Our recent vintage review of a 1964 Cadillac included a lot of superlatives and deemed it to have earned its status as the standard of the luxury class field. In comparison to some European luxury cars it was a bargain, especially in light of its excellent performance, world-class comfort, convenience features and a high level of quality and materials. But what about its in-house stablemates, the ones that shared its C-Body, like the Buick Electra and Olds 98? A similarly-equipped base Cadillac Series 62 coupe cost some 25% more. Was it worth it?
This was the question the Car Life testers set out to answer in this road test of a Buick Electra 225 2-Door Sport Coupe. Obviously CL wasn’t going to tell prospective Cadillac buyers to not waste their money on one, but they did make the case that the Buick was an excellent car and comparable to the Cadillac and other American luxury cars in just about every respect. It was also more understated, a bonus to some buyers. The Electra was often stereotyped as a banker’s car; well, wouldn’t most bankers happily bank the 25% difference?
CL notes that the Electra gives nothing away in terms of size to the other luxury brands and Cadillac —that being still a plus factor back then — although it was all of 0.7 inches shorter, and only a mere 222.8″ long, not quite living up to its “225” moniker. “In performance, the Electra need eat no one’s dust (well, except for the Cadillac, which did have an 0.7 second quicker 0-60 time)…in roadability, it probably is the best of the group“. Better than the highly praised Cadillac? Probably not in actuality, but most likely its equal.
The Electra came standard with all the features and equipment then considered to be requisite in its field. That included the 345 hp 401 cubic inch V8, the new THM-400 automatic, power steering and brakes, and the usual basic essentials for minimum “luxury” standards, meaning the real luxury items like air conditioning, radio, power windows and seats, adjustable steering wheel, remote control outside mirrors and a host of other things we’ve long taken for granted were all optional. But quality materials and construction were standard.
The chassis was in principle very similar to the Cadillac’s, with the rigid X-Frame, the typical SLA coil spring front suspension and a rear suspension with a four links and coils.
The standard 401 V8 acquitted itself very well, with a quite brisk 0-60 time of 9.2 seconds and a 1/4 mile in 17.0 seconds @80 mph. An optional 425 cubic inch V8 was available in 340 and 360 hp (dual quads) trims, and would most likely equal or beat the Cadillac’s 0-60 time of 8.5 seconds and 1/4 mile time of 16.8 @85mph. Or maybe not, given that the 425’s 465 lb.ft. of torque were still shy of the Cadillac’s mighty 480 lb.ft.
Just how many dual-quad 425 equipped Electras were sold would be interesting to know; undoubtedly some. The Buick “nailhead” V8 had once been a staple on the drag strips and other go-fast applications in the ’50s and early ’60s, and one can easily imagine a former (or still current) hot rodder and a now successful something or other buying himself just such a machine.
Speaking of Buick Electra buyers, one very loyal one was Monsignor Nelligan at Immaculate Conception church in Towson. He was driving a black ’64 4-door sedan when we arrived there in 1965; then that winter a new ’66 was parked in front of the rectory, followed by a ’68; a new one every other year. I was told he came from a wealthy…banking family. And that he was the financial expert in the Baltimore Diocese.
The new THM-400 “Super Turbine 400” automatic was the icing on the cake, offering greater smoothness in shifting and three actual gears instead of the Super-Turbine’s two, although a 5-element torque converter had mitigated that to a very large extent. GM had done quite well with its two prong automatic transmission policy, with the fluid-coupling Hydramataic and the torque converter Dynaflow and Powerglide, but Chrysler had shown everyone the future with its Torqueflite back in 1957. GM undoubtedly had the best V8 engines in the ;50s and early ’60s, but in order to stay with or ahead of the game, it needed accept the reality that it needed to go the Torqueflite route. And the THM-400 was every bit as good, if not better.
An interesting tidbit: the Olds 98 2-door coupe cost $59 more than the Electra 225, and it still made do with the less-than-stellar “Slim Jim” Roto-Hydramatic. But as an apparent compensation, power windows and seats were standard, except on the 4-door sedan.
The Electra’s 3″ longer wheelbase compared the B-Body Buicks all went into rear seat leg room, which supposedly even trumped the Cadillac’s leg room by a hair (according to official AMA specs).
