Buick Invicta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Buick Invicta
Manufacturer:	General Motors
Production:	1959–1963
Successor:	Buick Wildcat
Class:	Full-size
Body style:	2-door convertible 2-door hardtop 4-door hardtop 4-door station wagon

The Buick Invicta was a full-sized automobile produced by General Motors' Buick Motor Division from 1959 to 1962. The Invicta was a continuation of the Buick Century concept that mated the standard size Buick LeSabre (pre-1959, Buick Special) body with Buick's larger 401 in³ Nailhead V8 engine, yielding what was referred to as a "banker's hotrod". The name was derived from Latin, signifying 'unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable' according to Buick Motor Division sales training materials.

Introduced as a full line of body styles in 1959, sales never approached that of either the LeSabre or Electra models, but were consistent with the traditional sales penetration of Buick's sporty mid-priced models (the 1954 to 1958 Century and 1963 to 1970 Wildcat).

In 1960, an Invicta (Series 4600) Custom trim package was offered, featuring bucket seats and a 'consolette', however sales were nominal.

1962 saw the debut of the Buick Wildcat 2-door hardtop within the Invicta series. The Wildcat featured standard bucket seats, a full console, special badging & trim, along with a vinyl top. These features placed the Wildcat well in step with the shift towards sports-oriented models.

For 1963, the Wildcat would replace the Invicta, taking over its four-door hardtop, two-door coupe and convertible body styles. The Invicta series had a 6-passenger station wagon as its sole model. Only 3,495 1963 Invicta station wagons were built, after which the name disappeared.

While Buick has reintroduced several of its better known model names (Special, Century and Roadmaster) since 1960, it has never reused or reintroduced the Invicta model name on any production model or showcar concept vehicle. However, the name was re-trademarked by Buick in 2004.

Buick road car timeline, 1946-1989 - [edit]
Type	1940s				1950s										1960s										1970s										1980s
	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Subcompact																														Skyhawk							Skyhawk
Compact																												Apollo			Skylark
Mid-sized																Special												Century
																Skylark												Regal
Full-size	Special													LeSabre
									Century					Invicta				Wildcat								Centurion														Electra
	Roadmaster													Electra																										Electra Estate
Personal luxury																		Riviera