As the 1950s were coming to a close, GM embarked upon designing an unusual Buick two-passenger car based upon the styling of what became the 1959 Buick. Labeled initially as XP-75, the two cars that were ultimately built for GM by Pinin Farina were formally named “Skylark III.”

As the 1950s were coming to a close, General Motors embarked upon designing an unusual Buick two-passenger car based upon the styling of what became the 1959 Buick. Labeled initially as XP-75, the two cars which were ultimately built for GM by Pininfarina were formally named, “Skylark III.”

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1958 Buick Century 4-door Riviera

As the 1950s were coming to a close, General Motors embarked upon designing an unusual Buick two-passenger car based upon the styling of what became the 1959 Buick. Labeled initially as XP-75, the two cars which were ultimately built for GM by Pininfarina were formally named, “Skylark III.”

Sometimes, a well-worn paint job garners even more attention than a concours-quality show finish.The Pick of the Day is a 1958 Buick Super.

Some cars are destined to define a decade. Here’s rare factory footage of two 1951 General Motors dream cars in action: The

Don't spam my Photostream! Comments or invitations with banners will be deleted You couldn't buy a cheaper Buick hardtop in 1958. The 364 ci, 250 hp Buick Special HT was a big Buick with a price tag you'd expect on a Ford. Looking at this massive Buick, I'm reminded of some of the firmly held beliefs of many older car owners & drivers as I was growing up. They shared their opinions about any subject. Sometimes they knew what they were talking about and other times not so much. "Ya gotta have a car with some weight - some heft to it - if ya wanna be safe, kiddo". And they would add other pearls of wisdom like "Yeah, a heavier car holds the road better son. Don't invest in puny cars with no strength in 'em." Actually some automotive safety research was already being done by a few of the world's car builders. Volvo and Mercedes-Benz led the way and Ford and American Motors were involved too. I think I recall Ford standardizing on padded dashboards in 1956. Front seat belts were also being installed in the late 1950's. M-B and Volvo had each recognized the advantages of controlled crumple zones to absorb crash forces sometime in the 50's. And makers began installing side impact barriers inside doors, probably late 1950's or early 60's. Collapsible steering columns and wide, padded steering wheel centers added further driver protection. In 1959 science got involved. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was formed and real research was done. Fifty years later in 2009 this film was made: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPF4fBGNK0U Further improvements have been made in the past dozen years too, and it's clear to see what this kind of evolutionary improvement has done for the modern automobile. Quite honestly I'd feel safer in a new Kia than the big '58 Buick in my picture, even though the Kia is a much smaller car. Enderle Center - Tustin, CA For best viewing click on the arrows in the upper RH corner of your screen & hit F11

1955 Buick Century 2dr HardTop Sport Coupe orig 322 NailHead v8 4bbl w/Dynaflow auto trans. Unrestored orig cond. Runs/Drives/Stops. New 4″1/4 Wide White Wall Bias Ply Tires. Solid straight body & floors. Minor rust in trunk floor. 2 small holes very common. Unless you are carrying a trunk full of golf ballz it won’t make...