Buick sold its discontinued V6 tooling to Kaiser Industries, where it went on to power Jeeps.
Median 101 hp across 197 similar cars
Lead trim: Special Deluxe 250 cu in Chevrolet I6 (155 hp at 4200 rpm) · up to 280 hp
Buick Special Deluxe1968–1969
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Buick Special Deluxe 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.
FactBuick sold its discontinued V6 tooling to Kaiser Industries, where it went on to power Jeeps.
The Special nameplate was used on lower-priced intermediate Buicks through the 1969 model year; in 1968 and 1969 the Special was dropped and only Special Deluxes were manufactured, and in 1970 the Special Deluxe was dropped too in favor of the slightly upscale Skylark. The 1968 model year was one of significant change: all GM mid-sized cars adopted two wheelbases (112 in for two-door models, 116 in for four-door models and 121 in for the Buick Sport Wagon and Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser) and all-new sheet metal with a semi-fastback appearance, with safety features including side marker lights and shoulder belts. The Special Deluxe replaced the previous Special (available as a pillared two-door coupe, pillared four-door sedan or two-row station wagon), the Skylark name shuffled down a notch to replace the Special Deluxe, and the previous V6 was discontinued with its tooling sold to Kaiser Industries for use in Jeep vehicles. The base engine became a 250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet inline-six producing 155 hp at 4200 rpm with a single-barrel Rochester, with a new 350-cubic-inch V8 derived from the 340 (two-barrel, 230 hp at 4400 rpm) optional on the Special Deluxe coupe and sedan and standard on the wagon, and a four-barrel 350 producing 280 hp at 4600 rpm optional on the Special Deluxe. A locking steering column with a new rectangular ignition key was standard on all 1969 GM cars.
Collectors Spotted in the Buick Special Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Buick Special yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Deluxe 250 cu in Chevrolet I6 (155 hp at 4200 rpm) | 1968–1969 | 4.1 L Inline-6 | 155 hp | 235 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Special Deluxe 350 cu in Buick V8 2-barrel (230 hp at 4400 rpm) | 1968–1969 | 5.7 L V8 | 230 hp | 350 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Special Deluxe 350 cu in Buick V8 4-barrel (280 hp at 4600 rpm) | 1968–1969 | 5.7 L V8 | 280 hp | 375 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
Buick sold its discontinued V6 tooling to Kaiser Industries, where it went on to power Jeeps.
Buick's original aluminum 215 V8 was swapped for a new cast-iron 300 after the earlier engine proved troublesome.
Its aluminum 215 V8, built for a compact Buick, went on to power the Rover P6 and the Range Rover.
The 1949 Special's nine-bar grille doubled as the bumper guards.
1940 was the only year Buick built a four-door convertible Special, the Sport Phaeton, with 552 made.
A dashboard handle let drivers manually retard spark timing to run cheap low-grade gasoline.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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