The Buick Centurion was sold by the Buick division of General Motors from 1971 through 1973, replacing the Buick Wildcat as the sporty rendition of Buick's full-size car. The name Centurion was a play on another Buick name, the 1937-1958 Buick Century.

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 and a full clear "bubble top" roof.

1971-1973

Visually the Centurion was nearly identical to the concurrent Buick LeSabre, featuring different badging & grillework, minimal chrome trim, and marked by an absence of the portholes usually found on big Buicks. Body styles included two-door and four-door hardtops, and a convertible. There were no pillared sedans.

The Centurion was offered initially with only the 455 in³ big-block V8 in two power output ranges determined by the presence of either a single or dual exhaust. In 1973 a 350 in³ small-block V8 was the base powerplant with the 455 as the optional powerplant in either of two power ratings. The '71 Centurion produced @4400 rpm and of torque @2800 rpm with the base 455. In 1972 the industry switched to SAE power measurement, meaning that instead of horsepower being measured on the engine alone, it was now rated with all accessories and a full exhaust system installed. For 1972 and 1973 the rating for the 455 was @4000 rpm and of torque @2600 rpm, while the 350 offered @4000 rpm and of torque @2800 rpm.

Total Centurion production was 110,539 units, including 10,296 convertibles. With only three years of production, the Centurion had one of the shortest model runs in modern Buick history. After 1973, it was replaced by the LeSabre Luxus, as the market turned away from sporty full-size cars.

External links

• Buick Centurion Registry