1955 Buick Century Riviera Hardtop: One Of 1955’s Fastest Cars, With Rare 3-Speed Manual

– Posted on May 11, 2026

Long before it became an intermediate, the Buick Century was Buick’s hot rod, combining the shorter, smaller body of the entry-level Special with the bigger, more powerful engine from the posh Roadmaster. Although it took a break after WW2, the Century returned with a vengeance from 1954 to 1958, armed with the latest V-8 engines. The Century was quick even with Dynaflow automatic, but this 1955 hardtop has the rare stick shift, making a hot number even hotter.

Century badge on a red car — Last offered in 1941, the B-body Century returned to the Buick lineup for 1955 / Bring a Trailer

In 1955, Buick offered four model series: the entry-level Series 40 Special, the Series 50 Super, the Series 60 Century, and the Series 70 Roadmaster. These names and numbers dated back to the late ’30s, although the Century had dropped out just before the start of WW2 and didn’t return until 1954.

Right side view of a 1955 Buick Century two-door hardtop — The 1955 Buick Special and Century were both 206.5 inches long on a 122-inch wheelbase / Bring a Trailer

The 1955 Super and Roadmaster both used the bigger GM C-body shell, shared with Cadillac and the Oldsmobile 98, with a 322-cid “Nailhead” V-8. The Special and the Century were B-bodies, similar in size to the Pontiac and the Oldsmobile 88. These were still full-size cars, but they were about 9 inches shorter than the C-body Buicks, on a 5-inch-shorter 122-inch wheelbase.

Right front 3q view of a 1955 Buick Century hardtop — If this paint job is reasonably period-correct, I think this combination would be Cherokee Red with a Dover White roof / Bring a Trailer

I should note that this particular 1955 Century, a Model 66R two-door Riviera hardtop, is not exactly the pinnacle of originality: It’s been repainted (it was originally tri-tone green and white, probably like this car); completely reupholstered; converted to power front disc brakes; and had its front anti-roll bar removed for unknown reasons. However, there aren’t many original stick-shift Buicks of this era still on the road. I don’t have automatic transmission installation rates for 1955, but for 1956, 96.5 percent of Buicks had automatic, and I doubt the 1955 figure was much lower than 95 percent. Dynaflow was standard on the Roadmaster, and it would also become standard on the Super and Century for 1956.

Dynaflow tends to get a bad rap from modern enthusiasts. The earliest version gave leisurely performance accompanied by curious whirring noises, but most of the later versions (there were five at different points in the ’50s) weren’t so bad. The version used in 1955 was the one-year-only single-stator twin-turbine Variable Pitch Dynaflow, which was a great improvement over the earliest iteration. For strongest off-the-line acceleration, it was still best to start in L and shift manually to D at around 50 mph, but starting in D was now adequate for most purposes, and it was still very smooth; Dynaflow was a continuously variable transmission, so there were no shift points.

Parking brake, clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals — Probably fewer than 5 percent of 1955 Buicks had manual transmission / Bring a Trailer

Although very few Buick buyers still wanted it at this point, the 3-speed manual had some virtues of its own. The most important for price-conscious Buick Special buyers was probably that it saved you $192.50. However, the Buick 3-speed had some clear advantages from a performance standpoint. It was a close-ratio transmission (internal ratios were 2.39/1.53/1.00), and it was paired with a higher numerical axle ratio, 3.90 rather than the 3.40 axle specified with Dynaflow. Its low gear was not synchronized, and I’m not sure how cooperative the linkage was for fast shifting, but if you wanted maximum go, it was the way to go.

Buick V-8 engine in a red car — 1955 Buick 322-cid V-8 had 230 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque; brake booster at the left is not original / Bring a Trailer

Like its pre-WW2 counterpart, the Century was the performer of the Buick line. While the Special used a smaller 264-cid V-8 with 188 hp, the Century had the 322-cid engine from the Super and Roadmaster. For 1955, this engine had an industry-leading 9.0 to 1 compression ratio and a new camshaft, increasing rated output to 236 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. This provided very respectable performance even in the big Roadmaster, and the Century weighed a whopping 465 lb less, body style for body style.

Right side of the hood of a red Buick Century — Although it used the shorter Special chassis, the Century got four VentiPorts, just like the bigger Super and Roadmaster / Bring a Trailer

Buick claimed the Century offered “more horsepower per dollar than any other car in America today,” which made it a surprisingly hot number. Motor Trend tested a 1955 Century sedan with Dynaflow in April 1955 and managed 0 to 60 in 9.8 seconds, with a top speed of 107 mph. A detailed evaluation of another Dynaflow-equipped Century sedan in the August 1955 issue of Science & Mechanics (whose results were even certified by the head of an independent automotive testing bureau) recorded a two-way average 0 to 60 time of 10.4 seconds with two crew members and their test gear, and trimmed that figure to just 9.44 seconds with only the driver aboard. They recorded an actual top speed of 108 mph.

Dashboard and steering wheel of a 1955 Buick Century, seen through the driver's side window — Chrome-heavy dash looks cool, but tended to produce a lot of annoying reflections / Bring a Trailer

I haven’t found any period road tests of a stick-shift Century, but its acceleration would only improve with manual transmission and the higher numerical axle ratio that went with it. (Top speed might conceivably suffer with the shorter gears, however; I don’t know if the stock engine would pull over 5,000 rpm in high.)

