Buick Centurion

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1971 Centurion GM promotional image.

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

The Centurion was offered with 2 engines: a 455 in³ big-block V8 and a 350 in³ small-block V8. The '71 Centurion produced 315 hp @4400RPM and 450 ft·lbf of torque @2800RPM with the 455, and 260 hp @4600RPM and 360 ft·lbf of torque @3200RPM with the 350. 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 225 hp @4000RPM and 360 ft·lbf of torque @2600RPM, while the 350 offered 195 hp @4000RPM and 290 ft·lbf of torque @2800RPM.

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.