Buick: First in Fashion For '54

you are about to see the greatest advance in automotive styling ever achieved in a single year throughout Buick history compare take this 1953 special from a line of Buicks that were rightfully called the greatest Buicks in 50 great years and compare it with its glamorous new successor the 1954 Buick special four-door sedan [Music] what action it asks just try me you know it's a Buick but definitely a new Buick how much lower how much longer how much sleeker it looks go ahead drink deeper the beauty in that live and lovely profile and remember gentlemen this is the special and but one of five new specials for 1954. in addition to this 41b there is this special two-door sedan model 48. [Music] the special Riviera now designated model 46r [Music] the special convertible model 46c and what I like to own this beauty of a bargain yet that's not all in the special series there is still another special model another beauty of a bargain well yes we'll have to get to that special later meanwhile let's look at a famous old-timer famous before World War II back in 1941. that was the year of the last great century [Music] now what changes time has wrought you remember the great reputation our luck great Century had as a hot performer well that's exactly why this new century carries the same famous name it has the big Roadmaster V8 engine of 200 horsepower with the specials lighter chassis and body that means it has one of the highest power to weight ratios in the industry you're certainly set to go places in this century and with this Century for despite its Peak Performance its price range is just above that of the special and below that of the super the modern you see here is the new century four-door sedan Model 61 and there are two other centuries in the series as well a century Riviera model 66r and something else to make every Buick dealer happy you heard the rumor there is a brand new replacement for this 1953 Estate Wagon so bit it goodbye here is the entirely newest State wagon for 1954. yes it's all steel more than 206 inches long from bumper to bumper inside it has all the finest features of our present Estate Wagon but here's the most welcome news of all this new super luxurious all-steel Estate Wagon isn't even in this super price bracket it's available in our lowest price series as model 49 in the special series and also as model 69 in the new century series and now gentlemen for your first look at the new Super Series represented here by the 1954 super Riviera it is also lower and longer as graceful as a panther on the pro and with this model 56r there are two other Buick supers for 1954. the super four-door sedan Model 52 foreign and this glorious Dreamboat the super convertible model 56c now I know you've been noting many differences in detail between past Buicks and our new ones there are obvious differences too between all 1954 series and this is mighty evident in the styling of our top series Roadmaster for 1954. see what I mean in our new Roadmaster Riviera model 76r here we certainly reach a new Pinnacle of achievement in the art of fine motor car design and to complete the Roadmaster picture for 1954 there is this Roadmaster four-door sedan model 72r [Music] and that out of this world Roadmaster convertible model 76c what a dazzling lineup of Buicks for 1954. a total of 14 glamorous models in four great series first the special thanks the century then the super and at the top Roadmaster but now Focus your eyes for a closer look at the details of these beauties we should have warned you this new front end is a knockout with its smartly spelled out Buick designation it's Slimmer and more numerous Grill bars it's completely restyled bumper and bomb type bumper guards all new all smarter even the new styling of the headlamp feels and the neater more compact design of the ring and V Atop The Hood there's plenty new up here too a truly panoramic windshield with a distinctive reverse slap to the pillar on special and Century models and a vertical pillar like this for super and Roadmaster [Music] what's more the windshields themselves provide an increase in visibility of better than 19 percent what's that there's this smart yet practical built-in sun visor on all super and Roadmaster sedan models look it over well there's still something else that's entirely new right in the same area that's it a new high air intake for the ventilating system across the full width of the shroud it's vertical like this on super and Roadmaster models horizontal like this for special and Century here cool fresh air is drawn into the car in greater than ever quantities free from Road heat and exhaust fuels and this shroud ventilator is especially designed to keep out rain even when driving at high speed in a downpour freshest Sunshine after the rain is the side view styling of these new Buicks this smart Skylark Contour Graces the belt line of all two-door rivieras and convertibles in all 1954 series Note 2 the new styling of the famous Buick sweep spear it's narrower neater more graceful and now let's move up front here you see that the hood is lower than before and you've certainly noticed those new slash type Fender ports four as always on Roadmaster and three on each of the other series likewise there's a better integration of line and Contour in this rear side view and note the sports car patch in that fully exposed rear wheel a feature of all two-door rivieras and convertibles in all series this is a Buick exclusive complete wire wheels like this are optional for all but the 40 series in 1954. and this is the standard wheel with standard cover for 70 series cars the optional cover for 40 60 and 50 Series and here's new Beauty 2 even from behind just ask the man who follows one the deck lid is