1956 Buick Century Series 60

The 1956 Buick Century was positioned as the top-of-the-line 'small Buick' with contemporary advertising it as 'The Best Buick Yet.' With the 322 cubic-inch overhead-valve Fireball V-8, later known as the 'Nailhead,' it was the fastest production car of that year. The 255 horsepower engine helped the Buick Century accelerate from zero-to-sixty mph in less than ten seconds, en route to quarter-mile times of around 17 seconds, and a top speed exceeding 110 mph. Buick's Dynaflow automatic transmission was installed in over 96-percent of all 1956 Buick models.

The 1956 Buick Century touted its performance credentials, with its name first appearing on a Buick model in the 1930s, commemorating its ability to exceed 100 mph. After the war, the Century name re-appeared on production Buicks beginning in 1954, stuffing the most powerful Buick engine into the smallest model.

Along with performance, the Century offered plenty of style, and were instantly recognizable by its four oval ventiports and leather trim. By 1956, Buick was ranked in third place for the calendar year, with 9.1 percent of the American industry's total production.

1956 Buick Century body styles included a hardtop, Deluxe Hardtop, hardtop coupe, station wagon, and a convertible coupe. Over 35,000 examples of the Deluxe Hardtop were built, and 20,891 of the Hardtop. The convertible was the rarest, with 4,721 examples sold.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2020