Buick Sport Wagon

Last updated
Buick Sport Wagon
1967 Buick Sport Wagon.jpg
1967 Buick Custom Sport Wagon
Overview
Manufacturer Buick (General Motors)
Production1964-1971
Assembly Buick City, Flint, Michigan [1]
Fremont Assembly, Fremont, California
Leeds Assembly, Leeds, Kansas City, Missouri
Body and chassis
Class Mid-size
Body style 4-door station wagon
Layout FR layout
Platform A-body
Related(station wagon)
Chevrolet Chevelle Greenbrier
Pontiac Tempest Custom Safari
Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
(coupes & sedans)
Oldsmobile Cutlass
Chevrolet Chevelle
Pontiac Tempest
Buick Skylark
Powertrain
Engine 225 cu in (3.7 L) Buick V6
250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet I6
300 cu in (4.9 L) Buick V8
350 cu in (5.7 L) Buick V8
400 cu in (6.6 L) Buick V8
Transmission 2-speed Super Turbine 300 automatic
3-speed Turbo Hydramatic automatic
4-speed manual
3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 120 in (3,048 mm) (1964-1967)
121 in (3,073 mm) (1968-1969)
116 in (2,946 mm) (1970-1972)
Length208 in (5,283 mm) (1964-1967)
209 in (5,309 mm) (1968-1969)
206.2 in (5,237 mm) (1970-1972)
Width73.6 in (1,869 mm) (1964-1967)
77.2 in (1,961 mm) (1968-1972)
Curb weight 3,405 lb (1,544 kg) (1964-1967)
4,118 lb (1,868 kg) (1968-1969)
3,998 lb (1,813 kg) (1970-1972)
Chronology
Successor Buick Century Estate

The Buick Sport Wagon was a mid-size station wagon built by Buick and was shared with the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, Pontiac Tempest Safari and Chevrolet Chevelle Greenbrier. Featuring a raised roof and skylights over the cargo and second seat area, this model was an extended wheelbase version of the Buick Skylark station wagon. Buick Sport Wagons were built in three generations, spanning 1964–67, 1968–69, and 1970–72. During this time period, this was the only luxury level station wagon offered under the Buick model line until 1970 when the Buick Estate Wagon was returned as a full-size station wagon.

Contents

19641967 Series 4200/4300 (1964) Series 44200/44400 (1965-67)

An innovative model was introduced on February 4, 1964. Using the new GM A platform (RWD) the Sport Wagon used a 120-inch (3,048 mm) wheelbase, that was 5 inches (127 mm) longer than the other Skylark four-door sedans and coupes. [2] The 1964 to 1967 Sport Wagons had a standard skyroof [1] that consisted of four tinted glass panels surrounding the elevated section of the roof over the cargo area that was earlier introduced in 1954 on the GMC Scenicruiser Bus. The traditional three VentiPorts remained denoting its junior Buick model status.

The 225 cu in (3.7 L) Buick V6 was standard with a three speed manual transmission, or the optional two speed Super Turbine 300 automatic. The 300 cu in (4.9 L) Buick V8 was optional. [1]

A forward-facing third row of seats was optional. Sport Wagons were available in standard and more upscale "Custom" trim package and beginning in 1966 it revived the long-standing tradition offering the woodgrain using DI-NOC a vinyl wood-grained wrap appearance. [1] The listed retail price for the nine-passenger Sport Wagon with Custom trim package was US$3,286 ($28,710 in 2021 dollars [3] ). [1]

19681969 Series 43400/44400

A body redesign for all 1968 Buicks featured an updated "Sweepspear" side sculpturing that showed influences from the restyled Riviera, while the wagon's roof replaced the previously-used split main skylight with a one-piece skylight over the second-row seat, which carried over to 1969. The lengthwise skylights along the cargo area remained the same and the simulated woodgrain paneling was offered optionally. The SportWagon was offered as the Skylark Series 43400 and the Skylark Custom Series 44400 included the woodgrain appearance, and was applied below the "Sweepspear" character line for 1968 and above for 1969. [1]

The 1968–69 Sport Wagon models rode on a 121-inch (3,073 mm) wheelbase. [4] This allowed for optional third row seats that was not available on the smaller 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase Special and DeLuxe wagons. In 1969, the "Dual-Action" tailgate was introduced as an option on two-row models and standard equipment on three-row. The listed retail price for the 1968 nine-passenger Sport Wagon with Custom trim package was US$3,869 ($30,149 in 2021 dollars [3] ). [1]

Engine choices offered the standard 250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet Straight-six engine, and included the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Buick V8 shared with the Skylark line and a 400 cu in (6.6 L) Buick V8 "big block" also available from the GS series. [1]

19701971 Series 43400

In 1970, the mid-sized Buick models were redesigned. From 1970 to 1971, the Sport Wagon became a deluxe trim version of the similar, less expensive Buick Skylark wagon and was the junior wagon to the full-sized Buick Estate Wagon while the Buick Special, including the station wagon, was discontinued. [1] The distinctive skylights were not offered beginning in 1970 and the Sport Wagons were now built on the 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase shared with four-door sedans. [1] The skylight was still available on the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser until 1972.

