I found this beauty of an A body parked on the street in front of my office in Wilmington, Delaware today. It was at that moment that I knew I had been away from Curbside Classic for too long. I knew what had to be done; I had to share the moment with the folks that would appreciate it the most.
Is it a roadster from a different century? Or a Century from the last millennia? Enjoy!
Why does anyone think that a Continental Kit looks going on any car? The exaggerated bumper on most looks ridiculous. I once saw a Continental Kit on a Honda Prelude. But the vertical portion of the back was so short that it needed a support strap going up to back of the trunk by the roof. But the padded fake convertible top hid the attachment.
It looked a little better (albeit still unfavorably distorting the proportions of the overhangs) when continental kits were actually designed seperately for each and every car model. But at some point they became a sad one-size-fits-all accessory.
And if you’re honest, when have modified American cars ever been about moderation?
It looks like they put a spare in a tupperware storage container back there.
I think it looks hideous on every car its on, along with fake convertible tops. Two of the worst ‘optional’ add-ons ever in my humble opinion.
I don’t have anything against continental kits per se (although I often dislike them), but that one breaks records for managing to be wrong in so many different ways.
Hey Tonito, It could have had fake exhaust pipes sticking out of each fender, like those gawd awful Tiffanny roadsters. Now that I planted that image, I’ll just show myself out. 🙁 !
This one looks more like the sometimes seen scenario when a disabled person has a wheelchair on the back.
I will concede that the whole car looks to be in superb condition, but I just don’t understand the reasoning that compels someone to have their vehicle adorned in this fashion. Maybe, just maybe, if it was the top of the line in the maker’s line-up and someone wanted to just make it that much more exclusive, but on a Century? Come on. That’s like ponying up for the Gold Package on a Tercel.
Or maybe this is Carlo’s new COAL, he’s just shy about sharing since he hasn’t been around much and wanted to test the waters as to critical response…Good to see you around, Carlo! 🙂
Ha. No, I couldn’t deal with the continental kit. Now if it were a wagon….
With or without fake wood?
Either way! ?
Funnily, there was a Black Hawk edition of the Tercel in the last few years of production, part of which included gold decals on the rear quarter panels.
The fact that it was actually a “decal” makes it even more perfect. 🙂
Wonder if they were confusing Roadster with Roadmaster? Take off that Century badge, add some portholes…
A more suitable Continental kit match for a Buick:
Perhaps they had to shorten Roadmaster to Roadster because it’s a much smaller car? 🙂
I suppose if you’re gonna drive a land yacht like that Buick, a large transom platform like that one is appropriate.
More like “Roadmonster.”
That back bumper always reminded me of the diving deck on the back of upscale boats. And BTW, the Buick you posted? Is the text book epitome of hideous, and everything wrong with the over-the-top tanks produced by GM from ’58, into the 60’s, with Chrysler, just as bad. Can’t you just picture a guy driving this on his way to “Vegas, Baby!” in a loud plaid sportcoat, a straw fedora, chomping on a White Owl cigar, with his bleach blonde babe sitting almost on his lap? And he’s “The Aluminum Siding King” of the Tri-State area back in Illinois Going out to throw some money around.
…IMHO, of course 🙂
OK, the Continental Kit looks absurd on the Century, but looking beyond that (if that’s possible), I really like this Buick’s color. I think it’s called Canyon Yellow, and it was available on several Buicks in the early ’90s. Roadmasters, in my opinion, looked particularly good in this shade of yellow.
I had a 76 Olds Cutlass sedan that was pretty much that exact color. Well, 50% that color at least, the other 50 being rust…
I always wondered what to call this color. When I met my wife 11ish years ago, she was driving a Buick Century of this vintage in this color. Hers was very unpretentious, though: no vinyl roof (and certainly no continental kit!), 4-cylinder, cloth seats, even a front bench seat as I recall. Excellent condition, though. Apparently South Dakota doesn’t use road salt like other wintry states do.
On the 76 Oldsmobiles it was called Cream, frequently accompanied by Buckskin interior and vinyl top…like my mom’s 76 Cutlass S sedan in that combination.
“Colonial Cream” as well when I was killing time looking at cars in 74 waiting for my cousin.
Buick dealer. Had just moved to LA and have remembered that color all these years.
And yes, it was an Electra with the buckskin shade of interior.
Thanks for triggering the memory.
That color really should be called “aged butter”.
Eric, that color and “butternut yellow” from the mid 60s Chevy catalog are under consideration for the ONION should it ever need a repaint.
Polar White currently, but so sick of white, grey and black out there.
