Here they are together–two 1958 GM “Golden Milestone” cars that competed in the luxury class. You’ll notice that both cars share the body middle section (doors, windows, roof); however the engines, transmissions, suspensions, interiors, and front and rear styling are different. This top-of-the-line Buick actually cost more than the Cadillac when new, and is 10 inches longer!
These cars illustrate just how important brand image and differentiation was in the 1950s. As Ralph Parker [Jean Shepherd] put it in A Christmas Story, “Some men are Baptists, others Catholics–my father was an Oldsmobile man.” Many people who bought Buicks would never purchase a Cadillac, and vice-versa. This loyalty is reflected in the fact that 75% of Cadillac owners intended to buy another Cadillac once they traded their present car in.
And despite sharing inner body structure, these two cars would have very different personalities: Buick with its 364 c.i. “Nailhead” V-8; Cadillac with its famous Kettering-designed V-8 engine, known for its smoothness, silence, and solid reliability. Buick introduces its velvet “Switch the pitch a million ways” Flight-Pitch Dynaflow transmission, while Cadillac continues with an improved Hydra-Matic which lacks the “jerkiness” of the past–the shifts are now practically imperceptible at light to moderate throttle. Suspension and driveline are different too. Buicks have long had “Torque-Tube” drive with an enclosed driveshaft and coil springs all around. Cadillac has replaced its rear leaf springs with coils for ’58 as well, but retains a traditional driveshaft arrangement.
However, the styling and size differences are what most people will notice the most. Each car is instantly recognizable for what it is. There’s no mistaking Buick’s “Dynastar” grille, with 160 chrome squares, beveled to reflect a maximum of sparkle. Cadillac, not to be outdone, introduces a wide grille with gleaming projectiles where the grille bars intersect. Harley Earl loved these when he first saw the design proposal, and like Caddy’s famous fins, the grille projectiles would become a Cadillac styling hallmark for the next few model years.
Speaking of Cadillac fins, the ’58s are the most prominent yet, but they are just a warm-up for the lethal weapons soon to come. Buick retains straight fenders, topped with bright strips (to suggest fins) wrapping downward to meet the “Twin-Tower” taillights, which are ribbed with chrome in a design which suggests the 1936 Cord grille. Both Buick and Cadillac rear bumpers feature jet exhaust-type motifs, but thankfully the Cadillac exhaust has been re-routed under the bumper pod rather than through it, which eliminates staining and corrosion–a slight concession to practicality. All in all, it would be hard to find better examples of the “Golden Age of Gorp” than these two leviathans.
Stepping into the driver’s seat, one is faced with a chromed instrument panel reminiscent of something out of 1930s-50s outer space science fiction movies like Buck Rogers. Even the “Autronic Eye” automatic headlight dimmer looks like the alien weaponry from War of the Worlds! I think the Buick dash outdoes the Caddy in terms of overwrought “dream-car” sophistication with its bullet-like pods and ribbon speedometer. The Limited’s tufted upholstery seems more luxurious than the Cadillac 62’s two-toned cloth and “Elascofab” vinyl. In checking out the Limited, you can see that Buick designers went “all-out” to create a super-luxury car to compete with Cadillac, Lincoln, and Imperial.
So what are these cars like to drive? Well, as someone who has driven the ’58 Cadillac shown above, it is easy to see why Cadillac dominated the luxury car field. This car drives (I would say wafts) effortlessly down the highway at moderate speeds. You feel like you’re driving something luxurious and expensive. All the fittings around you are well-made and finely crafted. The engine combines silkiness with good low-end torque that you feel in the first inch of accelerator pressure. Handling is very good for a car this size, and makes the car feel smaller. Consumer Reports, which tested all 1958 cars, rated Cadillac a BEST BUY, citing its excellent quality and reliability combined with highest resale value. “The Cadillac offers truly silent and luxurious motoring,” they stated.
However, CR was not so keen on the Limited. Their testers complained about body shake on the Buick, which is somehow related to Buick’s torque-tube drive. They disliked Buick’s “over-soft” ride and “out-of-touch with the road handling.” It was a car “silky smooth on the boulevards but ill-mannered off them. A poor buy by almost any standard.” It’s surprising that two cars built on the same body shell could produce such differing reactions!