The engine choices remained the standard 250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet Straight-six engine, or the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Buick V8 shared with the Skylark line. [1]

19781980

1980 Buick Century Estate 1980 Buick Century Estate (14703592655).jpg
1980 Buick Century Estate

While no longer a standalone model, a Sport Wagon package was available on the Century wagon from 1978 until 1980. It included different exterior trim like a different grille with body color inserts, special paint treatment, sport wheels and sport suspension.

Production

Station wagons were manufactured as both Buick Special and Buick Special Deluxe separately using the Sport Wagon platform but were not identified or counted as Sport Wagons in production totals and Sport Wagons were manufactured without the second row skylight feature beginning in 1970. [1]

Total Buick Sport Wagon production [1]
YearSport Wagon (6- and 8-passenger combined)
196413,654
196528,356
196621,610
196719,083
196822,888
196920,670
197012,241
197112,525

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Chevelle</span> Mid-sized automobile

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a mid-sized automobile that was produced by Chevrolet in three generations for the 1964 through 1978 model years. Part of the General Motors (GM) A-body platform, the Chevelle was one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates. Body styles included coupes, sedans, convertibles, and station wagons. The "Super Sport" versions were produced through the 1973 model year and Lagunas from 1973 through to 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Skylark</span> Series of passenger automobiles produced by Buick

The Buick Skylark is a passenger car formerly produced by Buick. The model was made in six production runs, during 46 years, over which the car's design varied dramatically due to changing technology, tastes, and new standards implemented over the years. It was named for the species of bird called skylark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Country Squire</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Country Squire is a series of full-size station wagons that were assembled by American automaker Ford. Positioned as the top-level station wagon of the Ford division, the Country Squire was distinguished by woodgrain bodyside trim. From 1950 through the 1991 model years, eight generations of the Country Squire were produced. Following the discontinuation of Edsel Bermuda, Mercury marketed the Mercury Colony Park as a divisional counterpart of the Country Squire, sharing bodywork and trim while the Mercury was not available with a six cylinder engine and was more expensive due to the optional equipment on the Ford that was standard on the Mercury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Cutlass</span> American car model

The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a series of automobiles produced by General Motors' Oldsmobile division between 1961 and 1999. At its introduction, the Cutlass was Oldsmobile's entry-level model; it began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate. The Cutlass was named after the type of sword, which was common during the Age of Sail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Special</span> 20th Century entry-level luxury passenger car from Buick

The Buick Special was an automobile produced by Buick. It was usually Buick's lowest-priced model, starting out as a full-size car in 1936 and returning in 1961 as a mid-size. The Special was built for several decades and was offered as a coupe, sedan and later as a station wagon. When GM modernized their entry level products in the 1960s, the Special introduced the modern Buick V6 that became a core engine for GM for several decades and lived on in upgraded form until 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontiac Tempest</span> Automobile manufactured by Pontiac

The Pontiac Tempest is an automobile that was produced by Pontiac from 1960 to 1970, and again from 1987 to 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme</span> Motor vehicle

The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is a mid-size car produced by Oldsmobile between 1966 and 1997. It was positioned as a premium offering at the top of the Cutlass range. It began as a trim package, developed its own roofline, and rose during the mid-1970s to become not only the most popular Oldsmobile but the highest selling model in its class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Estate</span> Motor vehicle

Buick Estate is a nameplate that was used by the Buick division of General Motors, denoting its luxury full-size station wagon from 1940 to 1964 and from 1970 to 1996. The Estate nameplate was derived from the term country estate in wealthy suburban areas and estate car, the British term for a station wagon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser</span> Car model produced by Oldsmobile from 1971 to 1992

The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by Oldsmobile in three generations from 1971 until 1992. The first full-size station wagon produced by Oldsmobile since the 1964 Oldsmobile 88 Fiesta, the Custom Cruiser was slotted above the intermediate Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser in size, and the mid-size Cutlass Supreme Cruiser that replaced it. The nameplate was first used by Oldsmobile from 1940 until 1947, denoting the top trim level of its C-body model line. 451,819 Custom Cruisers were sold over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Roadmaster</span> Automobile

