1968 Buick Electra Reviews

Without trying to sound macabre - which we are - here's some of the famous people no longer with us because of the car. On a brighter note, lots of people are still with us because of the car - or more specifically, the ambulance.1. James Dean (Porsche 550 Spyder): Dean's status soared to cult levels after his untimely death in September 1955. In fact, so did the status of the car he was driving, a Porsche 550 Spyder that was the predecessor to today's Boxster. Dean died while driving when an approaching car turned in front of him. His passenger, mechanic Rolf Wutherich, survived that accident but died in a car crash in 1981.2. Diana, Princess of Wales (Mercedes-Benz S280): On August 31, 1997, the world woke to the shocking news that Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car accident in Paris. Her partner Dodi and driver were also killed. The accident is alleged to have been caused when the Mercedes was avoiding pursuing paparazzi.3. Princess Grace Kelly (Rover SD1): The former American actress and princess of Monaco died in 1982 after suffering a mild stroke at the wheel of her car, causing it to roll down a mountain in Monaco. Coincidentally, revered British motorcycle racer Mike Hailwood (1940-1981) was killed in a car accident a year earlier driving a similar car.4. Marc Bolan (Mini GT): Bolan, lead singer of glam rock group T-Rex, was killed instantly in 1977 when the purple Austin Mini GT in which he was a passenger failed to negotiate a bridge and hit a tree. Ironically, Bolan never learned to drive, fearing his untimely death in a car. The driver was his girlfriend, Gloria Jones.5. Peter "Possum" Bourne (Subaru Forester): Amiable New Zealand rally driver Possum Bourne was on a course inspection in 2003 on the "Race to the Sky" track at Cardrona in NZ's South Island when he collided head on with a Jeep Cherokee. He never regained consciousness. A statue of Possum is set on the mountain on an isolated rock overlooking the Cardrona village.6. Jackson Pollack (Oldsmobile 88): The reclusive artist crashed his 1950 Oldsmobile convertible while under the influence of alcohol, killing both himself and his passenger instantly in 1956. Pollock was aged 44.7. Jayne Mansfield (Buick Electra): In the early hours of June 29, 1967, Hollywood sex symbol Jayne Mansfield, died after the 1966 Buick Electra 255 in which she was a passenger smashed under the back of a slowing semi-trailer. Mansfield, her boyfriend Sam Brody and the driver were killed instantly. Her three children including Mariska, all in the rear of the car, survived with minor injuries.8. Desmond Llewelyn (Renault Megane): In 1999, one of the UK's most recognisable figures; Desmond Llewelyn, better known as Q in the James Bond films, died in a car crash aged 85. He was driving home from a book signing when his car collided head on with a Fiat.9. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez (Mitsubishi SUV): In 2002, Lopez - singer with popular RnB group TLC - was thrown from the vehicle and died from injuries. The Mitsubishi was forced off the road by an oncoming truck that was trying to overtake a car on a Honduras road.10. George S. Patton (Cadillac Series 75): The famous United States general died from complications 12 days after a car accident near Mannheim, Germany. He was aged 60 years.

Toyota not only lost top spot for the first six months of this year but the disruption to its production from the earthquake and tsunami saw sales slip by 23 per cent and it trailed the Volkswagen Group into third place globally. GM sales grew by 8.9 per cent to 4.536 million vehicles, ahead of 4.13 million VW products and 3.71 million vehicles wearing a Toyota bade, Lexus, Daihatsu or Hino badge. The strength of the yen is also affecting profits for the Japanese-based carmakers. Nissan this week announced it was aiming to reduce exports to try and limit the impact of the currency. The Wall Street Journal noted Nissan plans to maintain a target of one million cars for the year but is aiming to sell 600,000 of them domestically. That contrasts with local sales of 460,000 for the year ended March 31 (the Japanese financial year). Nissan has the highest export exposure of any of the Japanese carmakers, the WSJ reports, with 60 per cent of its Japanese-built products exported in the first six months of the year. Toyota shipped 56 per cent of its locally built vehicles overseas at the same time, while Honda and Suzuki export 37 per cent and 28 per cent of production respectively. The news is better for the Germans where Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz had record first half results. BMW led the pack with 18 per cent growth to 833,366 vehicles from Audi on 652,970 and Benz on 610,931. Beemers growth has been led by demand for the new 5 Series and X3 models, largely in Asia, a market where long wheelbase vehicles such as Audis A6L and A8L are popular prestige models. The growing global acceptance of Hyundai and Kia products pushed the automotive group into fifth place in the sales charts. The South Korean duo sold 3.19 million vehicles in the first six months of 2011 to post a record growth rate of 15.9 per cent. The popularity of models such as the Sonata, good price and quality competitiveness and sharp improvements in brand image contributed to better sales," a Hyundai Motor Group spokesperson said in a press release.