Unfortunately, the public agreed with CR and few people seemed interested in paying Cadillac money for a Buick, no matter how long, roomy, and luxurious it was. Only 7,436 Limiteds were sold, vs. 60,848 Cadillac Series 62s. This again shows the power of brand association. I personally kind of like this concept of a super-luxury Buick, with its distinctive brightwork ornamentation and lush interior; and I like the idea of Dynaflow’s no-shift smoothness. However, I would have to drive one personally to see if the shortcomings pointed out by the cynics at CR (whose favorite car was the Rambler, the very antithesis of these monsters) were actually valid. I’m hoping readers out there in CC Land with experience driving late ’50s Buicks could shed some light on this.
These cars were truly the last of their kind. Next year, all GM cars would share the same body shell (no more “A” body for Chevrolet and Pontiac; “B” for Olds and the “smaller” Buicks; “C” for big Buicks and Cadillac). In future years they will also share engines, transmissions, chassis and frame design, as well as many other things. The distinctions between GM’s “Five Great Motorcar Divisions” were starting to erode away. Buyers eventually caught on to the charade, and today only three of the five GM car divisions remain.
So I’ll end with this question: If you wanted to own either of these, which would you pick?
Note: a rerun of an older post.
It’s a wonder the parking lot hasn’t caved in yet!
Sorry seems this is the only place i can reply . They said the Roadmaster was longer then that Cadillac . It should be compared to the Fleetwood 60 Special . The 1958 Roadmaster Limited was top Buick while the longer 1958 Fleetwood sixty special was top of the line Sedan for Cadillac.
Of the two cars pictured, I’d pick l the Cadillac in a heartbeat, but if I wanted to save some coin, I’d go for the base model Buick Special.
buyers cared about brands because the engines and mechanicals were distinct. Once brands started sharing engines, brand loyalty was toast
Love to work c,in1970 love it gone in usmc 70des love to have one 72 up to 74
My dad had a 58 special in gold. Back in the 50s I remember if you drove a Cadillac you were rich!
“Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?” (This is the wisdom that one can use for such inquiries, always.)
It must have been 1959, when I was age 8, and Mom was newly divorced and we lived in San Francisco. It must have been 1959, because Mom was still driving our 1955 Olds Starfire convertible because she later traded for a 1960 T-Bird conv. Mom had a divorced lady social group, they would meet weekly for afternoon cocktails, and us kids would just run around. One of the divorced ladies had a beautiful hill side home that I think was just over the bridge. I remember playing in the back yard, beautiful views, while Mom’s had their cocktails. To get to the point, that lady had a 1958 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special sedan, white with black & white interior. Beautiful with all its chrome and polished trim.
I remember this so distinctly because this beautiful modern house started to slide down the hill. The ladies who lunched came to the rescue. The house was sliding but the ladies, and their children, were rushing in and out of the house carrying fashion clothing and dumping stuff in the trunks of cars. Racing back and forth with arm loads of clothing. I remember dumping arms loads of clothing into the massive trunk of that Cadillac. Dumping arm loads of designer clothing into the backseat of our Starfire conv. with its top down. I remember like it was yesterday, crossing the bridge back to SF, top down in our Starfire, I was laying on top of the clothing in the back seat to hold the clothing down, looking up at the bridge and stars above.
Sounds like those divorced ladies made out pretty well!
Both are beautiful is over wrought cars .
I’ll never settle for a Dyna-Squish Slurp Drive .
-Nate
I grew up with a 58 Cadillac as the family car. A Series 62 sedan optioned up with power windows and factory AC, wonderbar radio, power antenna, Tinted glass. My dad bought it in 1960 from our family Doctor, I was 1 year old then. Mom gave it to me in 1982, lifelong Southern California car, its in good shape, and on the road. It gets pretty good attention at car shows, and sometimes people do come up to me when running errands around town. She’s definitely part of the family!
PRNDG on the Buick’s gear indicator. Maybe I missed it on CC, what is the G for – I assume low gear?
Styling wise, it seems the Buick was trying to out luxury the Caddy. Two over the top styled cars.
G was for Grade Retarder, which was designed to produce turbulence in the torque converter for greater engine braking on steep hills. It was NOT low gear, which the Flight Pitch Dynaflow didn’t have, but confused a lot of contemporary buyers.
Was wondering the same thing. That’s an Odd thing… “Grade Retarder”. Definitely seems confusing. If I was around then, I’d assume it was G for Go.
This quadrant signifies the rare triple turbine transmission. It was not the traditional Dynaflow most Buicks were equipped with. I’d describe it as a type of hydraulic CVT. Mr. Severson probably can supply a more accurate reference. He knows more about these early GM transmissions than probably anyone left at GM today.
