Buick Wildcat Concept Series
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| Buick Wildcat Concepts | |
|---|---|
| Buick | |
| aka | |
| Production | 1953-1997 Made 5 Concept Cars |
| Class | Sports Car Luxury Coupe |
| Body Style | 2-Door Convertible 2-Door Coupe |
| Designer | Harley Earl and others at General Motors |
Buick introduced a series of sporty convertible concept cars in the 1950's that carried the Wildcat name when they were introduced at automotive shows. The name was later used on production cars built by Buick, but they were fast hardtops that were often nicknamed "the banker's hotrod" because of Buick's stodgy image and the car's great performance. However, these cars were discontinued by the late 1960's and the Wildcat name went dormant. The name was used on one Buick concept car in 1985 and on a modified Riviera in 1997, but has not appeared on a concept or production car since.
Contents |
Buick Wildcat I
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| Buick Wildcat I | |
|---|---|
| Buick | |
| Year | 1953 |
| Class | Sports Car |
| Body Style | 2-Door Convertible |
| Similar | Buick Wildcat II |
| Designer | Harley Earl and others at General Motors |
The Buick Wildcat I was built for the 1953 General Motors Motorama and the body of the car was made out of fiberglass, an innovation unusual at that time. It's main attraction was the low, two-seater body style, but it also had other features such as the 'Roto-Static' hubcaps that remained still while the wheels spun.
The overall design of the car reflected the upcoming 1954 Buick models, especially the new Panoramic windshield. The car also had hood scoops around the hood ornament and portholes that ran along the tops of the fenders. With the exceptions of Pontiac and GMC, all of the divisions of General Motors created two-seat, fiberglass sports cars for the 1953 Motorama. The Chevrolet Corvette was the only one ever to see production.
1953 GM Sports Car Concepts
Oldsmobile Starfire X-P Rocket
Photos
 Front |
 Interior |
 Profile |
 Quater Detail |
 Rear |
 Tailight Detail |
 Windshield Detail |
Buick Wildcat II
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| Buick Wildcat II | |
|---|---|
| Buick | |
| Year | 1954 |
| Class | Sports Car |
| Body Style | 2-Door Convertible |
| Similar | Buick Wildcat III |
| Designer | Harley Earl and others at General Motors |
The Wildcat II was far more radical than the first, and more radical than most of GM's Motorama show cars. The Wildcat II was also much shorter than the Wildcat I; the first had a 114-inch wheelbase, while the second had a 100-inch wheelbase. It featured open, wing-like fenders, free-standing headlights, twin spotlights, and a leaping cat hood ornament similar to the ones used on later Jaguars.
Under the hood was a 322 cubic inch V-8 that was fed by four carburetors. In the interior, the passengers sat in individual seats and viewed the road through the low-cut Panoramic windshield.
The orginial car was painted in bright blue, but for many years it was finished in a tan/brown color. It is now painted bright blue again.
Photos
 Promotional still |
 Promotional still |
 Rear |
Buick Wildcat III
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| Buick Wildcat III | |
|---|---|
| Buick | |
| Year | 1955 |
| Class | Sports Car |
| Body Style | 2-Door Convertible |
| Similar | Buick Wildcat I |
| Designer | Harley Earl and others at General Motors |
The third Wildcat concept car was probably the most conservative and realistic of the trio. It was a two-door convertible like the previous two, but unlike them it had enough space for four occupants. With the exception of air inlets ahead of the windshield and rear wheels, the styling was not nearly as extravagant as Wildcats I and II. It did feature the Buick sidesweep that would become prevalent on all 1957 Buicks, but featured little chome elsewhere. The grille was deeply recessed and fitted with mesh insted of the usual grille bars. The bumper was thin and held two driving lamps in bullets that flanked the grille.
The whole front somewhat resembled the Ford Thunderbird, and the Wildcat may provided competition to it if it were ever put into production. Strangely, the Wildcat III had four seats compared to the Thunderbird's two, but the latter would gain two more seats in 1958. Years later, the Buick Riviera became General Motor's answer to the four-seat, "squarebird" Thunderbird.
The Buicki Wildcat III was powered with a 280 horsepower V-8 which, like the Wildcat II, had four carburetors.
Buick Wildcat(1985)
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| Buick Wildcat(1985) | |
|---|---|
| Buick | |
| Year | 1985 |
| Class | Sports Car |
| Body Style | Canopy Coupe |
| Similar | |
| Designer | General Motors |
In 1985, Buick turned the two-door, convertible Wildcat theme upside down when it created a mid-engined supercar with the Wildcat name on it.
It was powered by a mid-mounted 3.8 liter V-6 engine that generated 360 horsepower to drive the rear wheels. Similar to the moderm Bugatti Veyron, the engine was left uncovered to enhance the performance image of the car. The Wildcat had no doors, instead it had a complex-curve canopy made out of plastic for the car by PPG Industries. The canopy tilted forward to allow access to the cockpit, and then closed over the driver after they had been seated.
Photos
 Dash |
 Engine |
Buick Riviera Wildcat
See Wikicars' comprehensive Buick_Wildcat_Concept_Series Review.
Styles and Major Options
Gas Mileage
Reliability
Safety
Colors
Main Competitors
Unique Attributes
Resale Values
Criticisms
Design quirks and oddities
Awards
See also