wider and higher four inches wider and one inch higher on super and Roadmaster the rear window is wider too up to four and a half inches wider you'll also notice there is an entirely new deck lid ornament embodying the popular Buick tri-color in a Trim Design and a new rear license plate location here two lights instead of one now focus on the license plate as for the backup lights these are relocated to avoid exposed wiring below the deck lift as you see them here on super and Roadmaster and on the deck lid in the other series [Music] finally there's this new rear bumper that projects rearward from the body so that it can provide complete wraparound protection for the rear fender it certainly has that big car look even from back here and it is big in trunk capacity too [Music] there's more trunk room in the special and Century too now that we're set to go let's take a look inside some people might think this is a Roadmaster even you might guess it to be a super but believe it or not this is the gracious beauty that greets you in the new special four-door sedan Custom Trim is two-tone with a cordovine bolster atop the seat [Music] and there's a new instrument panel in all series with the instrument cluster arranged like this in special and Century models there's a different speedometer in dial arrangement in super and Roadmaster but all 1954 Buicks have these airplane type controls for ventilators heater and defroster and speaking of controls let's not Overlook the most important one of all this trim smart new steering wheel for all Buicks equipped with power steering and which in Buicks without power steering looks like this no don't think we're taking you into a Roadmaster even yet this is still the special four-door sedan and this trim is available in a variety of colors for various models of the special notice especially the richness of color pattern and texture that fine nylon fabric such luxury is typical of what you'll find throughout the 1954 special and the century is even more luxurious with its very own trim and rear seat armrest [Music] here too in the super a variety of colors is available in various models foreign and note that the styling of the super trim is noticeably different from that of the Roadmaster trend but let's move in now on something that distinguishes both series the new headliner speedometer in super and Roadmaster only the first real innovation in speedometers in many years [Music] well it appears there's a lady behind the wheel she's really going places in a New Direction up and down back and ahead well that's the way the new Power operated front seat moves in all four directions it is optional in super and Roadmaster models foreign unlimited with room to match what an invitation to stretch out and relax I'd love to [Music] back to Earth gentlemen no more dreaming let's get back to those new Buicks for a look at that great V8 which Powers all 1954 Buicks it's an improved V8 that raises the power of all series and in the special you're getting a complete counterpart of the big V8 in every respect except for its slightly smaller bore an advanced V8 that gives the new Buick special the highest horsepower and highest compression ratio it has ever had by far 150 horsepower in dynaflow specials and an eight to one compression ratio so you can expect better performance from all Buicks in 1954 and especially from that top performer of them all the new century and here to tell you the performance story of the century is the man who certainly can tell it best Vern Matthews first Gentlemen let's see how the new century Compares with the 1953 Roadmaster in acceleration in the first 10 seconds from a standing start the new century is 48 feet ahead ten seconds later it has increased its lead to 104 feet but so you can really appreciate what this means let's watch them in actual competitive performance that's the new century on this side the 53 Roadmaster on the other side Now watch how they compare on getaway notice how far ahead the century is in the first five seconds on your mark get set go one two three four five now let's check them as they continue to accelerate at higher speeds as the tree hit 65 70 75 80 85 and when it reaches 90 the Gap has even widened foreign now let's give those cars a whirl at hill climbing on this grade at The Proving Ground remember the new century is on the left and they're off it's hard to believe this picture but just wait until you try the new century yourself here you get a record high power to weight ratio a full 200 horsepower the same as Roadmaster in this comparatively light car and now that you've seen how we've tops in performance I'll say goodbye and let you see how we've topped our Top Model no this isn't what he meant by topping our Top Model but this the new 1954 Skylark as you can see this 1954 Skylark steps out ahead of our standard line with its very own distinctive Beauty you might say and you'd be right that it looks a lot like the Buick Wildcat notice the downsweep of that rear deck flanked by two gleaming wings of Chrome notice that windshield treatment and the sports car look of the whole automobile it is built on the century chassis with the smaller body that sports car fans like and it will have all the extra performance that high power to weight ratio means and of course all of Buick's finest features and accessories are standard equipment here including power operated top Windows radio antenna and the new four-way adjustable front seat wire wheels are standard also and its interior is upholstered in genuine leather [Music] all else you can see for yourself and every inch of it gives you a thrill no doubt about it gentlemen the new special century super Roadmaster and Skylark all make it plain that in 1954 it's Buick the beautiful bye [Music]