The short-lived 1973 Buick Centurion fought a brave battle in the early '70s to keep the convertible alive . That it did, but not for long.
![]() Sales of the 1973 Buick Centurion and other Centurion convertibles were higher than those of any single Buick ragtop model since 1970. See more pictures of classic convertibles. |
But that wasn't the only reason to balk. Though ever glamorous, convertibles would be costly to produce for the small anticipated volumes, and there were rumors that Washington might enact accident rollover standards that would effectively outlaw ragtops.
Nevertheless, Buick continued full-size convertibles in the new generation, though the best-seller of the bunch, the big Electra, didn't renew its offering. Slotted in as the top droptop was the new Centurion, replacing the venerable performance-oriented Wildcat nameplate that was evidently deemed a liability in an era when "performance" was becoming a dirty word. Continuing as the "entry-level" full-size Buick was the LeSabre, which also offered a convertible at about $350 less than the similar Centurion.
![]() The 1973 Buick Centurion featured a standard 175-horsepower 350 V-8. |
Sales of 5739 Centurion convertibles in 1973 were higher than those of any single Buick ragtop model since 1970 -- and higher than they would ever be again. With the death of the Centurion name, the convertible was adopted by the LeSabre line through '75. After that, Buick abandoned convertibles until 1982, when the first-ever ragtop Riviera sought to regain the company's past glories.
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