the vinyl and plastic rockets currently on offer and soften the interiors of these machines...
3
Dad was a Buick owner. I remember the first Electra 225, a ’69 coupe in a goldish copper color and tan vinyl roof. That car was replaced a few years later with a white sedan which was replaced with a blue sedan which was replaced with a silver sedan. I learned to drive in the white one. You didn’t really drive a 70’s Buick with its slippery bench seats, throaty V8 and brakes which would stop the car eventually. You rode on the car as it drifted about in its lane. Discussion of the back seat is best left for the Modern Love column.
I drove a late ‘70s Chevy Malibu during college which was a good car but my first car after graduating was a Nissan and I’ve pretty much driven Japanese cars since. In my mind, by the mid 80’s the quality difference between the Japanese and American products was pretty glaring. In the early 00’s, dad sadly gave up on Buick having been left waiting for a tow truck one time too many and he joined me in the happy ranks of Toyota owners.
Over the next ten years he enjoyed several red Avalons a color of mom’s choosing. I convinced him to buy a Lexus after mom passed in 2010 and he drove it for the year before he too passed on. The Lexus was a bit too standoutish for dad. As a man with rural Ohio sensibilities who fought in WWII, he was a Buick kind of guy. A good upscale car but not a show me car. I wonder what he would be driving if he bought a car today?
I drove a late ‘70s Chevy Malibu during college which was a good car but my first car after graduating was a Nissan and I’ve pretty much driven Japanese cars since. In my mind, by the mid 80’s the quality difference between the Japanese and American products was pretty glaring. In the early 00’s, dad sadly gave up on Buick having been left waiting for a tow truck one time too many and he joined me in the happy ranks of Toyota owners.
Over the next ten years he enjoyed several red Avalons a color of mom’s choosing. I convinced him to buy a Lexus after mom passed in 2010 and he drove it for the year before he too passed on. The Lexus was a bit too standoutish for dad. As a man with rural Ohio sensibilities who fought in WWII, he was a Buick kind of guy. A good upscale car but not a show me car. I wonder what he would be driving if he bought a car today?
15
Thanks for the story; I enjoyed it very much. I too find myself at that age where nostalgia feels so much more comforting that what's available today. In the mid-1980s I inherited my grandfather's 1977 Olds Delta 88. Big car. Plushy blue interior, and shiny knobs that made me feel like I was in a spaceship. Every car since... just the escape capsule.
Last year my parents visited me here in Florida and I took them to the antique car museum up in north Miami. I could see my dad's eyes roll over each old car like they were his fingertips over braille- he could actually feel the past. At one point he turned to me and grumbled about the "...cheap, plastic excuses for cars today.." probably referring to his Hyundai. But the remark felt indignant; to be relegated to the cheapest, profit-driven, mass produced products. Back then at least our cars felt solid. Today, not much does.
Last year my parents visited me here in Florida and I took them to the antique car museum up in north Miami. I could see my dad's eyes roll over each old car like they were his fingertips over braille- he could actually feel the past. At one point he turned to me and grumbled about the "...cheap, plastic excuses for cars today.." probably referring to his Hyundai. But the remark felt indignant; to be relegated to the cheapest, profit-driven, mass produced products. Back then at least our cars felt solid. Today, not much does.
9
Ron, we also had an Olds Delta 88. White on the out and blue on the in. Big Ole cushy, floaty car. Best car I ever had until my wife bought me a 1998 E320 Mercedes Benz for my retirement gift. We still have it. By several orders of magnitude the best car I have ever owned and I have owned many. Please tell your Father to get himself a Mercedes and he will never grumble again.
1
Lest it be forgotten Buick had many really good years on the NASCAR circuit...
Just sayin', ya know?
Just sayin', ya know?
9
I also had a dad that owned a Buick (he passed in 2005). Two that I remember. The last, was a 1955 Special I believe. My dad was born 1923 in Griffin, GA. As an African American, he was very proud of being able to afford this fine car. He bought the Buick in 1956, and my mother, my two sisters at that time (a third was born in Providence) and I rode from Macon, Ga. to Providence, RI. My dad was in the Navy and had chosen Rhode Island as the place of his retirement some years later. In 1956 I was 9 years old and very much enjoyed the ride of that Buick. It was solid and comfortable.