That tyre looks plain silly. Surely any benefit of this arrangement is voided by the access problems it must cause getting to the boot/trunk?
Is there any benefit to this arrangement at all? I’ve always assumed that the spare tire is not actually mounted in that thing and it is purely decorative. Do some of these Continential Kits actually contain a functional spare tire?
If so, then they would at least be a bit less silly.
I wondered that myself. If there is a spare tire in there, then I guess there would be some benefit to being able to carry around a full-size spare without taking up extra space in the trunk (I would imagine the spare tire well in the trunk is sized for a small “donut” spare).
But other that the only benefit would be, errrr… “style”.
Both the Continental kit and the color combo are straight out of 1954. Too bad the rest of the car isn’t.
A lot of the Fords and Merc’s had CORONADO kits, which were fake spares bolted to the trunk lid and had no bumper extension. They actually didn’t look bAd, even saw a Merc unit on a Lincoln. I had 3 57 Lincolns and 3 1958 Buick Limiteds and putting a kit on these is horrible, the kits are oversize, skirts look bad too. I didn’t have a camera when I saw a black 95 Honda Accord with fake convertible roof, gold wire wheels, fender skirts, wide whitewalls, continental kit, chrome trim and Rolls style grille added. It was bad.
I can see this really appealing to a retiree around 1990. Probably Florida, naturally. Someone on a budget, or a petite lady who wanted an “old school” Buick but couldn’t handle piloting a Roadmaster. They were probably 75 or so, so born 1915ish. Their automotive tastes were probably stuck in their prime working years, their 40’s, so that would be the 1950’s. I’m not saying it’s entirely my cup of tea, but I can respect it’s place in the automotive landscape!
Actually I like this shade of yellow (cream?) paint with the dark blue faux convertible top, the two look good together. But that Continental kit has to be the worst I’ve ever seen.
Continental kits are the most hideous accessory anyone’s ever come up with for an automobile (or close to it).
This is an egregious example of why that’s so.
I totally agree! I was a kid in the ’50’s and they were actually a pretty rare sight. Now, if you go to a car show, you will swear that they were standard on every car. The car I see these on most, not counting the ’56 TBird that they were standard equipment on, is the ’58 Impala. I also see them on the Ford Skyliner a lot. Good grief! those things are long enough without tacking on another foot or two. That ’58 Buick Limited really looks bad with it tacked on the back end. Imagine parallel parking that barge!
Like “Continental Kits” are more common on 50’s cars now than in the actual 50’s, I’m convinced that more “muscle cars” exist today than in the actual “muscle car era”!
I’m pretty sure you are right, James. Many unloved, plain Jane “stripper” coupes and 2-door sedans have converted so as to appears as an original “muscle car.”
Had several cars that had kits on them from the time they were new, had 55 and 56 Pontiac convertibles, I took it off the 55, sold the 56, The only one it didn’t look bad on was my 53 Carribean convert, because Packard extended the fenders. The 58 Limiteds I had were never parallel parked, even then spaces weren’t big enough
+1
If that continental kit was standing a little more upright it wouldn’t look that bad.
I would have loved to park this next to the club pro at the municipal golf course back when he was driving one of those shortened Sevilles (fender mounted continental kits convertible top, the whole 9 yards.)
Yes that is really what the pro drove at Gallup’s municipal golf course.
There’s a perfectly natural and practical reason why the continental kit is leaned back at that angle. If it was straight up, you couldn’t get the key into the trunk lock.
So, it’s just a matter of form following function, you see?
–retch–
Form follows function, then mugs it in a dark alley. 🙂
This Century is WAY to conservative and understated, It would have been entirely lost next to that golf pro’s chariot, LOL!
Speaking as an A body fan, it’s always good to see one featured in a CC post. This Century looks to be in primo condition. Thanks for sharing, Carlo!
I am an A-body fan myself, having had a couple of Pontiac 6000s in the family over the years. Aside from being great condition; this one needs help from an aesthetic standpoint. I can’t stand a faux convertible top on a 4-door and the continental kit is ridiculous. If it were not so adorned, it would make a great commuter.
True story: I saw the pic before I read the headline, and my first reaction was “Holy ѕhіt, it’s a 4-door Chrysler’s TC by Maserati!”. This car’s colour and taillights do nothing to spoil the illusion, and being perverted enough to find something redeeming about those cars seems hand-in-hand with inflicting a “continental kit” on everyone who has to look at it.
It’s the right color. I see 3 with some regularity, and two are yellow. The other is burgundy.
