Take one full-size American near-luxury car, lop a foot off its overall length, subtract over 100 cubic inches of engine displacement, and raise the price by hundreds of dollars. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but in 1977, it became one of Buick’s biggest success stories. The downsized Buick Electra hit a late ’70s sweet spot, packing ample interior space and crushed velour extravagance into a more rationally sized but still very profitable package.
If you’re reading Curbside Classic, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with GM’s first big wave of downsizing. In the ’70s, General Motors kicked off a $15 billion program (the equivalent of over $250 billion in 2026 dollars) to shrink most of its cars, beginning with the full-size lines. As Paul has previously explained, the market share of full-size cars had been on the decline for quite a while, but the bigger models were still GM’s bread and butter. In the 1979 book On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors, former GM executive John DeLorean explained it like this:
General Motors’ forte historically has been selling big cars. Its large profits have come from bigger, more expensive cars. It is in the intermediate and full-sized car markets that GM has dominated. This has been a corporate objective. American car customers, historically, have been willing to pay hundreds of dollars more for a few extra pounds and inches in their cars. The returns to the company are obvious. When I was with GM, a $300 to $400 difference between the building costs of a Chevrolet Caprice and a Cadillac DeVille, a bigger car, was small compared to a $3,800 difference in the sticker price. The difference in profit to General Motors on the two cars is over $2,000. Within the Chevrolet itself, the Caprice, a full-sized car, generated about $200 more profit per car on the average than the Chevelle, an intermediate, and about $400 more than the Nova, a compact.
It wasn’t that GM didn’t make money on compacts, intermediates, and pony cars — they did — but they didn’t make as much money. Those smaller models filled certain important niches, and dealers sometimes insisted on them so they’d always have something to sell if the economy shifted abruptly. Nonetheless, selling a given number of full-size cars was almost always worth more than selling the same number of midsize or compact cars. So, GM had a lot of incentive to keep its full-size cars, and to keep them commercially viable for as long as possible.
There’s a common misconception that the 1977–1978 downsizing program was motivated by federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements, which first took effect for the 1978 model year. In fact, GM had begun what they called “Project 77” in June 1973, and it was well under way by the time GM officials went before Congress in the summer of 1975 to argue that their multi-billion-dollar downsizing program would make the CAFE rules unnecessary. (Congress disagreed.) Whether the downsizing would have gone ahead if not for the 1973–1974 oil embargo is anybody’s guess, but the embargo made it a necessity, particularly for the mid-price brands.
You might assume that buyers of big Oldsmobiles and Buicks wouldn’t care that much about gas mileage or gas prices, and in the past, they mostly hadn’t. However, sales of full-size Olds and Buick models had tumbled by about 50 percent in the 1974 model year, and they weren’t any better for 1975. The intermediate Cutlass and Century kept this from being a complete disaster, but even in 1976, sales of the very lucrative full-size models still lagged way behind their 1973 levels. Nobody was crying about Olds selling half a million Cutlasses and Buick selling 300,000 Century/Regal intermediates, but they knew they would have been making more money if those buyers had bought big cars instead.
So, the downsized 1977 full-size cars were both a huge risk and a great opportunity: They might either resuscitate GM’s mid-priced cash cows or wound them beyond recovery.
As I’ve said before, I don’t think the 1977 GM C-body cars were particularly graceful-looking. The slightly smaller B-body models had more flair, with the Chevrolet Caprice/Impala a particular highlight, but to my eyes, the C-body was squarish and a bit stodgy even in two-door form.
Personally, I think the 1977 Olds Ninety-Eight four-door pulled off the new C-body best, but you can judge for yourself.
However, whatever the new models may have lacked in looks, they made up in space efficiency. Buick boasted that some of the downsized cars actually had more room in back and in the trunk than their predecessors, but for the big Electra 225/Limited four-door sedan, it was really more of a draw: Front and rear headroom and legroom were almost identical to the ’76, although the ’77 car’s narrower width did cost it a small but perceptible amount of hip and shoulder room.
Trunk space improved by a mere 0.1 cubic feet, but considering that the Electra had shrunk by 12.2 inches in overall length, 8.1 inches in wheelbase, and around 700 lb of curb weight, maintaining the same passenger and luggage space was still an admirable achievement.