One year, after visiting my mother's parents in Macon, we were returning to Providence via the newly opened New Jersey Turnpike. Another car ran into the rear of the Buick and damaged all of its' front end. Water was running everywhere and there was not a dent on my dad's Buick rear bumper. The old saying - You don't get a second chance to make a first impression - is very true to me. I own a Buick today.
One year, after visiting my mother's parents in Macon, we were returning to Providence via the newly opened New Jersey Turnpike. Another car ran into the rear of the Buick and damaged all of its' front end. Water was running everywhere and there was not a dent on my dad's Buick rear bumper. The old saying - You don't get a second chance to make a first impression - is very true to me. I own a Buick today.
9
I'll be 50 next year. I am buying myself a Buick. I've earned it.
22
Terrific story, Keith, but I think if you look around your nearby Buick dealership you'll find that their newest offerings compare quite nicely to the competition. I've had a Verano for the past year, terrific luxurious sporty car with a power/weight ratio (and price) that blows doors on similarly sized cars. Not your father's Buick any more!
11
How strange it is. Buick once had Wildcats and Rivieras, the GS and GSX, offering luxury on top of Chevy performance. It was only after the end of the muscle cars that they became exclusively "old (people's) cars". Starting around 1975, the brand image morphed into plush cars for the elderly, with only a brief spark of life or two, with cars like the Grand National (which did not have the stigma). Cadillac now has the luxury-sport image (leaving the super-luxury segment empty), and there's not much use in today's style of marketing for two luxury-sport brands by one auto maker.
It's also a little strange, one of the most durable American cars of the 90's and 00's seem to be the Buicks, with the slightly ovoid/bulbous styling. I see lots of them around where I live, driven by high school students and college kids, who must surely have inherited them from family, because none of them would be caught dead buying an old people's car.
It's also a little strange, one of the most durable American cars of the 90's and 00's seem to be the Buicks, with the slightly ovoid/bulbous styling. I see lots of them around where I live, driven by high school students and college kids, who must surely have inherited them from family, because none of them would be caught dead buying an old people's car.
6
our '94 roadmaster wagon was a wonderful room on wheels.all six of us fit comfortably, six speakers surrounding us w whatever the kids wanted on disc. air conditioned speed, w a corvette engine. those were the days.
9
Lovely article. My grandfather, an Italian immigrants who spent his career working in the Endicott – Johnson shoe factory, was a Buick man. I always thought it was a great testimony to him and to our country, that A man with little education and a working-class job could afford such a comfortable car, which we all enjoyed. And yes, he was an old man by the time he bought a Buick!
11
What a beautiful elegy to the oft-maligned Buick. My father bought a brand-new Buick Lesabre in, I believe, 1971. We went through another round or two of Lesabres, then my dad started going with Datsuns and Toyotas. But I have never forgotten the ample room inside of a Lesabre. No, it wasn't enough room for my sister and I to make it all the way from Florida to Tennessee without dividing our "territories" and having the occasional fight (my dad was the type that WOULD pull over and give us a spanking--only saw ONE other kid that got the same treatment!).
But instead of thinking of Buicks as old-fogey cars, I prefer to think of them as car for SERIOUS drivers. Drivers that take comfort, safety, room, and elegance seriously. No, I don't drive one myself (Toyota/Lexus), but I would be happy to at the right price. I love those cars! And they have a good reliability record, or at least did.
Like you, there is some music that I associate with our Buick's 8-track. It was the first place I heard a soundtrack made, apparently, just for Buick distribution: Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" and Waylon and Williie singing "Let's Go to Luckenbach, Texas." Every time I hear those songs, I go back to the old family car that took us so many wonderful places.
If nothing else, a Buick is the repository of so many glorious childhood memories. May Buick live on and live strong!
But instead of thinking of Buicks as old-fogey cars, I prefer to think of them as car for SERIOUS drivers. Drivers that take comfort, safety, room, and elegance seriously. No, I don't drive one myself (Toyota/Lexus), but I would be happy to at the right price. I love those cars! And they have a good reliability record, or at least did.
Like you, there is some music that I associate with our Buick's 8-track. It was the first place I heard a soundtrack made, apparently, just for Buick distribution: Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" and Waylon and Williie singing "Let's Go to Luckenbach, Texas." Every time I hear those songs, I go back to the old family car that took us so many wonderful places.
If nothing else, a Buick is the repository of so many glorious childhood memories. May Buick live on and live strong!