The German leaped up from 10th place, in the J.D. Power vehicle dependability study of more than 52,000 motorists across 36 car brands sold in the US.  Porsche boss Michael Macht said the challenge for the company was "not about achieving a high quality standard for the short term, but to assure such quality over a period of many years". They knocked Buick off the top back to third with Lincoln second.  Despite recent safety issue recalls, Toyota came sixth and notched up maximum points in their categories for Highlander (Kluger), Prius and Sequoia and Tundra pick-ups. Honda, in seventh place overall, took out three categories for the CR-V, Fit and Ridgeline.  Lexus, which had been number one for 14 years until last year, continued the slide into fourth, while Jaguar dramatically dropped from second to 22nd. J.D. Power survey respondents are original owners of three-year-old cars, asked about potential problems across almost 200 areas.  Overall, J.D. Power found that vehicle dependability has improved by 7 per cent. TOP 10 DEPENDABLE BRANDS 1 Porsche2 Lincoln3 Buick4 Lexus5 Mercury6 Toyota7 Honda8 Ford9 Mercedes-Benz10 Acura

Taree restorer Justin Hills believes his restoration of the classic American car more closely resembles how an artist would have drawn the concept rather than the finished production model. "The production car never ends up looking like the artist's concept drawing," he says. "Concept cars of this period were always longer, lower and wider. So my idea for the car was to build the concept car that they would have wanted to build but never did." The 39-year-old English migrant bought the car for $US3000 over the internet in 2004 and estimates he has spent the equivalent of a full-time year working on the car. "It would owe me over $100,000, but this isn't for sale unless someone has a whole lot of money," he says. "The biggest expense is the chrome plating, trim and material costs. I spent more than $4000 on the softest leather you have ever felt. It's so soft you just want to bite it." When Hills went looking for a classic car to restore for himself, he wasn't searching for a Buick. "I was actually looking for a James Dean '49 Mercury at the time, but I saw this and knew I just gotta have it," he says. "It was the right period and the right look; it just ticked all the boxes that I was looking for. "I love the fastback shape of it. The way the roof goes all the way down to the ground." Hills has emphasised that effect with air suspension that drops 15cm when it's parked so the panels almost touch the tarmac. It's a long way from the condition he bought it in. "I reckon it had been left out in a paddock for 30 years and not touched," he says. "It was full of dust. It must have been a California or Arizona car because it was really dry but not rusted." The engine was seized solid and was replaced by a 1953 Buick engine which was also a straight eight with the same block but a bigger 263 cubic inch (4309cc) capacity. "The gearbox was fine, but everything was pulled apart and rebuilt anyway," he says. "It's got a three-speed column shift and it drives just beautifully," he says. "It does everything it's meant to do because everything is brand new. I built it to drive it, but I don't drive it all that much." "Since I finished it I love it too much to drive. It's like collecting a piece of artwork. It lives in a cartoon bubble in my workshop and I have to work to keep it clean because it's black." Instead, his daily drive is a 1966 Mk X Jaguar which he calls the "most underrated Jag in the world. I love them. They are a bit like the Buick - a big boat of a car," he says. "I'm not into modern cars. I just enjoy the feeling of driving an old car. I have to go to Sydney a lot and I always take the Jag. It does the job and it looks good, too." The car builder and restorer started as a smash repairer and has worked on cars for clients from Darwin to Dubai. Although he considers his Buick the best he has ever done, his most expensive job was a 1964 Aston Martin DB4 Cabriolet he restored for a Sydney advertising executive. "He later sold it for 275,000 (about $555,000) to a Swiss museum." But it's not about the money. His dream is to restore a car for famous Pebble Beach Concourse. "That's my career aim. It would be nice to be a Bugatti," he says.

Vehicles Move the shedding of Hummer, Saab and Saturn forward to the end of this year, with Pontiac gone by the end of 2010. Cut production by 190,000 in the second and third quarters. Dealership network Slash dealerships by 40 per cent to 3,605 from 6,246. Workforce Reduce the workforce from 61,000 to 40,000 – 7000 more than suggested in the viability plan put forward in February. Financial Execute a debt-swap and restructure that positions the US Government as a majority owner of about 50 per cent — in exchange for forgiving half the debt of the $US15.4 billion already loaned to GM, and adding another $US11.6 billion to it. The United Auto Workers union pension fund would own 40 per cent in exchange for half of the $US20 billion it’s owed. Holders of GM’s $US27 billion worth of bonds would end up owning 10 per cent, with the carmaker exchange 225 common shares for each $US1000 principal amount of outstanding notes. If the bondholder approval rate falls short of the required 90 per cent, GM will file for bankruptcy protection, with bondholders estimated to get just 5c in the dollar – a far cry from the 33c tipped earlier this year.