The big theme of Buick marketing for 1977 was reassurance. Sure, the cars were a bit smaller, Buick told buyers, but they “offer a trimness in exterior design while maintaining the spacious comfort of traditional full-size cars within.” Yes, they were a trifle firmer, but “that great Buick ride is there, and there is also a new feeling of tautness.”
The familiar 455 was also gone, replaced by the Buick 350, with 155 hp, and the optional Olds 403, with 185 hp. “Both are trusty sources of power like the old 7.5 litre V-8,” Buick said, “but work with significantly less displacement. Which means there are fewer cc’s to feed.” (They also had fewer pounds to haul, although Buick didn’t stress that point as much as some of its fellow divisions did.) In truth, even the 350 was still not that economical in the real world, but the gas mileage of previous full-size Buicks had gotten so grim that the 1977 car’s 15–16 mpg represented an improvement of better than 50 percent.
Then, of course, there was the interior, which was as lavish as ever.
Some of the magazine reviewers would have preferred if Buick and Oldsmobile had taken this opportunity to tone down the gingerbread, but neither division had any intention of doing that. The crushed velour/shag carpeting/woodgrain look was popular, it was profitable, and it helped to dispel any sense of sacrifice that might accompany the revised exterior dimensions.
This was an important point because these cars were actually more expensive than their predecessors — the base price of an Electra Limited four-door was up a significant $374 from 1976, around 5 percent. The simulated wood trim and brushed aluminum instrument faces were further reassurance that you were still getting what you were paying for.
Nowhere was this more pronounced than in the Electra Park Avenue. First introduced for 1975, the Park Avenue was an interior option for the Electra Limited ($325 in 1977), with extra-plush seating.
The interior of the regular Electra Limited was already pretty extravagant, but the Park Avenue went full bordello, like the outgoing Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman.
Whether you loved or loathed this sort of thing, it emphasized that the new Electra was still as indulgent as ever, even though it now had fewer calories and lower cholesterol.
All this had the desired effect, and then some. Surprisingly, the downsized big cars did no harm at all to Oldsmobile and Buick intermediates, which sold even better for 1977. However, sales of the full-size cars picked up very smartly: Oldsmobile and Buick each sold about 100,000 MORE full-size cars than they had in 1976.
Moreover, a lot of that growth was in the C-body lines — the Electra Limited picked up more than 40,000 additional sales. That made Buick a lot more money: An Electra Limited listed for $1,844 more than the B-body LeSabre Custom, and I would be surprised if the difference in production cost amounted to more than one-third of that. It was also a clear sign that even very affluent buyers had accepted the downsized models.
In the long run, full-size cars were still on an inexorable decline (and by the late ’70s, I’m pretty sure GM knew that). However, in the short term, downsizing gave these big Buicks and Oldsmobiles a shot of adrenaline, and gave GM a few more very profitable years. It had been a huge gamble, but it had a huge payoff: GM posted a $3.3 billion profit in 1977 and a record-setting $3.5 billion in 1978. Numbers like that aren’t nearly as exciting to most enthusiasts as lap times and quarter-mile ETs, but to automakers, they’re the name of the game.
Related Reading
My Curbside Classic: 1977 Buick Electra 225 – The Green Goddess Of Linden (by Orrin)
Curbside Classic: 1977 Buick LeSabre Custom Coupe – Mellow In Yellow (by J P Cavanaugh)
Vintage Reviews: 1977 Chevrolet Caprice – Downsized By Design (by GN)
That’s far more rationally-proportioned. Follows the Ascona article rather neatly.
That interior is out there. But where are the prostitutes?
The price increase may have been more apparent than real – inflation was really picking up about then and everything was going up.
I think Buick really nailed the styling on the Electra line – these cars may have been smaller, but they really looked like Buicks! I like the 98 too, but it seemed a little more generic.
As a fan of big cars who got to experience them when new, these presented me with a dilemma. I preferred the size and the looks of the pre-77 cars, but found these improved in their body/interior quality.
That is true, but either way, the 1977 GM full-size cars were definitely not cheaper than their bigger predecessors, so strictly on a dollars-per-pound or dollars-per-cubic-foot basis, they were more expensive, and the marketing, especially from Buick, emphasizes how concerned GM was about smoothing over the question of whether the downsized cars were less car for the money. As the 1977 Mercury ads we saw the other day demonstrate, contemporary rivals thought that might make them vulnerable, although ultimately it did not.