6
Wonderful! I was looking at Volt vs. Prius for my next car - now I will add the possibility of a Buick to my list.
3
Buicks represented success in the 1950s and 1960s the way BMW did in the 1970s and 1980s and Lexus did in the 1990s and 2000s. Most of the people who first greeted success by driving a Buick have now stopped driving so maybe it's time for a revival. The feeling of tranquility is more important on today's overcrowded roadways than is speed or cornering.
5
I really enjoyed your story.
11
I love my 10-year-old Buick Lacrosse. Still running efficiently and quietly.
5
I grew up in a Buick Century wagon, looking out the rear window from that backward-facing vinyl fold-down seat, entertaining myself by pronouncing the college window decal backwards. egelloC-- hilarious! Stoplights, I now think, must have been awkward for the drivers of the cars in line behind us, who were forced into a staring contest through their windshields with my 6-year-old self. My parents' last Buick was a 2004 Century, which they later passed on to my grandparents-- replaced, alas, by a Toyota minivan.
5
I feel the same today, following the adulthood of your parents seems better for me, but times change, that doesn't necessary mean you want to change with them, I still remember my dad´s town car, a jewel in mi opinion, it was exactly what a Buick meant back in the day, but today both brands are not cool enough for anyone apparently, both are for "old" people, the thing is when people say theres young at heart, theres also people who just wanna live what they dreamed off while being kids, not the present that lurks as adults today
1
"Maybe it’s because I’ve always found adult life too overwhelming to navigate. Maybe it’s easier to use my parents’ wants as a compass instead of my own."
Maybe you finally realized the silly vagaries of youth and our absurd national obsession with it. From "old man's car" to one of the few public insults even the NYT will tolerate, "old white men", our oh so tiresome fixation on youth, from their clothing to their votes, and the disparagement of maturity is a sad statement on our culture.
Maybe you finally realized the silly vagaries of youth and our absurd national obsession with it. From "old man's car" to one of the few public insults even the NYT will tolerate, "old white men", our oh so tiresome fixation on youth, from their clothing to their votes, and the disparagement of maturity is a sad statement on our culture.
7
What a wonderfully apt description..."a step up from the Chevy and a corner office shy of the Cadillac." It was the more fiscally responsible choice relative to the Cadillac. I'd add maybe that they were a half-step up from the Oldsmobile.
I downsized from a beautiful '51 DeSoto when my grandfather stopped driving and sold me his white Buick LeSabre for $1500. I affectionately referred to the Buick as the White Whale. Interestingly, I also drove a VW as my next vehicle.
I also find myself rooting for Buick and not job because I'm a Michigander. I'll also admit a couple of the new models having caught my eye and surprised me, so things certainly are moving in the right direction. Either that or I'm just growing up.
I downsized from a beautiful '51 DeSoto when my grandfather stopped driving and sold me his white Buick LeSabre for $1500. I affectionately referred to the Buick as the White Whale. Interestingly, I also drove a VW as my next vehicle.
I also find myself rooting for Buick and not job because I'm a Michigander. I'll also admit a couple of the new models having caught my eye and surprised me, so things certainly are moving in the right direction. Either that or I'm just growing up.
4
Growing up in NYC, in a neighborhood in the 50s & 60s, we knew the sound signature of familiar cars. The stock 56 Buick Special could fly. Other that that one owned by a friend's dad, Buicks were anathema. For elder folk then and still. Buick drivers, like Cadillac drivers they strive to emulate, have too much self-esteem to use their signal lights. Or drive at least the speed limit. Sitting behind beast engines, dual exhausts, and a stick, was the way to go. Today comfort and stability are nice, but still induce somnambulance.
nonsense . . . they are comfortable . . . William dallas texas
1
Go for a used Buick. You can get a Park Ave or a indeed a LeSabre with low miles, well cared for by an elderly driver, relatively cheap. I love Buicks. My father drove a Lincoln. Two years ago I purchased a 1990 Lincoln Towncar (1990 Motor Trend Car of the Year). Its gold, with tan interior still in excellent condition, even with very low miles I picked it up for less than $3000. I only drive it once or twice a week, I love picking up my kids from school in it. By the time they we are home, they are asleep in the plush comfort of the sofa-like back seats.
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Hey Dude - it's just a transportation appliance. Wrapping all of this self-image baloney into a machine is a complete waste of time, money, and psychic energy.
