Buick · 1959–present

Buick Electra

The Buick Electra is a full-size luxury car manufactured and marketed by Buick from 1959 to 1990, over six generations. Introduced as the replacement for the Roadmaster lines, the Electra served as the flagship Buick sedan line through its entire production, and was offered as a two-door sedan, two-door convertible, four-door sedan, and five-door station wagon. The Electra initially used General Motors' rear-drive C Platform, undergoing a significant downsizing for 1977. For its sixth generation, introduced for the 1985 model year, the Electra underwent another significant downsizing, and adopted unibody construction as well as GM's new front wheel drive C Platform. Along with its rebadged variants, the Oldsmobile 98 and Cadillac Deville and Fleetwood, the Electra became GM's first full-size, unibody, transverse engine, front-drive car. For 1991, Buick retired the Electra nameplate, migrating its front-drive premium sedan to the Buick Park Avenue nameplate, previously used as an upper trim level of the Electra itself. The Electra Estate was redesigned, becoming the Roadmaster Estate for 1991. In late 2022, Buick announced plans to revive the Electra nameplate for its forthcoming 2024 electric models.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Buick Roadmaster · Successor: Buick Park Avenue

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Origin of name

The Buick Electra was named after Texas socialite and sculptor Electra Waggoner Biggs, sister-in-law of GM president Harlow H. Curtice. Also namesake of the Lockheed L-188 Electra airliner, Biggs owned a portion of the Waggoner Ranch (one of the largest ranches in Texas) and, as a sculptor, created busts of two US Presidents and other American figures.

First generation (1959–1960)

Following World War II, the Roadmaster constituted the upper echelon of Buick's lineup. For 1958, Buick returned the Limited nameplate (which had been dormant since 1942), slotted between the Roadmaster and the Cadillac Series 62. For 1959, the Super was renamed the Invicta, the Roadmaster was renamed the Electra and Electra 225, and the unsuccessful Limited model was discontinued. The appearance was shared with two other Buick models, the mid-level Invicta and the entry-level LeSabre. The Electra 225 nameplate was a nod to the car's overall length of over 225 in (5,715 mm), earning it the street name "deuce and a quarter". The Electra 225 Riviera was the top-line model, and shared its six-window hardtop roofline exclusively with Cadillac (which offered it on all of its models). Buick first applied the "Riviera" name to a premium trimmed 2-door Roadmaster hardtop in the middle of the 1949 model year, and denoted all Buick hardtops Rivieras thereafter. Also, from 1950 through 1953, Buick made a premium trimmed, stretched wheelbase sedan, exclusively in the Roadmaster and Super lines, that was called Riviera. But 1959 was the first year that not all Buick hardtops were called Rivieras. A standard 4-window four-door hardtop was also available, as was a 4-door 6-window pillared sedan, along with a stripped chassis of which 144 were built in 1959 and 1960. The two-door convertible was only available as an Electra 225, and the 2-door hardtop as an Electra. For 1959, the Electra and Electra 225 both used the General Motors C-body shared with the Oldsmobile 98 and all Cadillacs, riding on a longer 126.3-inch (3,210 mm) wheelbase than the B-body LeSabre and Invicta, both of which rode on 123 inches (3,100 mm). The standard and only available engine was the 401 cubic-inch Wildcat

Second generation (1961–1964)

The Electra, along with the Invicta and LeSabre, was redesigned for 1961 with drastically shrunken fins, and was joined with the new compact-sized Skylark/Special. Electras featured bright rocker panel and wheelhouse moldings. Four VentiPorts per front fender were a hallmark, with identification spelled out on the front fender plaques. Electra 225s had four "hash marks" interrupting behind the wheelhouse of the rear fender. Electra 225 nameplates were found on the front fenders. Electra interiors were trimmed in fabric. Electra 225s were trimmed in Calais cloth or leather trim, except for convertibles which were trimmed in vinyl. An optional Custom interior featured leather trim, while another featured vinyl with contrasting vertical stripes and front bucket seats with a storage console and power two-way seat adjustment. Standard equipment on the Electra included Turbine-Drive automatic transmission, "Mirromatic" instrument panel, directional signals, full-flow oil filter, electric windshield wipers, Deluxe steering wheel, trip mileage indicator, cigar lighter, Step-On brake, dual armrests, cloth and vinyl trim, combinations, carpeting, power steering, power brakes, two-speed windshield wiper/washer system, glovebox light, Custom-padded seat cushions and Deluxe wheelcovers. Two-tone Electras had the color accent on the rear cove. In addition, Electra 225s had back-up lights, glare-proof rearview mirror, parking lights, signal light, safety buzzer, courtesy lights, two-way power seat, Super Deluxe wheelcovers with gold accents and power windows. The Electra and Electra 225 were the same length in 1961. Buick discontinued the Electra nameplate at the end of the 1961 model year, leaving only the Electra 225 starting in 1962. The big Buick of 1962 carried four VentiPorts p

Third generation (1965–1970)