I feel similarly about the style vs. basically everything else tradeoff, although judging by the sales, buyers decided they were okay with it. There was so much talk in the late ’70s about economizing and cutting back, and GM had essentially made it possible to do that in a way that involved little if any meaningful sacrifice and was meaningfully better in some ways. Obviously, in different cultural and economic climates, GM had often gone the other way (“Sure, it has less headroom, but look how sleek it is!”) with equally good results.
After repeatedly burned by poor quality fuselage big Chryslers, my dad ended up with a1981 Park Avenue. Not a cheap looking New Yorker, but a blue crushed velour cushioned Buick. He loved it until it was towed to the junkyard. It had a strange issue – off centered steering wheel column. You got used to it, but when you sat in those overstuffed padded seats, the steering wheel was off an inch to the left. Dad overlooked it, but it drove me bonkers.
Also he thought the IP was rich, while I found the chrome and silver gauges illegible and mounted in fake shiny plastic wood, unappealing. He loved the soft seating, but I felt like showering after riding in them. We both agreed the thickly padded vinyl roof was silly, yet Dad loved it.
It rode like a boat, but it was a nice size. Smaller than the fuselages he had, but nicer riding.
I preferred the less garish Olds 98, but Buick had a popular ride for itself when it downsized!
Yes! I noticed the same slightly off-center steering column in my 84 Olds 98, the final year of the RWD C-body cars.
I remember reading the C&D article about the 1990 Dustbuster vans, with the same comment about the off center steering column. Going to be more noticeable with its bucket seats with armrests. Seems I’ve read the same about other GMs. Wonder how common it was?
I absolutely love the seat fabric in these cars. My bony self gets sore in modern seats. Only thing I don’t like is the color. Looks like the seats were made from clown wigs. A dark blue or brown would be much more appealing to me.
Looking at these sedans and compared to the lame 4 SUV lineup of today, it’s no wonder Buick sells a fraction of what they did in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. To me, it’s sad to see where Buick is now.
Anyhow, when it comes to the newly downsized 1977 big cars from GM, I liked the Cadillac Deville the best. Although I realize that’s not in this article, the 77 downsized Caddy’s were certainly a huge part of this. But if talking about the Buick, Olds, Pontiac and Chevy’s, I actually liked the Olds 98 the best after the Caddy. But when you go back one year, I thought the Buick was nicer than the Olds. But again, the Caddy’s were my favorite.
No matter, I beg GM and Ford/Lincoln to bring back large sedans again.
I love all red auto interiors. Some of the 1970s overly stuffed auto interiors I am a fan and familiar with the 1975 Imperial. I don’t think I have ever seen such a overly stuffed, puffed up auto interior as this 1977 Buick Electra Park Avenue. I seldom say too much is too much, but looking at this interior perhaps…OMG. How many Velveteen Rabbit’s were sacrificed for that interior?
The non-Park Avenue Electra Limited interior (which you can see if you click the Orlando Classic Cars link below the red two-door) was just as blindingly red and velveteen, but you didn’t sink into it as far as you did in the Park Avenue.
Having owned several pre-downsize C-bodies, Cad Seville and 2 x Olds 98, which I loved for comfortable long commutes and extended trips, we later also owned a ’78 Electra Ltd and Dad had a ’77, same model. Loved these even more: handling, efficiency, body integrity all improved without sacrifice of space or comfort. Our all-white (no vinyl roof) over blue interior, and Dad’s medium green ’77 were both truly elegant and timeless, looking better and more brand-true than the somewhat more bland Olds98, which hurts to say as a true blue Olds guy. I’ve said for decades these ’77-79 C-bodies were all around the best rwd V8 full frame US car ever for the big sedan buyer. Sadly the ’80 lightening-cheapening had a deleterious effect and they lost more than weight in my view. Also must say that the eye-popping red in that black Buick’s interior is just atrocious… what was wrong with maroon, GM? Yeeesh.
Agreed. I like the ultra-plush look, but would prefer a maroon/burgundy over bright red. They did offer this color later starting with the facelifted 1980,.