Just get the least expensive, reliable, safe, and green vehicle you can find and get on with your life. As the saying goes, the best things in life are not things. Your car will not make you younger or happier. To fall for this rubbish is to surrender your self image to Madison Avenue.
Just get the least expensive, reliable, safe, and green vehicle you can find and get on with your life. As the saying goes, the best things in life are not things. Your car will not make you younger or happier. To fall for this rubbish is to surrender your self image to Madison Avenue.
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We're Americans. Cars are in our DNA.
3
Actually, surprisingly, my more-than-budget car does bring me pleasure every time I drive it, and I've had it for years. Yes, basic transportation is good, but having some luxury in life is really enjoyable, too.
1
Hey dude -.got it - ignorance is bliss!
3
What a lovely vignette. Thank you for writing that down and particularly for the line "I've always found adult life to difficult to navigate". What a lovely thought that the big roomy car provided space and security that you fall back on with fond memories.
Thank you for writing this down and thank the NY Times for publishing it. One of the things that makes the Times great and wonderful.
Thank you for writing this down and thank the NY Times for publishing it. One of the things that makes the Times great and wonderful.
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Agree, this is such a nicely written piece. It's about the car, your dad, you, our culture. You are so insightful about the those old cars being touchstones for our lives and the past. The way you describe recalling a sense of security at age 14 with your father that one evening and the finding adult life a little difficult to navigate -- wonderful stuff!
1
Buy yourself a Buick. Why should you care what anyone else thinks? Be a man, not a lemming. If more people bought their "Buicks" the world would be a more diverse and interesting place.
18
Had a '77 - after graduating from college in 1984, drove it (and 5 friends) from southern VA to Montreal and back over 6 weeks, camping and living (?!) all along the way. Best road trip ever partly due to the ride.
5
Mr. Pandolfi, I hope you can scrounge up an extra garage space and get yourself a classic Buick, maybe something like that '84 LeSabre your dad owned. They are still not too hard to find in good condition and make a nice affordable collectible. For me, of all the cars I have owned in my life (and that is MANY, you don't want to know the total), my all time favorite is still the 1974 Electra that served as my everyday driver from 1992 to 1996. You have to appreciate seriously huge land barges to like those, but the gold velour interior was about as 70's as it gets.
5
The 1974 Electra was a wonderful car. And driving it brought with it the added thrill that if the battery ever failed you would be locked in the car forever.
2
Actual comfort, no center console to take up space. I fear gone forever.
5
After the sad retirement of the venerable Oldsmobile and Pontiac divisions by GM, I fear for the future of Buick.
5
I'm 44 and my experience is exactly the same. My father had a 1970-something Park Avenue when I was a kid that I could live in it was so big. When I was a teen he got a 1989 Park Avenue. Nearly as big, a little for slick. I was soon old enough to drive it. It was silent as a tomb. Floated like a cloud. Accelerated like a comet even for its size (it was an 8 cylinder) and stopped with a hair touch of the brake (when it was newer. I was never able to get the brake to work as well in later repairs). It sucked up gas like crazy though, and as it got older, it broke down way too much. But I still have in my mind to get one. I look into it every time I lease. The cool factor isn't there. And they've lost that "ocean liner smoothness" in an effort to beat others at the current game. I might trade off the cool for that feel again.
3
And those portholes on the side made it a car I could actually recognize. One of my sisters and I each thought independently that the front of the car (not the portholes) looked like the face of a friend of hers--an attractive girl. Wish I could remember why.
1
I think GM called them "cruisaline ventaports." Four for the flagship Roadmaster, three for lesser models.
4
In my thirties I owned 4 new Buicks and I though they were great cars that offered me a sense of "accomplishment"!
I'm now 75 and drive a brand new Silver Sportage X-over that makes me feel like I'm a young lad. I may be close to my dotage but I can dream of my youth when I'm cruising on the highway. (and not looking into the illuminated vanity mirror)
I'm now 75 and drive a brand new Silver Sportage X-over that makes me feel like I'm a young lad. I may be close to my dotage but I can dream of my youth when I'm cruising on the highway. (and not looking into the illuminated vanity mirror)
1
Great article. Very evocative of a past lost and found. I would never buy a Buick but i revel in the thought of one.
2
I'm with you! And keep the faith with Buicks -- on a recent trip to China I saw many new models on the road. They're a status marque there.