The car was sent to death row yesterday as General Motors put the sword to the whole Pontiac brand in its efforts to survive the global economic crisis. Pontiac will be dead by the end of 2010 as GM focusses its revised viability program on four key brands in the USA - Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. There is no clear picture yet of how the G8 decision will affect Holden's factory at Elizabeth in South Australia, although its output had already been slashed in reaction to falling local sales of the Commodore and in anticipation of the Pontiac decision. "We will work with Pontiac to manage the phase-out of the G8 through to the end of next year. The announcement has only just occurred so we don’t know what their expectations might be, as the car is currently selling really well," GM Holden spokesman, Scott Whiffin, said this morning. "Notwithstanding the fact that this has only just been announced, we don’t envisage there will be any job losses at Elizabeth as a result of this decision." The bad news on the G8 was balanced by no news of any potential sale of GM Holden. General Motors has talked recently about selling its Opel and Vauxhall divisions in Europe and Britain - in addition to Saab and Hummer - but there was no mention of GM Holden when GM president Fritz Henderson worked through the latest viability plan in Detroit last night. The end of the G8 means GM Holden will shift its focus very quickly to the export potential of its new small car, the Cruze, which goes into production alongside the Commodore next year. The business plan for the car was originally only based on Australian sales but the car - and particularly the hatchback model - will now be pushed as a potential winner for GM outposts in other countries around Asia and also South Africa. It could also join the Commodore in the Middle East, where a version of the VE is sold with Chevrolet badges.

As fuel prices soar, spare a thought for the motoring enthusiast with a thirsty vintage or veteran car. Like retired school teacher Kevin Brooks, 67, of Alderley, in Brisbane's north, whose veteran 1915 Buick CX25 open tourer gets just 13.8 litres per 100km, which is about the same as a modern V8. But his 2.7-litre four-cylinder Buick gets about 10 per cent of a V8's power and has a top speed of about 100km/h, with a "comfortable cruising speed" of 80km/h. "It's a fairly heavy little bugger," Mr Brooks said. "I try not to worry about things like fuel prices." However, he did buy the Buick in 1991 at a bargain price because fuel was so cheap then. "A friend brought the remains home from Texas, Queensland, and I bought it off him for the cost of his fuel. That was only about $20," he said. Yet restoring a veteran vehicle can be expensive. "I wouldn't have a clue how much it's cost me. I try not to keep a count on costs; I'd prefer not to know," he said. "I do my own spray painting, paneling and woodwork and my wife, Joyce, did the upholstery and hood. "I could never have afforded to buy the car ready-made. If I wasn't a handy person who could restore at minimal cost it wouldn't be possible." The most expensive parts have been tyres, which cost $400 each. However, he only pays $170 a year for a concessional registration which allows him to "test" the vehicle within 15km of his home or take it to rallies such as the RACQ MotorFest at Eagle Farm Racecourse on Sunday, June 29. "That means I can't use it to pick up the bread and it's only good for about 300 miles (482km) a year, so rego isn't all that cheap after all," he said. "Veteran vehicles should get free rego like many states in the US and New Zealand, because they are our national heritage." There will be plenty of Australian and international motoring heritage on display at this year's MotorFest. Organisers expect more than 600 veteran, vintage and classic cars to attend. Among the many changes to the MotorFest, including the new venue, is that the vehicles will be displayed according to their country of origin. Also, for the first time, Queenslanders will be able to experience active crash prevention technology through an Electronic Stability Control simulator. Other attractions include fashion parades, gourmet food and wine, roving musicians, circus performers and dancers, and a Kids' Corner with carnival rides and face painting. RACQ and RACQ Insurance will be showcasing their products and services and there will also be informative displays from organisations such as Queensland Police and the Main Roads Department.  

As fuel prices soar, spare a thought for the motoring enthusiast with a thirsty vintage or veteran car.

