This nameplate is one of Buick’s best-known personal-luxury coupes. It first appeared as a standalone model for the 1963 model year, when Buick introduced a distinctive, upscale two-door with clean styling and a more driver-focused character than the brand’s larger cruisers. Over time, it became closely associated with Buick’s image for style, comfort, and understated performance.
The car went through several major design eras. The early 1960s versions established the formula, while the late 1960s and early 1970s cars moved toward a longer, more dramatic luxury-coupe look. The 1971–1973 “boat-tail” generation is especially celebrated by enthusiasts for its bold fastback rear treatment and unmistakable profile. Later, the nameplate shifted with the market: after the mid-1970s, it adopted a more compact personal-luxury format, and in 1979 it transitioned to front-wheel drive, reflecting changing industry priorities around packaging and efficiency.
The nameplate remained an important halo model through the 1980s and early 1990s, including technologically notable versions such as the 1986 car’s Graphic Control Center touchscreen interface. Production ended after the 1993 model year, creating a gap for 1994. It then returned for 1995 with an all-new redesign and continued through the 1999 model year, after which the nameplate was retired again. Because it had a clear production gap and later revival, this history should be treated as multiple production periods rather than one continuous run.
Within Buick history, this model stands out as a signature luxury coupe with strong enthusiast followings across its early chrome-bumper years, its boattail era, and its final front-wheel-drive generation.