This abomination against nature must be destroyed!
Yet another example of the evils of money without good taste.
+1
Indeed.
A big ass deserves a big toilette seat.
Century Village is more like it (a retirement community in the West Palm Beach area)… That ’58 (?) Buick is something! What a battering ram….
Now how do you guys feel about a front mounted spare like the one that I had on my ’67 Dodge Camper Special PU?
Utilitarian. Wouldn’t get any backtalk from me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Front mounted spares on pickups were a thing for a while in the 60’s and 70’s. They looked tough as hell. Kind of like the Marlboro man but, because of his tough looking cigarettes,, he couldn’t breathe. Putting a tire in front of the radiator does the same thing, it blocks air to the radiator. Looks cool but not practicle.
I did a quick Google and found this. Available on CARiD.com add it to any car to add a bit of class and sportyness
ANY car? , Hmm, I need to “rock” on on a Chevette, Just to get looks!
This will look *rad* on my new Suzuki Twin!
IDK, if it’s entirely inappropriate, The Oxford Living Dictionary defines “Gay” meaning (2) Light hearted and care ftee, (2.1) Brightly coloured; showy. In those two definitions, This car qualifies, no doubt! ??
I do like the color of this car, and the “canvas” roof isn’t any worse than others of the era, and at least the “Continental Kit” can be unbolted. What I can’t get past is the use of the word “roadster” on a car that is basically the very opposite of a roadster. 1st rule of Buick customizing: Use the word “Limited” in chrome somewhere. Easy Peasy.
Certain images of desirability were imprinted in the mind of the motoring public just before the War. The Lincoln Continental was based upon Edsel Ford’s interpretation of European (Continental) styling. I must admit that I find this look quite appealing. The canvas top was a part of the image also. This spare was designed to fit into a recess in the bodywork.
I keep seeing posts that state, “No car looks good with a continental kit,” to which I submit the image above as evidence to the contrary.
A ‘40 To ‘48 Continental can pull it off, and maybe a ‘56 T-bird. But that’s about it.
I always thought it was called continental kit because the abundance of spare wheels allowed you to cross the entire North American continent at ease (before the advent of the interstate network).
Then after the War these cars became a more common sight and must have influenced many motorists.
Wow, I wonder if a dealer or private party added this “package” to the car. It almost looks like a functional spare can fit in that case but I presume it would greatly weaken the mounting points if driven over bumps/pushed down by vandals.
If I recall there was a fellow on here or the other site that had a Miata with a functional setup like this, but he used the car for autocrossing and it came in handy (also freed up the tiny trunk.)
And lets not forget the 1956 Thunderbird. wasn’t this a dream on wheels? Can you blame anyone for trying to grab a bit of that sporty and elegant styling?
Depending n your point of view that growth sullied the beauty of the 1955 design
And it was added for a functional purpose given complaints about the lack of trunk room in the 1955.
Yuck. I’ve had the misfortune to see a Continental kit on a mid 70s Corona, complete with white walls. Both times at a local shopping centre, so the eye bleach was close to hand.
Wouldn’t ‘roadster’ be a misnomer for this one? Should’ve called it a ‘phaeton’.
Those sailcloth “cabriolet” top kits are cheesy as the day is long, but what’s worse is when they had to cut a hole in it for the factory sunroof/moonroof…talk about mixing your metaphors. I’ve seen some where the fiberglass shell has “roof bows” across it, so it really emulates a convertible top mechanism, and have seen those with sunroof cutouts.
I think in some cases the whole shell has to come off to replace the back window…and if a quarter panel gets damaged they could either do a belt cut or the top would have to come off for that.
A comment from a representative of the very generation this car was aimed at:
That top would look better if the stainless/aluminum/chrome trim met at the same point as the belt line door trim.
That continental kit does help break up that artless massive uni-taillight that I’ve always hated.
But it should be leaning toward the front of the car instead of away from it.
But that continental kit…. may give better weight balance with the FWD… It would be it’s only advantage. Doesn’t improve the looks or practicality of the car.
I once saw a later model Century at a gas station here in Tucson in flat black with Lambo doors. Dead serious. I don’t do drugs.
Let me say that Buick is very clean and well cared for, for it’s age. I like the color combination, and yes, I like it. That was what we might call stylin’ back in the day. Oh, some of you youngsters may not appreciate it, but I find it kinda classy. Compared to some of the very questionable mods of more recent years, it’s OK to me. It’s most likely owned by a nice older couple, or perhaps a widow. Don’t you dare be hatin’ on the old folks sense of taste and style.