Left rear 3q view of a red 1955 Buick Century two-door hardtop — Even with Dynaflow, the 1955 Buick Century was capable of 0 to 60 in under 10 seconds / Bring a Trailer

By later muscle car standards, a 10-second 0 to 60 time was nothing special, but in 1955, it put the Century into a rather elite class. For comparison, Road & Track‘s test of a 1955 Chevrolet with the 180 (gross) hp power pack V-8 and stick shift with overdrive was only fractionally quicker to 60 mph (9.7 seconds) than the half-ton-heavier, Dynaflow-equipped Century, and couldn’t quite match the Buick’s top speed. The Century was quick enough to run with the new Chrysler C-300 at any legal speed (though the Chrysler had more top end), and it was decisively quicker than mid-price rivals like Mercury or DeSoto. You paid for this muscle at the gas pump — MT recorded 11.6 mpg in simulated stop-and-go driving, on premium fuel, Science & Mechanics just 10.8 mpg — but you could blow the doors off most rivals.

Rear axle and torque tube of a 1955 Buick, seen from underneath — 1955 Buick had torque tube and coils all around, with some of the lowest spring rates in the industry / Bring a Trailer

Handling was another matter. Buick was selling comfort and class, not agility, and buyers seemed more interested in a pillowy ride than in brisk cornering. Motor Trend thought the 1955 Buicks were a bit firmer than in previous years, improving their composure somewhat, but these cars would lean and wallow in even moderately brisk driving. Power steering (which was standard on the C-body models, $107.50 on a Special or Century) still required 5½ turns lock-to-lock, and MT complained that you could too easily “beat” the power assist in a sudden maneuver. Buick brakes were not great either; the famous finned aluminum front drums didn’t arrive until 1958.

Front seat of a 1955 Buick Century Riviera two-door hardtop, seen through the open passenger door — The original upholstery was replaced with what looks like Red Cordaveen with Charcoal pattern nylon, trim code 462 / Bring a Trailer

Although it was somewhat smaller on the outside than a Super or Roadmaster, the Century was still a roomy, richly appointed car. It wasn’t cheap: This Century Riviera two-door hardtop originally started at $2,601, over 30 percent more than a Chevrolet Bel Air V-8 in the same body style, and $269 more a two-door Special Riviera. With typical options — these were the days when even features like windshield washers and backup lights still cost extra — a Century stickered for at least $3,000, roughly $50,000 in 2026 dollars. A fully loaded example could top $4,000 (around $67,000 in 2026).

Instrument panel of a 1955 Buick — A Century Riviera cost over $600 more than a Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop, but you could see where the money went / Bring a Trailer

The Century’s fancy interior trim looked great in the showroom, but it did sometimes have its drawbacks in the real world. The Science & Mechanics test driver complained that the dashboard had “more glare traps that a dime store jewelry counter,” causing annoying reflections in the windshield.

Dashboard, heater, and radio of a 1955 Buick Century — Weather-Warden heater was $81.70, while the Sonomatic radio was $92.50 / Bring a Trailer

Most 1955 Buicks had heaters and radios, although they were still optional. Buick offered factory air conditioning on most closed body styles by this time, but it was a hefty $591.30, so it was still very rare; this car doesn’t have it.

Wire wheel on a red Buick Century — Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels were optional on these cars, but quite expensive / Bring a Trailer

I’m not sure whether this Century’s wire wheels were original — perhaps not, since this car has only four of them, with a conventional spare. You could order a set of five real wire wheels as a factory option in 1955, although since they cost a painful $317.20 (the equivalent of more than $5,300 today), I think they’re far more common on restored cars than they ever were new.

Left front 3q view of a red 1955 Buick Century two-door hardtop — The Century was the fastest version of a very popular car — Buick’s market share in 1955 was an astonishing 10.3 percent / Bring a Trailer

Given how frequently Buick has offered “gentleman’s hot rods,” or even outright muscle cars, it’s fascinating how surprised people tend to be each time. I think maybe the reason is that Buick has only occasionally made a lasting commitment to keeping its hotter cars near the top of the performance heap. Anyone can make a fast car; establishing yourself as a recognized maker of fast cars takes sustained effort. In 1955, a Buick Century was a hot car; the even more powerful 1956 Century was still in the top ranks. However, while rivals kept at it, adding power-pack options, hot cams, and even fuel injection or superchargers, you could tell that wasn’t a priority for Buick. They weren’t involved in racing, and the biggest part of their volume was the cheaper Special. So, the Century’s performance edge quickly slipped away, and the Century disappeared again for 1959, replaced by the Invicta, which was always a nonentity. When the conceptually similar ’60s Wildcat began offering dual-quad engines and even a 4-speed manual gearbox, everyone acted surprised again, and that incredulity haunted the intermediate Gran Sport for its entire run.

Century badge and chrome sweep spear on the side of a red 1955 Buick Century — Yet another once-potent nameplate diluted to the point of meaninglessness / Bring a Trailer

That leaves the 1955 Century as an interesting curio. The days when the “Century” nameplate meant performance are gradually passing from living memory — the A-body intermediates that later bore this name were more numerous and longer-lived, albeit seldom very exciting. Today, even fans of ’50s cars often don’t realize that that the B-body Buick Century was once among the fastest cars in the land. This one sold for $32,550 in October 2025, and before that for $43,000 in December 2024.