When these came out, my dad was a big fan. He looked at the Oldsmobile, Caprice, Bonneville and Electra. It was the only time in my life where he asked me to decide! I chose a 78 black over red Electra 225. We didn’t go nuts with the options, only adding tilt, cruise, A/C and a cassette stereo, and it stickered for $9500.
It was a great car and the only issue my dad had was finding out that it had a Chevy 350.
When I look back, and read so many CC articles, this era seems to be the one high point for GM.
Before it was the Vega, then cars that were simply too big, then the half done diesel engines, the V8-6-4, on and on.
I won’t buy another GM unless it’s a classic car that my wife wants! I don’t know how there product is today, but my last GM truck dropped the transmission at 40,000 miles. I’m too old to mess with this stuff anymore!
GM had launched a $15 billion program… it would be a good idea to apply it to ‘modern’ pickup trucks, but wait, it would be enough to eliminate the full-size models, since the so-called intermediate models are larger than the old full-size models of yesteryears . Transfer only the model names and for 15 billion we could get some seriously cool badges. But please, let’s crush the hoods of these still monsters a little.
The 1977 B- and C-body cars were packaged very differently than the outgoing GM Colonnade intermediates, which were big on the outside and pretty cramped on the inside, especially in two-door form. The downsized full-size cars were actually all-new, and much more space-efficient.
The $15 billion quote also included the downsizing of the intermediates, which happened a year later than the big cars.
At the time that it was announced that GM would be producing down-sized full-sized cars, like in about 1975 or 1976 or so, I recall that neighbor in our small town submitted a letter to our local newspaper (which was published) in which she denounced the decision and declared that it was part of a Communist plot to take our beautiful, big, comfortable cars away from us. She owned a pre-down-sized ’76 Caprice Classic 4-door Sedan.
I wonder what replaced the ’76 Caprice. She might have changed her mind and bought a downsized Caprice once they were on the market and the significant improvement was obvious — with the traditional comfort and luxury cues intact.
When I was growing up, one of my best friends’ parents had a series of Buick Electras, with his Dad getting a new one every four years, his Mom getting the previous car, and her car getting traded in. They went from a ’69 to a ’73 to a ’77. I only rode in the ’73 and the ’77, which was a Park Avenue with the same red interior as the car in this article. While probably not the most ergonomic, those seats were so comfortable, soft enough the you sank into the plushness. It was likely one of the quietest, smoothest, most comfortable car I had ever ridden in at the time.
Then his Dad bought a Mercedes 300D. He was a CPA and probably wanted to show off his affluence more than he could with a mere Buick. I think he also had an affair around this time, which led to a divorce when we were in high school. I think my friend was permanently estranged from his Dad after this. His Mom continued to drive Buicks for the rest of her life.
Anyway, after that soft, cushy Park Avenue, I found the Mercedes stiff and uncomfortable. The seats were hard as rocks. The ride was firm to the point of being harsh. It was probably better to drive than the Buick, but I never warmed up to the car, despite those Mercedes being well-regarded at the time.
It’s really too bad that all Buick makes anymore are SUVs. The Enclave may be nice and luxurious, but it’s no Park Avenue (I’m especially taken by the early 90s version with its sleek styling, modern performance and traditional luxury cues).
This interior is perfect. If I could get this in a modern car – ANY modern car, including electric, I’d buy it
I remember the first downsized 1977 Buick Electra I ever saw. It was in September of 1976. I was starting my junior year at the new vocational school that had just opened. A good looking girl from a wealthy family came driving into the student parking lot in her brand new orangish-red 1977 2 door Electra. I was aghast at what Buick had done to their flagship car! I really liked the previous big Electras. A high school friend’s family had a series of them and I had always admired those. Then I saw the new 1977 Sedan DeVille. It was even worse! It was an ugly green with a white vinyl top. In hindsight, the black Electra shown here doesn’t look all bad. In my opinion, the 1980 refresh of the all the GM full size cars really improved their looks. I later bought a 1981 Olds 98 Regency. I loved the looks of that car.
I think that interior looks absolutely fabulous and comfy. Would love to have a seat in that car 🙂
The interior is real treat for a homeless person who finds one of these abandoned somewhere. Pre-’73 Electras and the much newer Roadmasters from the 90’s have much more interest and collector value than these downsized, unimaginatively styled Buicks from this era.