This mid-size Century led the field at the Indy 500 two years running — Buick then sold the public a "Free Spirit" replica wearing the pace car's own decals.
Lead trim: Century 231 cu in Buick V6 (110 hp, 1975) · up to 225 hp
Buick Century1973–1977
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Buick Century yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThis mid-size Century led the field at the Indy 500 two years running — Buick then sold the public a "Free Spirit" replica wearing the pace car's own decals.
The Buick Century nameplate was revived for the 1973 model year on the rear-wheel-drive intermediate A-body platform, redesigned for that year, replacing Skylark for Buick's mid-sized cars; the Century Regal coupe was added at the top of the range and later became a separate series, dropping the Century name for 1976. It was available with two- and four-barrel versions of the Buick 350 putting out 150 and 175 hp, and the 225 horsepower 455 was also an option; the base Century and Century 350 coupes had a fastback roof with large rear quarter glass while the Century Luxus featured a formal notchback roofline with narrow opera windows, and the Century Estate replaced the Buick Sport Wagon. By replacing the Skylark, the Century inherited the Gran Sport performance option (see the Century Gran Sport entry). For 1975 the Luxus was renamed Century Custom, the new 110 hp 231 V6 was standard with a three-speed manual on coupes and sedans, the big-block 455 was no longer available, the four-barrel 350 became standard on station wagons, a landau top became available for fastback coupes and a Century Special coupe (the economy variant, V6 only) was added. Wheelbase 116 in, length 212.4 in.
Collectors Spotted in the Buick Century Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Buick Century yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century 231 cu in Buick V6 (110 hp, 1975) | 1975–1975 | 3.8 L V6 | 110 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Century 350 cu in Buick V8 2-barrel (150 hp, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 5.7 L V8 | 150 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Century 350 cu in Buick V8 4-barrel (175 hp, 1973) | 1973–1973 | 5.7 L V8 | 175 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Century 455 cu in Buick V8 (225 hp, 1973 option) | 1973–1973 | 7.5 L V8 | 225 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Buick waited nearly 15 years to redesign the Century, then gave it the Regal's chassis under softer, slower bodywork.
Rare turbo V6 performance Century special edition from 1986, very few survive. About 400 on North American roads today (estimate).
This Century shared its A-body so closely with the Cutlass Ciera, Pontiac 6000 and Chevy Celebrity that Fortune magazine put the lookalikes on its cover in 1983 as a cautionary tale — and GM recommitted to design leadership because of it.
Buick's Turbo Coupe offered V8-like punch with better fuel economy from a turbo 3.8 V6 — but barely anyone bought one: total production across both years is estimated under 2,500.
Buried in this Century lineup was a sleeper: the rare 1979-1980 Turbo Coupe, whose turbocharged 3.8L V6 aimed for V8 muscle while sipping less fuel in the thick of the gas-crisis years.
The Buick Century Gran Sport ended quietly in 1975 — just 1,288 built that final year, reduced to an appearance and suspension package with no big 455 V8 left to back it up.
This mid-size Century led the field at the Indy 500 two years running — Buick then sold the public a "Free Spirit" replica wearing the pace car's own decals.
In 1955 the California Highway Patrol ordered 270 Century two-door sedans in a body style civilians couldn't buy — the same cars Broderick Crawford drove on TV's Highway Patrol.
The Century's name was a literal spec: capable of sustained 100 mph in the 1930s, it earned the nickname "the banker's hot rod."
This Series 60 launched right as Harley Earl's new 'Art and Colour Section' put every GM car through the same design studio — the start of corporate styling as we know it.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.
A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.
The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.
The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.