aa Buick LeSabre 1959 4-door hardtop badge
Buick LeSabre 1960 - badge on rear panel
ac Buick LeSabre 1959 4-door hardtop head
Buick LeSabre 1959. A 364cu inch V8 powered the LeSabre which was known as the 'thriftiest Buick'. Only for 1959 did Buick use these slant eyes headlamps, and this look was also given to the more expensive Invicta and the larger Electra.
Buick Invicta 1960 4-door hardtop side
Buick Invicta 1960 4-door hardtop. After poor sales in 1959 Buick continued with the same body for the 1960 Invictas, but returned the 'VentiPorts' to the front wings (only 3 because the Invicta is an entry level car). The 'Swoopspear' also came back along the sides.
Buick LeSabre 1959 4-door hardtop front
Buick LeSabre 1959 4-door hardtop. This body was called the '4-door hardtop' on the LeSabre, or 'Sedan DeVille' on a Cadillac, or 'Sport Sedan' on a Chevrolet Impala.
Buick LeSabre 1959 4-door hardtop rear
Buick LeSabre 1959. The year 1959 was the year of fins for GM, apparently drawn onto the design boards as early as 1956 and whilst Harley J. Earl was working in Europe. Cadillac went as tall as possible, Chevrolet flattened them, and Buick joined the wings across the bootlid.
Buick LeSabre 1959 side
Buick LeSabre 1959 4-door hardtop. All new for 1959, well based on the 1975 concept 'XP-75'. LeSabre was the entry level Buick replacing the Special. LeSabre was marketed as 'the thriftiest Buick'. A 364cu inch V8 powered the LeSabre. The body was shared with other full-size GM cars, and even the top Cadillacs, Buick Electra, Oldsmobile 98 and Cadillac used a stretched version of this body.
Buick LeSabre 1960 Convertible front
Buick LeSabre 1960 Convertible. In 1960 Buick, in common with other GM divisions, toned down its models, particularly softening the wings. At the front the headlamps were changed from slant eyes to pairs that resembled the engine pods on a B52 bomber. Ventiports returned to the front wings in a stylised form, and only 3 for the lower-priced Buicks.
Buick LeSabre 1960 Convertible rear
Buick LeSabre 1960 Convertible. Fins were lowered for 1960 Buicks and the tail lamps were supposed to resemble jet exhausts. Side detailing included a scalloped shaping from above the headlamps and down to the back bumper. Larger Buicks shared this detail.
t Buick LeSabre 1960 Convertible tail
Buick LeSabre 1960 Convertible. For 1960 fins were starting to be retired in parallel with the retirement of Harley J. Earl, and more subdued styling took over under Bill Mitchell.
Buick Electra 225 1959 hardtop rear
Buick Electra 225 1959 hardtop. With 4-door, 4-window hardtop body, the 'Electra 225' replaced the 'Limited' in 1959. The Electra 225 was 225-inches long, and it shared its GM C-body with the Oldsmobile 98 and Cadillac on a 126.3 inch wheelbase. A 6-window hardtop was marketed as the Electra 225 Riviera hardtop, but the 'Riviera' tag was not given to the 4-window hardtop.
Buick Invicta 1959 4-door hardtop front
Buick Invicta 1959 4-door hardtop. The Invicta name was first used in 1959 and was offered on 123-inch 4-door sedan, 2 and 4-door hardtop, Convertible and Station Wagon.
Cadillac Sedan DeVille 1959 4-window frontr
Cadillac Sedan DeVille 1959 4-window. A 'fastback' 6-window Sedan DeVille was also offered for 1959
Cadillac Sedan Deville 1960 rear
Cadillac Sedan Deville 1960. The sedan Deville was a pillarless 4-door hardtop, and this design with large wraparound rear windows shared with other GM brands
Cadillac Sedan Deville 1960 side
Cadillac Sedan Deville 1960. The Series 6300 Sedan DeVille was built on a 130-inch wheelbase, and was a 4-door hardtop
Chevrolet Impala 1959 Sport Sedan rear
Chevrolet Impala 1959 Sport Sedan, a 4-door hardtop,built on a 119-inch wheelbase.
Chevrolet Impala 1959 Sport Sedan side
Chevrolet Impala 1959 Sport Sedan. The Sport Sedan was almost a 4-dooor hardtop, and the large wraparound rear window made the Impala very light and roomy in the rear. The Cadillac Sedan DeVille shared this design on a larger body. The Cadillac Series 62 and 'deVille' models sat on a 130 inch wheelbase and measured 225 inches, whereas the Chevrolet Impala was 119 inches between the wheels and 211 inches overall.
Image created by Simon GP Geoghegan (email: web@simoncars.co.uk)