Buick’s large drum brakes were finned aluminum with a cast iron wear insert at the front and ribbed cast iron at the rear. On high speed braking tests, one of the rear wheels had a slight tendency to lock up. The measured stopping power was better than average and fade was “negligible“.
GM’s Saginaw power steering was the best of the Big Three at the time, offering more feel than the others, along with a quick 3.5 turns ratio.
The standard 2-ply tires with their recommended 24 psi inflation “worked even better with a few pounds inflation” above those levels. A fast drive over a mountain pass yielded more precise steering response and better cornering as a consequence.”In general, the handling abilities of the Electra 225 are surprisingly good for such a large, long car. Reasonably well balanced, it will go over a mountain road quick enough to satisfy most everyone, and with good power and good brakes, it does it in a most reassuring manner. Note to small car enthusiasts: If you haven’t tried one of these big bruisers lately, don’t knock them until you have — you may get your eyes opened.”
One has to really keep in mind that this was the perspective from1964. That same year, the Pontiac GTO came out, which really changed the equation. And the Olds 442 was the first with a rear anti-sway bar, setting a new standard for handling. And the new Mustang was available with a performance suspension. The reality is that 1964-1965, there was an utter sea change in the American market, and from that time forward, large cars like the Electra and Cadillac and the rest were suddenly seen in a new light: as luxury boats that were not designed to be true “driver’s cars”, and were no longer subjected to that kind of expectation in their reviews.
The Electra’s styling is all about straight lines and accentuating its length visually. “The use of bright metal trim is quite tasteful everywhere.“. Its slab sides, especially at the rear made gave it the gravitas the Olds 98 lacked. But they both sold about equally in 1964, with 68-69k sales. Cadillac outsold them both combined, with 166k sales. The market seemed to think the Cadillac was worth the 25 or more percent extra.
Interior materials and appointments exuded quality; the optional leather covered bucket seats enhanced that feeling, although the “ironing board shaped” center front armrest was a rare discordant note, being to low to use effectively “yet it was heavy enough to to turn the console lid into an effective finger guillotine“.
The Electra’s understated appearance and tasteful luxury combine with top-notch road manners result in “an elegant car…able to hold up its proud head even in the most lofty society.
Related CC reading:
Vintage MT Road Test: 1964 Cadillac Sedan DeVille – The Fastest And Best Classic Cadillac
Vintage Road Test: 1963 Buick Riviera – Hot Rod Nailhead Buick
Curbside Classic: 1964 Buick Electra 225 – Whatever Happened To The Deuce And A Quarter?
You’ve got a small typo in the third paragraph: “only a mere 228.2″ long, …” should be “only a mere 222.8 long.”
Thanks. Fixed now.
Regarding the performance of the dual-quad Wildcat 465, there’s an interesting Motor Trend test from around this time (June 1964) of single- and dual-quad Wildcats, which found that the dual-quad engine actually hurt performance in most legal speed ranges, costing something like 0.4 seconds in the 0–60 sprint relative to its single-quad sibling in exchange for better performance through the quarter mile and at higher speeds. The comparative quarter mile trap speeds make clear that the dual-quad engine did indeed develop more horsepower, but the extra carburetor was just too much venturi area for street use.
As for the Turbine Drive (née Twin Turbine Dynaflow), it did technically have two speeds, but it did not shift automatically between them. (An additional planetary gearset within the torque converter provided extra torque multiplication in certain conditions, but had no perceptible shift points, since its operation was based on flow conditions within the converter.) So, it wasn’t a two-speed automatic so much as a continuously variable torque converter transmission with a manually selectable low range, although with typical early ’60s axle ratios, you could potentially hold Low till just past 60 mph.
Turbo Hydra-Matic was a completely different animal, with three geared ratios and a novel system of vacuum-operated shift controls. (Engine load and torque demand were signaled by manifold vacuum rather than a throttle valve.)
The April 1964 Car Life has a test of a Wildcat with the dual-quad Wildcat 465 engine and the very rare four-speed manual transmission. I don’t remember if you’ve posted that or not.
My mistake, the Motor Trend test found the dual-quad car (which had a four-speed and 3.23 axle) 0.2 seconds slower to 60 mph, 8.7 vs. 8.5 seconds, and 0.3 seconds slower through the quarter, albeit with a 3 mph faster trap speed.
This is what I get for relying on my memory rather than looking it up! In any case, the point remains that even with a shorter axle and a four-speed rather than ST-400, the Wildcat 465 engine actually hurt performance at legal speeds.
