![]() Body styles included two-door and four-door hardtops and a convertible. This car currently resides in the Sloan Museum at the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Michigan.įirst 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. 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. The Centurion name was first used on a Buick concept car in the 1956 Motorama. 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.ġ956 GM Motorama showcar 1956 concept car The car's emblem was not the traditional Buick tri-shield, but a side profile of a centurion. The Centurion name was inspired by a Buick concept car, the name coming from that of an officer in the Roman Army. ![]() 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 Buick Centurion is a full-size car built from the 1971 through 1973 model years. Wilmington, Delaware, USA ( Wilmington Assembly) South Gate, California, USA ( South Gate Assembly) So while this one’s not a museum piece, it does seem to be a very well-kept driver that’s deserving of a new home where it will continue to reserve the same level of care.Kansas City, Kansas, USA ( Fairfax Assembly) ![]() It’s well-equipped too, with power windows, power door locks, cruise control, and air conditioning, but be forewarned the last 2 components are not functioning at the moment. On the inside, most everything appears to be nicely preserved and in good condition for all those miles traveled, with the 60/40 seats showing very little wear. Some of the newer parts include a timing chain, fuel pump, radiator, and a pre-1973 camshaft has been installed. But some excellent news under the hood is in the form of size, as there’s a 455 in there, which by ’73 had become optional with the 350 now the standard powerplant. The Centurion has been driven just past the 150k mile mark, and although the seller lists a few items that have been replaced on the mechanical end during the last 5 years, he doesn’t go so far as to say that the engine has ever had a complete overhaul. It’ll be up to the next owner to decide if he wants to address this or live with it. Apparently, the white doesn’t want to scrape off, at least not with fingernails, and who knows if it will damage the green paint if you try something abrasive. The story goes that at some point in time, the Buick ran over a spray paint can, which is what caused the speckles in this area. A few minor door dings are mentioned along with one small dent on the passenger side rear quarter, plus the tires are also 20 years so the seller recommends replacing them.Īnother not-too-terrible outside blunder can be found on the driver’s side quarter. He doesn’t specifically say whether or not the paint is still factory, but respray or not the finish still looks decent overall and I’m sure residing in a friendly climate has helped preserve the exterior. To be at the 50-year mark, the Centurion still presents nicely on both the inside and out, with the seller stating his car is mostly all original. This fair weather cruiser has been in the San Francisco Bay area its entire life and under the same ownership for the past 30 years, but the car is now seeking a new home with bidding already up to $6,100 so far and the reserve still not yet reached, or you can own it today for the buy-it-now price of $11,500. ![]() The car was a mid-level full-size offering that replaced the Wildcat in the company’s line-up, and in spite of it having one of the shortest runs in the brand’s history Buick still managed to find homes for more than 110,000 examples, but fewer than 10% were convertibles, making this 1973 Buick Centurion here on eBay not exceptionally rare but not exactly commonplace either. The Centurion is one of those Buick names that doesn’t really seem to get widespread attention, and that’s probably due in part to its short production span, which lasted only from 1971 to 1973.
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