One first-generation LeSabre ended up owned by African royalty: a 1959 example once belonged to Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland, and now sits on display at his memorial park.
Median 83 hp across 153 similar cars
Lead trim: LeSabre 364 cu in Nailhead V8 (250 hp, 2-barrel, 10.25:1) · up to 300 hp
Buick LeSabre1959–1960
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FactOne first-generation LeSabre ended up owned by African royalty: a 1959 example once belonged to Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland, and now sits on display at his memorial park.
The Buick LeSabre is a full-size car made by Buick from 1959 until 2005; prior to 1959 this position was held by the full-size Buick Special (1936–58). The LeSabre ("the sabre" in French) was Buick's entry-level full-size car throughout all eight generations. LeSabre and all other 1959 Buicks got new names and all-new styling on the new GM B- and C-body (the C-body of the Electra being a stretched B-body), wheelbases up an inch to 123.0 in (217.4 in long, 80.7 in wide in 1959; 217.9 in and 80.0 in in 1960; 4,255–4,679 lb), with slanted headlights, a chrome square grille and "Delta-wing" fins, sharing appearance with the mid-level Invicta and top-model Electra. While Invicta and Electra/225 used Buick's new 401 cubic-inch V8, the LeSabre continued with the 364 cubic-inch V8 used in all Buicks in 1957 and 1958: 250 horsepower with a two-barrel carburetor and 10.25 to 1 compression (8.5 to 1 with manual transmission, still rated 250), with an optional four-barrel version rated at 300 horsepower and, in 1960–61, a no-cost "economy" 235 hp version. A three-speed manual was standard but most cars had the two-speed Dynaflow; all 1959 Buicks used the 12 in finned aluminum brake drums. The 1960 LeSabre received a major facelift (concave grille, horizontal headlights and the then-new "Tri-Shield" logo, still in use today).
Collectors Spotted in the Buick LeSabre Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Buick LeSabre yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeSabre 364 cu in Nailhead V8 (250 hp, 2-barrel, 10.25:1) | 1959–1960 | 6.0 L V8 | 250 hp | 380 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| LeSabre 364 cu in Nailhead V8 four-barrel power pack (300 hp) | 1959–1960 | 6.0 L V8 | 300 hp | 400 lb-ft | — | 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
GM shrank the last LeSabre's footprint yet found more trunk space than the model it replaced.
Buick cut the two-door LeSabre entirely for 1992, leaving the nameplate a sedan-only affair for good.
For one year only, Buick built a LeSabre Grand National coupe just to legalize its smaller quarter-window body style for NASCAR racing.
GM's 1977 downsizing shrank the LeSabre's footprint, yet somehow headroom, rear legroom and trunk space all grew over the bigger 1976 model.
Buick quietly offered factory airbags on this LeSabre decades before they were common — a rarely-ordered option dropped after 1976 for lack of interest.
For 1970 Buick slotted a thundering 370-horsepower 455 cubic-inch V8 into the otherwise ordinary LeSabre — wrapped in the same trim as the regular Custom.
Checking the "400" box on a LeSabre didn’t just buy a bigger four-barrel V8 — it also swapped in the three-speed Super Turbine automatic otherwise reserved for Buick’s much bigger Wildcat, Electra 225 and Riviera.
The platform under this LeSabre is one of the best-selling car platforms ever built — GM's 1965-70 B-body ranks behind only the Beetle, the Model T, and the Lada Riva.
This LeSabre's wagon version came with its own named interior material straight from the factory: a vinyl called "Cordaveen," standard equipment nowhere else in the lineup.
One first-generation LeSabre ended up owned by African royalty: a 1959 example once belonged to Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland, and now sits on display at his memorial park.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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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.