I have a CL review of a ’64 Wildcat with the 360 hp 425 and four speed manual, but it had 3.91:1 rear gears.
It was a wee bit faster than the Electra, but rather than give away the stats now, let’s just say that more power, more manual gears and a lower (higher numerical) do not always necessarily live up to their presumed potential.
A factory black 1964 Buick Electra 225 six window four door pillarless hardtop has to be my absolute ‘dream car’. Simply love the formal square lines and absolute elegance that only a ‘64 Buick Electra 225 in four door hardtop form can offer.
You can keep the 2 door coupes, convertibles as they have non of the class the 6 window 4 door hardtop body offers.
1961 through to 1964 was an absolute high time for all GM brands. Its was down hill from 1965.
Couldn’t agree more on the preference for the 4 door, pillared or hardtop. Just so elegant and of its time. Would have not trouble selecting this over a 64 Cadillac. Have to say the 2 door does benefit from a vinyl roof treatment to add some interest in that dead zone between the front door and the rear wheel opening.
Perhaps it’s the passage of time and changing fashion, but my young self would have always preferred the 2 door. Today, I have a fondness for many full-size sleds from 62-72, and 9 out of 10 times it’s the 4 door. The 2 doors consistently appear to have wonky proportions to my today eyes, what with their forward leaning roofs combined with never ending deck lids and overhang.
Great article; awesome car!
Sociologically, the Caddy was well worth the 25% premium. Prestige has never been a sensible goal, other than its use in getting YOU chosen a mate for someone particularly attractive, or intimidating those on lesser strata with expense, size and power.
But, that formal black 225 pines for the crowning glory of a chauffeur. The profiling oligarch in a Sinatra hat and neo Buddy Holly glasses would properly reserve driving for his weekend jaunts with The Former Miss America in the 230-SL.
Back then the Cadillacs had genuinely better resale value (if their ads in NG about “previously owned” were true) so maybe it didn’t really cost that much more.
I really like this Buick, except that unnecessary garish chrome around the gas intake. I always felt it was the star of this movie:
https://www.imcdb.org/v357945.html
Things changed in 1965 when Chrysler redesigned its New Yorker line to be better than the GM & Ford products. I would argue that 1965 New Yorker was easily the equal of Cadillac and certainly better than the styish but ancient Imperial. Too bad Chrysler almost immediately starting cheapening its large sedans from 1966 forward.
btw, this is the first time I’ve heard the X-Frame praised for other than providing better packaging, didn’t some divisions like Olds demur
It’s interesting the ’64 Cadillac 62 didn’t get the new THM, but the Electra did. I know in later years, the standard Cadillac would turn sharper despite its longer wheelbase.
I remember my dad saying the ’68 pillared Electra he bought did 0-60 in 9 sec and had slightly more rear legroom than the comparable De Ville and about 3″ more than the Electra hardtop. He also looked at a Fury. Since 5 of us road cross country twice, it was good he got the bigger car–it just needed air shocks to stop the sagging from a jam-packed trunk. As the shortest kid, I had to deal with the cat carrier filling the rear footwell.
Just think of how the poor cat felt. Poor Kitty.
He howled most of the way, and Siamese are loud. The only places in the car he’d quiet down was behind the brake pedal and on the seatback behind the driver.
This reminds me of the movie “Dazed and Confused”.
Thanks to all of you for the technical specifications. It still stands out as a beautiful automobile, of course.
Paul, you made a very good observation. By the mid 1960’s the big American luxury cars were losing their reputation as the premiere road cars. Up until then, not only were they the most prestigious and luxurious vehicles, they were also the quickest and fastest. Back in 1949 Cadillac and Oldsmobile debuted their new OHV V8s establishing a new level of performance. There was no high performance variant of a Chevy, Pontiac, Ford, or Dodge sedan. The top of the line cars had the most powerful engines, even after the lower cost makes brought out their own V8s. The man that bought a new Cadillac, Buick, Olds, Chrysler, or Packard had bought the best. These big cars also had better suspension and handling as well as braking. In those pre Interstate highway days passing power was very important, as a driver would often find themselves behind much slower vehicles like heavy trucks, especially going uphill. An abundance of passing power was very reassuring.
