...Buick will build them.
That's what General Motors (GM) used to say back in the 1950s. Yet, 1958 was the last time that Buick produced the "Super" line of cars. Now, about five decades after the premium Super models were sold, GM is bringing back its "Super" line of Buicks to reinvigorate the 104-year-old brand in the U.S.
One of my earliest childhood memories was accompanying my grandfather to select a new 1949 Buick Super convertible. At the Buick dealer, there were six or seven of these magnificent convertibles lined up inside the dealer's garage for us to choose the one that we would be driving home that day.
After bringing out a fresh face for Cadillac and Saturn, GM is turning more attention to Buick, which traditionally is known for its appeal to older drivers.....like Baby Boomers who have distant memories of their parent's and grandparent's Buick Super models. In fact, I remember driving my grandfather's 1954 Buick Super coupe up to 100 mph (to see how fast it would go) and driving the same car to my high school junior prom to impress my date. "These vehicles will elevate in terms of design, power and performance," Buick General Manager Steve Shannon said during a presentation to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit.
Since the 1970s, when GM decided to merge the styling and design departments, it has been difficult to differentiate a Buick from a Pontiac from a Chevrolet. It's good to know that the "corporate think" is changing at GM back to the 1950s when automobile styling and performance were what turned prospective buyers' heads.
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