4
There's a wise embryo of thought imbedded in this essay, where the writer admits he's "sick of trying" to be cool. Next step is to act on it, and actually quit caring. It's wonderfully liberating when one gathers the independence to express his or her own style with no concern for what pop culture says about it.
23
Or, it is as Dr. Seuss said, 'Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.'
2
Yes, yes, and YES! Once I got to my 40's I found myself caring less and less what other people thought. I'm 44 now and my 20 something coworkers can't believe I am unaware of some pop culture references. I just shrug off other people's criticisms. I just don't care. And oh how freeing it is!
3
For a mere $4,000 you can have a 1985 Buick LeSabre Limited - just search ebay and you'll find one!
3
It is an American pastime to bash American built cars. However, all of the GM products had their heyday. As a mechanically inclined individual, I would always opt for the BMW's and Mercedes, etc. However, when I would use a friends GM product, I was always amazed that they were Usable; sensible, and now, totally acceptable. But they always were, we were just too darn smart to notice. Now GM made and always has, along with Ford and Chrysler, some of the best motors ever produced. The 350, 302 and the 318. But instead we hit the Honda dealership, pay them a fortune for their reassurance that we are smarter than our fathers and drive away poorer and scheduled for the next service. A GM 350-You never had to service-changing the oil was something you gave a passing thought to occasionally. But the college professors always favored the Hondas and Subarus-and Marx and Lenin. American bad-Foriegn good.
2
When I was a kid, still remember Jack Lescoulie narrating a Buick commercial demonstrating their new transmission that had two speeds and could cause the rear tires to spin.
A friend lived in W TX and out there the ranchers who grow thirsty crops must irrigate. What they powered their large water pumps was a Buick V 8 engine because they were the most durable with their vertical valves. They would run them almost wide open with several barrels of gasoline on the stand to fuel them. When the engine orbited - they would just replace the engine. This is a very bad practice as it is draining the huge Ogalala Aquifer.
I used to be a over the road salesman - now cover the USA so I now fly - Atlanta is a great place to fly from - unlike Chicago O'Hare.
Have put over a million miles on Accord's - my current Accord has 331 K on it with no major problems. One of the reasons is the valve technology and that technology makes Honda engines the choice for many of the Formula race car engines and is very reliable.
A friend lived in W TX and out there the ranchers who grow thirsty crops must irrigate. What they powered their large water pumps was a Buick V 8 engine because they were the most durable with their vertical valves. They would run them almost wide open with several barrels of gasoline on the stand to fuel them. When the engine orbited - they would just replace the engine. This is a very bad practice as it is draining the huge Ogalala Aquifer.
I used to be a over the road salesman - now cover the USA so I now fly - Atlanta is a great place to fly from - unlike Chicago O'Hare.
Have put over a million miles on Accord's - my current Accord has 331 K on it with no major problems. One of the reasons is the valve technology and that technology makes Honda engines the choice for many of the Formula race car engines and is very reliable.
3
Thanks for the ride! I did love my Lesabre's. Best ride ever!
3
Don Draper couldn't have said it better.
2
I'm 45 and come from a long line of Buick-lovers. Give me one of those old boats anytime, complete with a bench front seat! My 17YO motorhead son will take one too, as long as it's square and not round!
5
There is probably a psychological component to car choices. Teens go for pocket rockets and comfort is not an issue as long as the radio can play loudly. Next are "chick magnets" like sports cars. Then they mature into Fusions and Accords. Next is the BMW if they can afford it. All the foregoing signify youth. But as it gets harder to bend over, big Volvo's and Buicks become more attractive. After all, once you have been through the school of hard knocks, you want to relax and cruise. Of course there are regional influences also. Rural drivers love their "trucks." And SUV's of all sizes appeal to suburbanites so they can haul all their toys, pets and children. You can save a lot of money if you live where there is good public transportation. As for Buick's my mom and dad had a couple as did my grandfather.
I'm 66 and still feel I'm not old enough to be interred in a Buick. Yes, I've aged well. Instead I'm driving a Volvo. That's old enough and as "old" as I plan to get.
2
Mr. Pandolfi, go to Hershey. I share your affection for the cars of childhood memory. They still exist and you can luxuriate in a warm bath of nostalgia at the annual Hershey, Pennsylvania antique auto show. The acres of beautifully restored automobiles will put you in a dreamlike state and, in that state, you will turn a corner and suddenly -- there she is: your father's car in all it's showroom-original glory. For me, my Dascene moment consisted of encountering my father's 1950 Chrysler New Yorker. But I'm sure the show will have your father's Buick, and probably more than one, all beautifully restored. And here's the kicker: they're all for sale. So bring your checkbook, and the Strauss tape. Can a circular driveway be far behind?