All GM passenger vehicles received a major redesign in 1965, dominated by flowing "Coke bottle" lines and fastback roof profiles on its coupe models, and the six-window body style was eliminated. For 1965, Buick also changed its marketing strategy, offering the Electra 225 in two trim levels, base and Custom. Along with the new body came a new chassis with a full perimeter frame including side rails that replaced the previous "X" frame used since 1961. Engine offerings were unchanged from 1964, including the standard 325 hp (242 kW) 401 V8, and two versions of the larger 425 V8 that were rated at 340 hp (254 kW) with a four-barrel carburetor or 360 hp (268 kW) with two four barrels. The three-speed Super Turbine 400 automatic transmission was standard equipment. A new body style introduced for 1965 was the thin-pillar 4-door sedan, which featured frameless window glass with a thin, chrome fixed "B" pillar. The 1966 Electra 225 saw only minor styling changes, including a new grille and a revised full-width taillight and trunk lid that included an "Electra 225" script rather than the "Buick" nameplate spelled out in 1965. Engine offerings were unchanged from 1965 with the exception that the dual-quad 360 hp (268 kW) 425 was downgraded from a factory option to dealer-installed. Inside, a revised instrument panel featured a horizontal sweep speedometer, fuel gauge and warning lights. Front seat headrests became an option. A moderate facelift highlighted the 1967 Electra 225 including a Pontiac/Oldsmobile-like divided split grille. Both base and Custom models were continued with a new "Limited" option package available for the Electra 225 Custom 4-door hardtop, reviving a nameplate that graced Buick's ultra-luxury flagship in the late 1930s (and again in 1958), which inclu

Fourth generation (1971–1976)

Like the other GM brands, Buick completely restyled its B-body and C-body cars for 1971. The full-size cars emerged larger and heavier than ever before or after. The new GM full-size bodies, at 64.3-inch front shoulder room and 63.4-inch rear shoulder room, set a record for interior width that would not be matched by any car until the full-size GM rear-wheel drive models of the early-to-mid-1990s. The styling featured curved bodysides, long hoods, and wide expanses of glass. All Electra 225s were hardtops in the 1971 to 1973 model years, eliminating the previous four-door pillared sedan variant and the convertible. In 1974, Buick adopted GM's pillared coupe body and fitted it with the "Landau" option on the Electra Limited coupe. Optional driver and passenger airbags were also available from 1974 to 1976, but they were unpopular due to their cost. In the first year for the new GM C-body shared with Oldsmobile 98 and Cadillac, the 1971 Electra 225 rode on a new body chassis which retained the 127 in (3,226 mm) wheelbase with styling evolutionary from previous models. The new design included a double-shell roof for improved roll-over protection and noise reduction. Inside was a new wrap-around cockpit style instrument panel shared with B-body LeSabre and Centurion models that grouped all instruments with easy reach of the driver. Under the hood, the 455-cubic-inch V8 was retained as standard equipment, but featured a lower compression of 8.5 to 1 (compared to 10.25 to 1 in 1970) as part of a GM corporate mandate requiring all engines to run on 91 Research octane regular leaded, low-lead or unleaded gasolines. Horsepower also dropped from 370 to 315 as a result. Standard equipment continued to consist of variable-ratio power steering and Turbo Hydra-matic transmission. Pow

Fifth generation (1977–1984)

For 1977, a fifth-generation Electra was introduced as GM downsized its C-body full-size lines. Again a counterpart of the Oldsmobile 98, the Electra shed over 11 inches of length and over 800 pounds of curb weight. Coinciding with the major size reduction, Buick ended production of hardtop body styles, with both two- and four-door Electras offered only as pillared sedans. The downsized model brought increased sales, with 161,627 Electras produced in 1977. As a consequence of the lighter body and chassis, the 455 V8 of the previous generation was retired entirely, with a 4-barrel Buick 350 V8 returning as the standard engine. The Oldsmobile 403 V8 was introduced as an optional engine. The Electra was offered in standard, 225, and Limited trims; the Park Avenue option was added, though the full-length center console option was deleted from the option package. The Estate Wagon shifted to the B-body chassis of the LeSabre, adopting the front fascia of the Electra (with premium versions sharing interior trim). For 1978, the Electra Park Avenue was added as a distinct trim level. From 1977 to 1979, the exterior of the Electra saw minor yearly revisions. For 1978, the grille was updated along with revised taillamps. For 1979, the front fascia was restyled with a flatter look, adding the Buick emblem to the taillamps. For 1980, all GM B and C-bodies underwent a mid-cycle model update, with multiple aerodynamic enhancements to the body. Distinguished by a slightly lower hoodline, the sloped headlamp housings made their return, with a vertically-slatted grille. In a notable change, the Electra 225 model name (in use since 1959) was retired. To improve fuel economy, the Electra was no longer offered with a standard V8 engine, replaced with a Buick 4.1 L V6. The Buick 350 now beca

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Buick Electra
Manufacturer: Buick (General Motors)
Production: 1959–1990
Class: Full-size luxury car
aka: Buick Electra 225
Predecessor: Buick Roadmaster, Buick Limited
Successor: Sedan – Buick Park Avenue, Wagon – Buick Roadmaster (1991–1996)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1002748CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_ElectraCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1372580290 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1965_Buick_Electra_225_(25674105731).jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.