Buick Estate

The Buick Estate is a line of luxury station wagons manufactured by the General Motors corporation. Buick used the “Estate” name to denote Their station wagons. The first Buick Estate used a wooden body and was offered Preferred on the 1940 Super model. It was available on the Buick’s B-body Special series in 1941 and 1942, and later on Buick’s larger C-body ( Buick Roadmaster and Super) in the 1946 to 1953 model years. From 1954-1958 it was only offered Preferred on the smaller B-body Century and Special, With All steel bodies. Among hardtop Estate Wagons in Original Were called Caballero That Were Offered only in 1957 and 1958 From 1959 through 1964 it was still offered Preferred on the B-body Which HAD Been renamed Invicta and Buick LeSabre.

Buick Estate (1970)

The Buick Estate was Introduced in 1970 as a separate series on the B-body like the Buick LeSabre and the Wildcat and consequently shared Their 124.0-inch (3,150 mm) wheelbase, basic body and interior. The Buick LeSabre Custom’s bright rocker, and rear lower fender wheelhouse moldings Were used. Woodgrain was an option for bodysides. Interiors and I were all in a Custom grade vinyl. DESPITE being on the B-body it shared the Electra’s Buick 455 V8 and four on the front fenders Ventiports. Inside This was Buick’s first full-sized station wagon since 1964 The following year the Buick Estate would move up to Electra’s larger body and more voluminous.

Buick Estate (1971-1976)

Although from 1971 to 1976, the Buick Estate shared ITS 127.0-inch (3,230 mm) wheelbase C-body Buick Electra With the 225, all 1971-1976 GM B-body wagons Were-based per model numbers. The 1971-1976 GM full-size bodies, at 64.3 “front shoulder room and 63.4” rear shoulder room set a record for inside width That would not be matched by any car until the GM full-size rear-wheel drive models of the early to mid 1990s. The Buick Estate Also shared the Electra 225’s internal and external styling from 1971 to 1974 (complete with the prerequisite four Ventiports). Door trim and Were not as plush seats in 1971-74 wagons and door pull strap was not included as it was on the Electra. And although from 1975 to 1976 the number of Ventiports Were reduced by one, and the front fascia was downgraded to a LeSabre’s (as was door trim and seats), the Electra 225 style chrome rocker panel moldings and distinctive Electra 225 style rear quarter panels (albeit without fender skirts) Remained.

Buick Estate type taillights Were not used in any of these years. These Were the first Buick station wagons to be built on Buick’s largest since the Roadmaster chassis Estates of 1947-53.  The Buick Estate Wagons, as With Other GM full-sized wagons in Original During years, used to rear suspension with Multi-leaf springs instead of the coil springs used on other full-sized Buicks, and other GM full-sized cars.

The Buick Estate Wagons Also featured a new ‘clamshell’ tailgate design, marketed as the Glide-Away Tailgate, where rear power-operated glass slid up into the roof as the lower tailgate (manually or with Power assist), slid into a recess under the office floor. Ultimately, the tailgate was supplanted manually lower the power tailgate. The tailgate system was operated by the switches on the instrument panel or a key switch on the rear quarter panel. Like a top-hinged tailgate, the clamshell design allowed a user to stand Directly at the open cargo area without impediment, loading and unloading Facilitating in tight spaces. In Its first year, 24,034 Estate Wagons Were sold. At 5,182 lb (2,351 kg) shipping weight, acerca or 5,400 lb (2,400 kg) curb weight, the three-seat 1974 Buick Estate Wagons are Easily the heaviest Buicks ever built, even heavier than Buick Limited limousines of 1936-42. The 1971 through 1976 models Were the largest station wagons ever built. The Buick Estate used the Buick 455 from 1971 to 1976 throughout. The last Year that  Stage One high performance version, With high lift camshaft, ports enlarged, and enlarged dual exhaust valves was available was in 1974.

Buick Estate (1977-1990)

In 1977, the Buick Estate was downsized and relaunched on General Motors’ B-body. In 1979, an Buick Estate Wagon was offered Preferred Limited With many extra cost options included as standard. To further differentiate the Limited model, included four fenders Ventiports (up from three) and the inner HAD loose pillow designed seating. In 1980, the wagon body changes made ​​more aerodynamic for better fuel efficiency. Also That year, the Buick Electra Estate Wagon was Introduced and Replaced the Estate Wagon Limited while the ‘base’ model was now called the Buick LeSabre Estate Wagon.

Buick Estate Wagon 1970

Although the Buick Electra and Buick LeSabre sedans and coupes HAD Both switched to new front wheel drive platforms by 1986, the model names continued to be used Also on the rear wheel drive wagons through 1989. In 1990, STI year end, the Buick Electra and Buick LeSabre model Designations Were dropped and the car was once again sold simply as the Estate Wagon.

Buick Estate (1991-1996)

Buick revived the Buick Roadmaster name with the introduction of the Buick Roadmaster Estate in 1991 A “Vista Roof”, a fixed sunroof over the second row seats, was standard. Initially Buick Roadmaster Estate used Chevrolet’s 5.0 L small-block V8, but used the larger 5.7 L version from 1992 In 1994 the 5.7 L LT1 engine with dual exhaust Became standard, the same as used on the Chevrolet Impala SS and on police cars. It was the first time That a high performance engine was offered Preferred on a GM 1974 GM station wagon since the Buick Roadmaster Estate discontinued in 1996, ending production on December 13 of  that year.