By the end of the ’60’s the lower priced full sized makes all had big block V8’s offered in specially equipped models. Then came the intermediate muscle and Pony cars. These further eroded the cachet of the big, top end cars. As freeways proliferated, the need for extra passing power as well as more secure handling was not as important. Unfortunately this lead to a real decline in the roadability of cars like Cadillac and Lincoln. The era of the Land Yachts had arrived.
I don’t know that it’s quite that cut and dried. Judging by period reviews, the roadability of most big American cars declined quite a bit in the late ’50s, with clumsier handling, numb power steering, inadequate brakes, and sub-par driving positions that made it seem worse. The big cars of this period were a marked improvement in many respects, if still not ideal, particularly in braking. Straight-line performance for full-size and luxury cars kind of plateaued (or stagnated) through the latter ’60s, but it didn’t decline meaningfully until automakers started struggling with emissions standards in the ’70s. As for other aspects of roadability, they improved markedly by the late ’60s, with better tires, better brakes, and power steering that provided some actual road feel. Roadability improved again with the late ’70s downsizing. A 1978 Sedan de Ville was no Trans Am, but it handled meaningfully better than a ’68 Sedan de Ville, and was in a whole other league than the ’58.
learned to drive on this and a 59 colony park. this buick was pure class in every way. really miss it. have not seen one in years. other years yes but this slab style 4 door hard top is one of the best gm cars ever.
Paul,
You wonder how many 425 dual four barrel Electra’s were sold. I don’t have an answer but I’ll bet it was very very few. Interestingly, near me is a ’66 Electra 4 door hardtop for sale with the two four barrel 425. It’s fairly low miles, decent shape and needs paint. Now sitting outside it will deteriorate fast if not rescued. I don’t need another car but I’m feeling guilty about not going to look at it.
I’ve personally seen two other Buick’s with that engine option. A friend has a ’64 Le Sabre Wagon (bought in 1977) and I came across a 4 speed mid 60’s Black/red Wildcat at the Syracuse Nationals about 10 years ago out of Connecticut.
The question with these is whether they came that way originally or were modified later. It’s a bit of a thing to put dual quads on these, The look is good.
I didn’t realize GM ever put the gas tank in that (Ford) place. Was that just for X frame cars? Does anyone know why they moved it further back under the trunk in ’65?
IIRC, all of the full-size GM cars of 1961-64 had the gas tank mounted ahead of the main trunk compartment, providing the deep well. Chevy, Buick and Cadillac had the X-frame in those years, but Pontiac and Olds used perimeter frames.
My speculation as to why GM reverted to the more conventional layout (gas tank under trunk floor) in 1965 would be to make it easier to access the spare tire.
It’s looks a lot better than most of today’s cars. Most of them are too goofy looking for me because they have those tall doors and short, tiny little windows. The last cool looking Buick was the Lucerne and it’s a shame how they gave up on cars. I once owned a 1984 Buick LeSabre. I got rid of that weak 307 Oldsmobile engine and replaced it with a strong running 455 Buick engine along with a TH 350 transmission. I added a few other goodies like an Autometer 160 mph speedometer, 3 inch exhaust pipes with glasspack mufflers, and reverse offset Crager SS rims. One day I wanted to find out how fast it could go, and I made it up to 150 before I chickened out and got scared to go any faster. I took it to the drag strip and my best quarter mile time was 11.9. The thing I liked most was listening to the glasspacks. Nothing beats the sound of a big block V8 engine with the right set of glasspacks. The only bad thing was the gas mileage. I was getting about 9 or 10 miles to the gallon on the highway.
Shocked to learn that a similarly-equipped Olds 98 was within a few dollars of this Buick. I didn’t realize that Sloan’s ladder had collapsed so much by 1964; I thought it was years later.
Really? The differences since WW2 were increasingly smaller; by 1959 there was little difference, in price and in the cars themselves.
By 1965, Olds clearly surpassed Buick, with the new 98 Luxury sedan being $100 more than the top Electra 225 Custom, and its interior was clearly more luxurious. Actually, more luxurious than the Cadillac’s. Seriously.
Sometime in the mid 60s, Buick introduced the Limited, which may have been higher priced than the Olds. It was only a 4 door hardtop to begin with, so not as roomy as this pillared sedan. Does anyone sell a back seat that flat and that spacious nowadays?
Perhaps the last back seat as you described would had been in the final Lincoln Town Car?
