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Image credits: © Buick. GM Corp
2008 Buick Invicta Concept news, pictures, and information | ||
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Buick took another step to bolster its global design presence wîth a sneak peek at a luxurious show car it plans to reveal in China at the Beijing Motor Show on April 19. Named Invicta, Buick's show car reflects the way General Motors utilizes design and engineering talent around the world to execute a premium vehicle wîth international appeal.The Invicta, which is Latin for 'invincible,' evolves Buick's global design direction from the Riviera concept introduced last year in Shanghai. The Invicta show car was co-developed by GM design centers in North America and China to meet customers' expectations equally in the world's two largest automotive markets.
'Buick's global appeal created an opportunity for GM Design Centers to elevate our collaboration to new levels. Úsing our virtual reality centers in Warren, Mich. and Shanghai, designers fused the best ideas from both cultures during the development of the Invicta, ' said Edward T. Welburn, vice president, General Motors Global Design. 'The result will set a new design standard for Buick, and it couldn't have been achieved by one studio working in isolation. The Invicta represents another significant design milestone in Buick's history.'
Invicta draws inspiration from the Riviera concept wîth a modern and graceful exterior design matched by a sumptuous interior. Invicta pays homage to Buicks of the 1940s through the 1970s wîth its nostalgic sweepspear design cue, a curved line running the length of the car. The exterior also features Buick's signature vertical chrome waterfall grille and a new look to its portholes. The Invicta interior will share Riviera's ambient lighting feature and lavish design.
Buick returns the Invicta name after a 45-year hiatus. Buick originally introduced the Invicta in North America as a production vehicle from 1959 to 1963. It is the first time the nameplate has appeared on a Buick in China.
About Buick
Buick – the premium, international brand of General Motors – has one of the most storied heritages of any American automobile. After experimental Buick automobiles were built between 1899 and 1903, David Dunbar Buick, a former plumbing inventor/executive, incorporated Buick Motor Co. in Detroit in 1903. The company was moved to Flint, Mich. later that year. William C. Durant, Flint's carriage 'king' and a great salesman/promoter, took control of Buick in November 1904. Within four years, Durant made Buick the country's leading automobile producer, and on Buick's success, Durant created General Motors in 1908. Some 40 million Buicks later, GM celebrates its centennial this year while Buick reaches 105 years in North America and nearly 100 years in China. News items suggest that the beginning of Buick's presence in China dates as far back as 1906. Dr. Sun Yatsen, the first provisional president of the Republic of China, appears in a photograph riding in a Buick in 1912, the year he was inaugurated.
Today Buick continues as a premium brand known for high-quality, award-winning automobiles sold in the Únited States, Canada, China, Taiwan and Israel. Last year, Buick sold more than 535,000 vehicles worldwide. On the strength and popularity of the brand in China, Buick helped General Motors become the first global automotive company to sell one million vehicles there.
Buick nameplates sold in North America include the Enclave luxury crossover and the LaCrosse and Lucerne premium sedans. The Buick lineup in China includes the LaCrosse and Park Avenue premium sedans, Regal upper-medium sedan, Excelle compact car and GL8 and FirstLand executive wagons. The Enclave, which also will make its auto show debut in China at the Beijing Motor Show, will be exported from the Únited States to China for sale later this year.
In 1958 Buick introduced the final Century, and Buick then adopted the idea of a big engine and small chassis to create the Invicta. The Invicta name only lasted five years before the Invicta Wildcat of 1962 broke away and became a family of its own of cars that would last until 1970. For 1959 Motor Trend named the Invicta four-door hardtop the 'Best Look-ing Car Overall' and also named the Invicta Estate Wagon 'Best Looking Wagon.' Jim Whipple, Car Life, commented that 'the '59 Buicks are beautifully styled and finished cars, well-built and powerful.' The Invicta name was derived from Latin and meant ‘unconquerable, unbeatable and invincible'. The Invicta line included multiple body styles that included a 2-door hardtop, convertible, 4-door hardtop and a station wagon. Though sales never reached that of the Electra or LeSabre models, they were still consistent with the traditional sales penetration of Buick's sporty mid-priced models. During this time Buick lost market share and dropped from fifth to seventh place among auto manufacturers.
In 1960 an Invicta Custom 4600 trim package was introduced which featured bucket seats and a ‘console' in the hardtop coupe, wagon and convertible. The wagon had a leather bench seat with a center armrest on some 4-door hardtops. The 1960 Invicta was a step back from the excessive change of the 1959 models. The headlights were placed side by side and the hood was lowed, while the front grille was made of blocks that became concave vertical slats. On the inside of the 1960 Invicta the instrument panel was all new with lights from coolant temperature, oil pressure and the generator function. During the endurance test at Daytona the new model performed well. Unfortunately even few Invictas were sold, despite its excellent performance and Buick dropped to ninth place in overall sales. The Invicta came in six models; four-door hardtops, two-door hardtops, sedan, convertible, and the estate wagon which came in two models.
In 1962 the Buick Wildcat 2-door hardtop was introduced within the Invicta series. Featuring more of the interior trim of the Invicta Custom, the Buick Wildcat came with standard bucket seats and upgraded door panels. The Wildcat did feature a long console with a tachometer and a shift lever instead of the Invicta Custom's shorter console. Other features included unique badging and exterior trim, and taillights and a vinyl top that was utilized on the Electra 225 instead of those of the LeSabre/Invicta.
The Wildcat replaced the Invicta in 1963, taking over the two-door coupe, four-door hardtop and convertible body styles. As its sole model the Invicta series had a 6-passenger station wagon and only 3,495 were ever built in 1963 before the name disappeared completely.By Jessica Donaldson
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