Buick · 1971–present

Buick Centurion

The Buick Centurion is a full-size car built from the 1971 through 1973 model years. Replacing the Wildcat as the sporty iteration of Buick's three full-size car lines, it was positioned between the LeSabre and Electra in the lineup. The Centurion name was inspired by a Buick concept car, the name coming from that of an officer in the Roman Army. The car's emblem was not the traditional Buick tri-shield, but a side profile of a centurion. The Centurion shared a trim package implementation shared with the Chevrolet Caprice, Pontiac Grand Ville and the Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale as a hardtop coupe, sedan and convertible.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Buick Wildcat · Successor: Buick LeSabre

All Buick Centurion data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

1956 GM Motorama showcar

The Centurion name was first used on a Buick concept car in the 1956 Motorama. It featured a red and white fiberglass body, airplane-like interior design, a fully clear "bubble top" roof and the first backup camera in place of a rear-view mirror, although it was never shown to be functional. This car currently resides in the Sloan Museum at the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Michigan.

1971–1973

First seen on a concept car, the Centurion was nearly identical to the contemporaneous Buick LeSabre, differing in badging and grillework, minimal chrome trim, and an absence of the VentiPorts found on other full-size Buicks. Body styles included two-door and four-door hardtops and a convertible. There were no pillared sedans. The two-door hardtop shared the handsome semi-fastback roofline with the LeSabre and other GM B-body cars (such as the Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe and the Olds Delta 88) along with a standard vinyl roof. 1971. Replacing the Wildcat as the mid-line full-sized Buick positioned between the lower-priced LeSabre and the larger and more luxurious C-body Electra 225, the Centurion was promoted more as a mid-level luxury car than the Wildcat, which was marketed as a sporty/luxury performance car. The Centurion was offered initially with only the 455-cubic-inch (7.5 L) big-block V8 in two power output ranges determined by the presence of either a single or dual exhaust. The 1971 Centurion produced 315 hp (235 kW) at 4400 rpm and 510 lb⋅ft (690 N⋅m) of torque at 2800 rpm with the base 455. The Centurion was also offered in the 455 Stage 1 and manual transmission configuration as well during the early portion of the 1971 model year, shared with the Buick GSX. This was known as the A9 and B6 Option when ordering the car. What also separated the car from the LeSabre was that when the car would be ordered or recognized as a Centurion it would be branded as a 4P Series as the first two letters of the Vehicle Identification Number. Interior trim was upgraded from LeSabres with a notchback bench seat including center armrest standard equipment along with more luxurious cloth-and-vinyl or all-vinyl upholstery. In March 1971, the three-speed Turbo Hydra-matic trans

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 Centurion
Assembly: (main plant), Flint, Michigan, USA (Buick City), (branch assembly), Kansas City, Kansas, USA (Fairfax Assembly), South Gate, California, USA (South Gate Assembly), Wilmington, Delaware, USA (Wilmington Assembly)
Manufacturer: Buick (General Motors)
Layout: FR layout
Predecessor: Buick Wildcat
Related: Oldsmobile 88 Royale, Pontiac Grand Ville, Chevrolet Caprice
Body style: 2-door coupe, 4-door hardtop, 2-door convertible
Platform: GM B platform
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Engine: 350 CID V8, 455 CID V8
Model years: 1971–1973
Wheelbase: 124 in
Length: 224.2 in
Kerb weight: 4260 -