In March 1966 I wrote to Tom McCahill about the 1958 Buick Limited; my dad was needing a new one. I sent a sketch and plenty specs to Buick Design Division of the 1967 Buick Limited. It arrived at the concessionaire in Delphi Indiana about Sept 17, 1967. All this talk about the 67 Limited and also the 70 Estate Wagon 455 — that was me. I sent those designs in, to Buick Design Division.
By the 1950s, the pricier GM brands really didn’t have any serious competition other than each other. Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac collectively had about 25 percent of the marketplace, and while they had their individual ups and downs, there weren’t any outside rivals that posed any meaningful threat. Every once in a while, Ford or Chrysler might do something that gave the GM brands a momentary start (as with Chrysler’s 1957 restyling), but Dodge, DeSoto, and Mercury didn’t have the brand equity or the dealer base to rival the B-O-P divisions, and the independents hadn’t been a concern in years. So, if Pontiac, Olds, or Buick wanted to improve their individual bottom line, that mostly meant taking it out of each other’s hide, and if they could also lure some Chevrolet and Cadillac buyers, that would work too.
Enthusiasts now will always say, “Why did senior management allow this?” but the real answer was, “Why wouldn’t they?” If Oldsmobile could get buyers to spend an extra $100 over the price of a Buick, or if Buick could tempt Chevrolet customers to buy a modestly equipped LeSabre for a few dollars more than a loaded Impala, that just meant more profit for GM shareholders. The corporation’s concern was making money, not preserving the platonic integrity of a brand image (which in many cases was mostly marketing hooey) or a hierarchy established 30 or 40 years earlier. Obviously, it bit them in the ass later, but that was after they’d decided it was hurting profits to let the divisions meaningfully differentiate their products and cut costs to the point that their cars felt like cheap discount store furniture regardless of actual price point.
My father bought a used 65 Electra 225 for my bother in the late 60s. He handed down to one of my other brothers after 5 or so years and in turn that brother handed it down to me after 5 or so years. With 140,000 miles or so on it I repaired all the rust and dents and painted it GMC Truck white. It went from a battleship gray to a white whale overnight. Definitely one of the best cars I ever had. The best part was the frequent trips to and from college at Purdue with the lovely girls carpooling with me and the extra-large couch like seats. Needless to say, one winter when the heater core failed and had to be replaced, we all cuddled under blankets in the subzero weather in the front seat on one of those trips. Ah, the memories!
I find the numbers and this road test quite interesting and informative.
What has not been mentioned is the attitudes, opinions and mores of these upscale car buyers.
For more than a few conservative, “Old Money” families, a Cadillac was now considered to be a “Neveau Riche” car, purchased by rock stars, politicians, organized crime figures and those wanting to flaunt and show off their newly acquired wealth. A Caddy was considered to be vulgar, showy and tacky by many of these families.
Those that had money and personal fortunes for quite some time had little desire to show it off to others. They were secure in their own self-worth.
They had no problem buying a top of the line Buick, Oldsmobile or Chrysler. But a new Cadillac just wasn’t done. Too ”over-the-top”, too much like drawing undesired attention to one’s self.
Very well put.
In Australia where I live, I own what’s arguably, the final traditional full size rear wheel drive passenger car offered by General Motors anywhere in the world.
The example we own is a Phantom Black 2017 WN Series II Holden Caprice, powered by a 6.2 Litre LS3 V8. My research suggests that our car was the last Phantom Black example to roll off the former GMH South Australia assembly line and the 12th final Holden Caprice built over all. Our cars build date is July 31, 2017.
Surprisingly, it was not road registered until October 2018 which very likely qualifies it as the last example to be road registered in Australia.
These Holden Caprices were in every way simply ‘world class’ high end luxury cars and are equipped with everything. Think long wheel base 2016 Chevy SS sedan. GMH also assembled ‘Plain Jane’ stripped down versions of these cars in Left Hand Drive form for the North American market where they were used by law enforcement agencies.
I will always believe that these exceptional final full size cars would have been ideal, badged as a Cadillac Fleetwood and or Buick Electra but for a variety of reasons this did not happen.
Anyway, down here in Australia I enjoy the pleasure of driving the the last word in full size passenger comfort and style while almost everyone else drives a ‘truck’ otherwise called an SUV or 4 wheel drive.