Earlier this week, I was running errands on my lunch hour when I saw this Buick Century in the CVS parking lot. At first, it looks like any other Century of similar vintage–and there are a LOT of them here in the GM-loving Midwest–but a closer look shows that this car has been seriously Broughamed-out.
No doubt this car was ordered by a little old man or a little old lady, as it has every dealer-installed and aftermarket luxury-car cue. Count them with me: “Buick” mud flaps; chromed side reflector; side-window deflectors; chrome wheel covers; dark red pinstriping; non-standard Buick crest on the C-pillar (installed upside-down); and–of course–the useless chrome luggage rack. And don’t forget the State Farm sticker on the bumper! But hey, where are the whitewalls?
I was in a bit of a rush and wasn’t able to get a photo of the front of the car, but rest assured that it did have a stand-up Buick hood ornament as well! It also appeared to have a leather interior, which is pretty rare on these. All the extra gingerbread seemed to be professionally done–but to the nameless owner: Please reinstall those C-pillar crests right-side up!
What? No brougham roof? Opera windows?
Indeed, it wasn’t a brougham without some kind of vinyl roof.
No whitewalls? Blasphemy!
The thing that keeps me from liking this generation of Century is the fact that they were W-bodys with tiny engines.
I sold these, the SFI 3100 was more that enough for these, we sold a few Limiteds in this color but with black fake convertible tops, and white walls of course Snazzy!!.
The 2nd most popular combo was a dark blue Century with a white or light cream top.
Sorry if I’m buying it has to be 3800, 3800 supercharged, 3.9, 3.6VVT, or 5.3V8. Otherwise no sale.
Gues you’re stuck then.
I fully admit that I have an obsession with the highest hp available engine in a given platform. I have this strange belief that it is somehow the “utlimate expression” of that platform and if things like CAFE didn’t exist ALL of them would have been built that way from the factory.
The Century only had the 3100, the Regal, which was the same car with a different nose and buckets seats and a few other things has the 3800 or the Supercharged 3800 on the Regal GS. They never offered the 3800 in the Century, I think they were concerned that it would have eaten into LeSabre sales,
“I have this strange belief that it is somehow the “ultimate expression” of that platform…”
Not so strange at all! I always had that notion as well, but it was this platform (W-body) that cured me of it. I sampled dozens of them over the years, from late ’80s Luminas onward, but the Impala SS with the 5.3 V8 really felt like too much motor for the car. The steering was all over the place and the chassis was always two steps behind wherever the engine was slinging it. It made a strong case for a lower-powered ‘happy medium’–which was probably the 2004+ Grand Prix GTP with the supercharged 3800, which I actually quite liked (nevermind the ‘Firebird-with-a-shot-muffler’ exhaust note).
The 5.3 was way too much motor for a chassis designed for a 2.8 litre V6 in 1988.
When my grandma bought her 05 Impala in 2006 there was one that looked like this without the extra bits. It also had leather. I worked there the next summer and it was still there. We finally sold it to an older guy who got it for her wife. I am SO glad that my grandma bought the Impala LS instead!
As you all know, I don’t have too much of a problem with Brougham touches on a car. However, it drives me crazy when people go overboard, and, apply baubles and bolt-on’s to a car with absolutely no regards for aesthetics, meaning they don’t think of how something, such as a sail panel emblem, should be placed to accent the panel, not just slapped on! And for goodness sake, PLEASE take the time to make sure it isn’t upside down!
As for the Century, I have always liked these final models, as they seemed like a well built car. A bit plastic-y on the inside, but a nice looking design.
Agreed, some people can get tacky with the after-market add-ons. Although as a teen, I used to LOVE to look through the JC Whitney catalog.
I agree. This is all over the midwest.
I repaired a lot of leaking intake manifolds on these cars, and they all seemed to need a front wheel bearing at about the same time. Otherwise, they were decent cars when their owners maintained them at proper intervals. Nothing special of course, but decent midsize transportation.
Those chrome wheel covers are actually standard on the Century Limited of this vintage. You never see them because the handful of people who actually bought the limited got the alloys. Most Centurys were basic Customs, anyway.
…so these folks cheaped out on the wheels and tires so they could brougham-up the car. Well, for a car that lives in a little town that may work out fine for them.
Whenever i see one of these with the “carriage roof” convertible-look top treatment, I say to myself:
“hey! It’s a convertible! No it’s not. Yes it is! No it’s not. Yes it is!!! No it’s not. YES IT IS!!!”
It’s more of a “converti-faux” instead of a convertible.
the C pillar crest treatment makes it look like a Park Ave
when we say 3800cc motor,is it like the one on mid to late seventies skylarks(231 cubic inch)or its a whole new motor?
Same motor, different version.
The chrome luggage rack- to remind the average buyer not forget to pack their Zimmer frame?
Where are the super fly headlight covers? Where are the the faux-wire-hubcaps? Where is the chrome appliqué on the B-pillar? Where are the cursive script “Brougham” emblems? Where is the hood ornament or badge? Where is the padded vinyl roof? Where are the opera windows? Where are the rear wheel covers that should look as if they are integrated into the fender? Where are the opera lamps? Etc…
All I can say is that this isn’t the work of the Brougham Fairy, this is a Third-Rate Brougham doppelgänger imitator with a crappy disguise from Cheesy Car Costumes Unlimited!
We had a retired gent in my childhood neighborhood (in the mid 70’s) who had a late 60’s Impala with much of the same gingerbread attached to it. My friends and I called them ‘retirement specials’, the cars that older gentlemen kind of dote upon, without too much of a financial/time/parts commitment. Some of these older gents just aren’t going to swap in a cam and headers, but will dress the car up with all kinds of stuff that you can get at the local parts store or JC Whitney catalogs…
Actually, these are the cars I love to recommend to my non-car loving or mechanically apt family and friends; the LeSabre is actually first on that list. But because there is a large population of older folks who take very good care of these cars, they make great used cars. Scrape off all of the gewgaws and other stuff you find offensive and you still have a solid, serviceable car ready for thousands of miles of duty.
If my J-body were to be totalled today, and I absolutely had to buy another car instantly, I’d be checking out the supply of FWD H-body LeSabres in a heart beat…
It just hit me after looking at the previous post: With this car, GM’s fashion-forward stylists re-created the 94 Mazda 626.
I am also loving the upside-down Buick emblems. Nobody who owns a Buick with this level of trim attached would have done this. This owner is PROUD of his Buick. No, it was some automotive illiterate who did this at a dealership. The poor owner of this car probably seethes every time he looks at one of those badges. Could this be the the Buick equivalent of the deSade edition Marquis? I’m thinking that this could be the Dante edition.
This is hilarious. I love posts like these. Not necessarily to make fun of people or to turn this website into Jalopnik.com, just on occasion they’re very funny.