 The four-door Invicta sedan is the work of former GM-Holden designer and Monash University graduate Justin Thompson, who says the sweepspear from the classic Buick is a significant part of the car. The sweepspear is the curved line along the car's flanks, which dips at the rear door. “We really had only one chance to get it right,” he says. “The designers were given five weeks to go from concept to reality.” Thompson spent seven years at GM-Holden before joining the overseas GM Empire. GM-Holden's expertise has been recognised by the parent company before, in the Denali XT concept four-door ute unveiled early at the Chicago Motor Show in February. The Denali was the work of the Holden design team in Melbourne. The significance of the Invicta's unveiling at last month's Beijing Motor Show was not lost on GM executives. Buick is GM's biggest passenger brand in the communist country. Last year it sold 332,115 cars in China, which was significantly more than the 185,792 Buicks sold in the US. The Invicta (Latin for invincible) is the face of Buick's new global design and an evolution of the Riviera concept car. It is powered by a direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine delivers 186kW/298Nm, which is performance that is normally associated with a high-end six-cylinder. The car was jointly developed by GM design centres in North America and China to meet customers' expectations in the world's two largest car markets. Using virtual-reality centres in Shanghai and Warren, Michigan, designers fused the best ideas drawn from both cultures. GM vice-president of global design Ed Welburn says the car sets a new design standard for Buick. “It couldn't have been achieved by one studio working in isolation,” he says.  

But, what you probably don't know, is that in the very early days of motoring in Australia, Buicks were produced in this country, exclusively for Australians.John Gerdtz's 1929 Buick Roadster Model 24 is one such car. He is not only a big fan of the brand but of the car in general.There are many people in motoring who know so much about a brand they could easily document it all in a book. And rather than just talking about it, Gerdtz decided to do that.Along with a fellow Buick enthusiast, Eric North, he has written Buick: The Australian Story which is soon to be published.Gerdtz has owned four Buicks during his collecting years. He bought his first in 1968 at the age of 32. He's now down to two models and, as a fan of the vintage ones in particular, he loves his roadster. It's a love based not only on its stunning looks but its history.“This particular body was never built by Buick in America but was built by Holden Motor Body Builders out here,” he says.“I have been chasing the history of it and there are 13 confirmed still existing in various stages of restoration but there are only five on the road.”As far as they have been able to tell, there were only 186 of these models ever made and Gerdtz has been able to track down an image of the roadster bodies coming off the production line at the plant in Woodville, Adelaide, in 1929, showing a much different time.While General Motors didn't own Holden until 1931, the Holden Motor Body Builders was the only company to be making the cars in Australia for the old US car company.Gerdtz, who bought his model 25 years ago, says he was attracted to its smaller size and his love of the brand. The car had belonged to a friend who started restoring it but decided he wanted a later model instead.So Gerdtz added it to his collection thinking he could work on it once he retired.There was a lot of work to be done and Gerdtz completed a full restoration over 12 years.“My friend had done some, but not a great deal,” he says. “I did a huge amount on it."“Some things you can't do yourself but whatever I could do, I did. With that sort of thing you never write down how much you spend or else you feel too guilty.”Nowadays, it doesn't get driven a great deal, as he also owns a 1978 Electra Park Avenue Coupe, the top of the range. This newer model is easier to drive on the long distance rallies, he says.But just because he doesn't drive it a great deal, certainly doesn't mean he will give up his 4.0-litre, six cylinder Roadster anytime soon.“It's a vintage car and quite a comfortable car, you go everywhere in top gear,” he says. “It's not overly fast, 80-90km/h is top speed. And it's bright red so it does attract attention.”Gerdtz says the car isn't worth a lot of money, but is reluctant to put a price on it as it has been 16 years since he sold a similar one.“You could buy a reasonable mid-range new car for what you'd get for this sort of thing.”Gerdtz's passion for Buicks began as a child.His mate's father had one.“I like early cars, vintage and veteran cars, they've been my passion all my years,” he says.As one of the founding members of the Buick Club of Australia, Gerdtz says he has been very involved with the Buick movement.He says his family have always been involved with vintage cars and one of his beloved Buicks was used for the weddings of his two daughters.In their time, he says the Buicks were like the Mercedes of the day; an affordable up-market car. They were the vehicles the premiers and prime ministers travelled in and at pound stg. 445 in the 1920s, they weren't cheap. Gerdtz says you could buy two Chevs for the price of a Buick.Buick production in Australia stopped when the early Holdens began to be produced, with General Motors adopting the policy that Australia would only be Holdens.And when they stopped producing right-hand-drive models in the US in 1953, it became harder to get the cars here, as they had to be converted to be driven in this country. So, while the presence of Buick slowly dwindled in Australia, as Gerdtz shows, it's definitely not dead. Snapshot1929 Buick Roadster Model 24Price when new: pound stg. 445, about $900Value now: about $20,000-$30,000Verdict: There aren't many Buick Roadsters left, but this car, made in Australia for Australians, is a real gem.