3
I absolutely love Buicks. Especially the La Sabre. My wife and I drove them for years. The reason I stopped buying them is that at age 80, getting into and out of a low car doesn't work for me. I realize there are Buick SUV's but I have moved on.
1
Nice article.. I enjoyed it.
3
Though I could quibble with some of the automotive details (Is a genericized 1980s Buick with a V6 engine really a Buick?), this essay does capture much of the feeling of lost-ness, and of loss, that so many in our age group have (I'm 53).
We were raised, initially, with clear ideas of what was "good," "normal," "the right way" to be: Dad works, Mom stays home, buy a nice house, drive a big, smooth car, and then the whole thing was blown up on us, we were told all of that was wrong, and discovered that, even if we thought it was still right, it was essentially unattainable.
I am a professional in one of our society's "respected" positions, my father retired when he was three years younger than I am now, and I don't even have any money saved for my own retirement yet. None of the stuff that was supposed to work works anymore, and it seems so comforting to just fall back on the old symbols of security that seemed so unassailable before.
We were raised, initially, with clear ideas of what was "good," "normal," "the right way" to be: Dad works, Mom stays home, buy a nice house, drive a big, smooth car, and then the whole thing was blown up on us, we were told all of that was wrong, and discovered that, even if we thought it was still right, it was essentially unattainable.
I am a professional in one of our society's "respected" positions, my father retired when he was three years younger than I am now, and I don't even have any money saved for my own retirement yet. None of the stuff that was supposed to work works anymore, and it seems so comforting to just fall back on the old symbols of security that seemed so unassailable before.
19
Buick Electra was the equivalent of the Oldsmobile 98 that mimicked the Cadillac. Many Italian families drove this because their families in the 60s & 70s could fit comfortably and in style in this model. this model also had a sinister connotation that it's owners / drivers were to be feared as aggressive 2nd tier mafioso enforcers! THeir kid would frequently borrow their father's car on weekend nights that would ferry whole crews of skinny teens cruising the neighborhoods of Howard Beach or Bayridge.
5
Keith, listen. Take $4000 and go looking for the best 1994-96 Roadmaster Estate you can find. You should be able to get something that's already/still in very good condition with only a few minor issues.
You'll have to add an attachment point for the car seat top strap, which is still available at some Buick dealers, but they don't know where to attach it; it's the bolt in the cargo bed under the panel. You'll also get a rear-facing third row seat (probably never sat in), and once your kid is in a front-facing carseat you can aim it backwards; s/he will never want to ride anywhere else.
The earlier ones (1991-93) will be a little less expensive, but the later ones all come with the prodigious 5.7 liter LT1 engine you really want. Repairs are reasonable, parts are mostly from the GM general bin and very available. Watch out for cracked driver door interior panels, they are hard to source; the majestic wraparound chrome trim can be found for a price. "Collector's Edition" isn't really, don't pay a premium for one. If you can find an Estate in sparkly champagne with the wood delete, I can't see how you could resist it, although I'm partial to the light blue metallic.
There's plenty of chatter, sound advice and inspiration on buickforums.com, and the guys at dailyturismo.com are huge Roadmonster fans (search for past articles).
You'll have to add an attachment point for the car seat top strap, which is still available at some Buick dealers, but they don't know where to attach it; it's the bolt in the cargo bed under the panel. You'll also get a rear-facing third row seat (probably never sat in), and once your kid is in a front-facing carseat you can aim it backwards; s/he will never want to ride anywhere else.
The earlier ones (1991-93) will be a little less expensive, but the later ones all come with the prodigious 5.7 liter LT1 engine you really want. Repairs are reasonable, parts are mostly from the GM general bin and very available. Watch out for cracked driver door interior panels, they are hard to source; the majestic wraparound chrome trim can be found for a price. "Collector's Edition" isn't really, don't pay a premium for one. If you can find an Estate in sparkly champagne with the wood delete, I can't see how you could resist it, although I'm partial to the light blue metallic.
There's plenty of chatter, sound advice and inspiration on buickforums.com, and the guys at dailyturismo.com are huge Roadmonster fans (search for past articles).
10