The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile that was built by Buick from 1936 until 1942, from 1946 until 1958, and then again from 1991 until 1996. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with the entry-level Cadillac Series 65, the Buick Limited, and after 1940, the Oldsmobile 98. Between 1946 and 1957 the Roadmaster served as Buick's flagship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Gran Sport</span>

The Gran Sport name has been used on several high-performance cars built by General Motors for its Buick brand since 1965. In the GM brands hierarchy, Buick was surpassed in luxury and comfort appointments only by Cadillac, which did not produce performance models. As a result, the Buick GS series were the most opulently equipped GM sport models of their era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Fury</span> Motor vehicle

The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belvedere for 1959. The Fury was a full-size car from 1959 until 1961, then a mid-size car from 1962 until 1964, again, a full-size car from 1965 through 1974, and again, a mid-size car from 1975 through 1978. From 1975 until 1977, the Fury was sold alongside the full-size Plymouth Gran Fury. In 1978, the B-body Fury was the largest Plymouth, and by 1979, there was no large Plymouth. This product gap was filled in 1980 with the R-body Gran Fury, followed by the M-body Fury in 1982. Production of the last V8, RWD Plymouth Fury ended at the Kenosha Main assembly plant in Kenosha, WI, on December 23, 1988. Unlike its sibling brand, Dodge, Plymouth would not live to see the resurgence of the large, V8/RWD sedan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontiac Safari</span> Motor vehicle

The Pontiac Safari is a line of station wagons that was produced by Pontiac from 1955 to 1989. Introduced as the Pontiac counterpart of the two-door Chevrolet Nomad for 1955, the nameplate was adopted across the entire full-size Pontiac station wagon range for 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Colony Park</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Colony Park is an American luxury full-size station wagon that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company between 1957 and 1991. Distinguished by its simulated wood-grain paneling, the Colony Park was marketed as either the premium-trim or the sole full-size station wagon offering of the division. Following the 1960 demise of Edsel, full-size Mercury vehicles shared bodywork with Ford; the Colony Park served as the counterpart of the Ford Country Squire through 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Satellite</span> Motor vehicle

The Plymouth Satellite is a mid-size automobile introduced in the 1965 model year as the top trim model in Plymouth's "B" platform Belvedere line. Available initially in two-door hardtop and convertible models, the Satellite remained the top-of-the-line model until the 1967 model year. A station wagon version was added and a higher "Sport" trim introduced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser</span> Motor vehicle

The Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser is a station wagon manufactured and marketed by Oldsmobile over three generations from 1964 to 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler Town & Country (1941–1988)</span> Motor vehicle

The Chrysler Town & Country is an automobile which was manufactured by Chrysler from 1940 to 1942 and from 1945 to 1988 with production interrupted during World War II. Primarily produced as a luxury station wagon, the Town & Country was also available in "woodie" four-door sedan, two-door hardtop and convertible body styles from 1947 to 1950, 1968 to 1969 and from 1983 to 1986. The 1988 model year was the last for the station wagon until the 1990 model year when Chrysler reintroduced the Town & Country nameplate as the rebadged variant Chrysler Town & Country minivan.

The GM A platform was a rear wheel drive automobile platform designation used by General Motors from 1925 until 1959, and again from 1964 to 1981. In 1982, GM introduced a new front wheel drive A platform, and existing intermediate rear wheel drive products were redesignated as G-bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Suburban</span>

The Plymouth Suburban is a station wagon produced from 1949 until 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Impala (fourth generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet Impala (fourth generation) are full-size automobiles produced by Chevrolet for the 1965 through 1970 model years. The 1965 Impala was all new, while the 1967 and 1969 models featured new bodies on the same redesigned perimeter frame introduced on the 1965 models. All Impalas of this generation received annual facelifts as well, distinguishing each model year. Throughout the early 1960s, Chevrolet's basic body designs became increasingly subtle, while the bright trim that was part of the Impala package added more than a touch of luxury to the look. The same pattern was followed in the interiors, where the best materials and equipment Chevrolet had to offer were displayed. In short, the Impala was on its way to becoming a kind of junior-grade Cadillac, which, for both the company and its customers, was just fine.

References

Inline
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Gunnell, John, ed. (1995). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946–1975. Kraus Publications. pp. 50–92. ISBN   0-87341-204-4.
  2. "1964, 1965, 1966 Buicks" by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide, 5 June 2007, retrieved on 1 April 2009.
  3. 1 2 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  4. "1967, 1968, 1969 Buicks" by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide, 5 June 2007, retrieved on 1 April 2009.
General