When I was in junior high a friend’s father owned one of each. He got the Caddy new in 58 and the Limited used in 60, keeping both cars. He said he preferred the Buick because it was more luxurious and rode smoother. I enjoyed getting rides in either car.
My Father moved up the food chain from Ford to Mercury, and later Buicks, but I never could convince him to buy a Cadillac or a Lincoln. Saving money to the end.
I can see where the backlash over the ’58s led to a complete course correction in ’59. In the mid-60s our neighbors had a ’58 Chevy Belair and I remember thinking in my early years “man, that’s pretty decorated for a Chevy…”
The ’58 GMs are pretty amazing to look over today, but they really veered off-course with their over-the-top eye candy….
I have been in the Cadillac LaSalle Club since the late 1960s, and presently have three (49 60S, 59 60S, 67 Calais Coupe).
Still, I would take the Buick. For pure excess, the Limited beats them all, even the 58 Olds 98. In black, please, to show off all the brightwork. Somewhere, Harley Earl is smiling. The 58 GM product line was the last one that he influenced.
If you had to replate all of the chrome, the cost would get you a decent new BMW..
If you are into late 50s US cars, the more garish, the better.
Currell Pattie
58′ Limited trumped the Cadillac.
It celebrated late 50’s we won the war and now have money in grand fashion.
The 58 limited was a loooong car.
Sure I would like the cadullacs hydramatic but I’ll still take the Big Series Buick in this instance. The limited was higher trim than the forever clouted roadmaster in 1958.
I own a Series 62 Cadillac and a Buick Super, which has the same wheelbase and engine as the Limited. Both cars “glide” down the road, eliminating all road bumps. Buick’s Dynaflow is a bit more sluggish than the Hydramatic, but this is barely noticeable during normal driving. Buicks aluminum finned brakes dissipate the heat much better than the steel drums of the Cadillac and prevent brake fading.
That’s amazing–great picture!
Is there any difference between the Buick and the Cadillac ride? The suspensions are different.
With these two beautiful classics in your driveway, I wonder how many near wrecks or blocking traffic did these two beauties would cause? I know my neck would be craning to look at these classics.
I havent seen a four door Buick 58 in a while, The napier monthly cruze in gets two coupes every time I go, Mr Earle barely left room for paint.
Drove a 55 Special Riviera. 264 nailhead with Dynaflow. Well balanced engine with super smooth acceleration. Grandpa was an Oldsmobile man. Dad and me Buick guys.
The Limited was the top Buick while the 62 was the cheapest Cadillac, below the de Ville and Fleetwood. It’s no surprise that the Buick outdid the Cadillac in some ways, but I wonder how a comparison with the Sedan de Ville would have gone. Probably closer in price but not the unfair comparison a Fleetwood 60 Special would have provided.
Based on the style, I’d go for the Buick, but I did have to keep checking which was which in the photos……
The Limited interior is the same upholstery materials as the Roadmaster. How this compares to the Cadillac is difficult to see with pictures.
The series 62 designation was first used for the 1940 Series 60 Cadillacs, but is basically the same car as the 1936 Series 60 Cadillac. When the Fleetwood 60 Special was introduced for the 1938 model year, the basic Series 60 continued to be the series 60. For 1939 the basic Series 60 was renamed Series 61. Then for 1940, anticipating the end of the La Salle, the Series 61 was changed to Series 62. For 1941 a cheaper Series 61 was added and LaSalle production ended.
wow, Buick out Cadillaced Cadillac. All of that chrome hurts my eyes
Before moving to LaPaz,BCS,Mexico in September 2016 I had a 1955 Buick Century and also a 1956 Ford Customline. Both were 4 door cars. I enjoyed the Buick for the way it felt cruising down the road. I have never cared for Cadillacs as I always thought they were ugly compared to Buicks,Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs. I could really tell the difference between my Ford and the Buick when driving them. The Buick definitely felt like a larger and heavier car but very comfortable. The Ford felt smaller and had a higher seating with a great view out of the windshield. It was similar to how my 2010 Toyota RAV4 feels when going down the road. I realize the article was about Buick versus Cadillac but my 2 cars were so very different from each other and only 2 years apart. The Century was like a low rider while the Ford felt more like a jacked up higher riding car. They were totally different in many ways. I have mostly been a GM man but I have owned a couple of Fords. I am in the process of getting a 1960 Pontiac Bonneville 4 door flat top roof. Now,that is a big long car! It has enough windows to make blind spots negligible,hahaha.