1960 Buick LeSabre

As the Buick entered a new decade, the LeSabre's wings were removed and the body became rounder. The ventiport styling treatment returned, along with ornaments on each front fender. They were given a bright lower body molding and LeSabre name bars were located on each front fender ahead of the wheelhouse. With all-new styling, only the roof and trunk lid were shared with the 1959 model. In the front were a concave grille and horizontal headlights centered by a new Buick tri-shield logo that is still in use today. The instrument panel was revived with a Mirromatic speedometer for which the lens could be adjusted for optimal visibility by the driver. Another new addition was the two-spoke steering wheel with horn bars. Power was from an overhead valve 364 CID V8 fitted with two-barrel carburetion and offering 250 brake horsepower.

The 1960 Buick Lesabre was the entry-level model, followed by the mid-priced Invicta and the top-of-the-range Electra. Both the LeSabre and Invicta rested on a wheelbase that measured 123-inches while the Electra had a 126.3-inch platform. The Electra and the Invicta used a 401 cubic-inch V8 with five main bearings, a four-barrel carburetor, and 325 horsepower at 4,400 RPM.

Standard equipment on the LeSabre included a cigar lighter, dual sunshades, electric windshield wipers, trip mileage indicator, a single-key locking system, dual horns, and Step-On parking brake. Body styles included a two- and four-door hardtop, two- and four-door sedan, a convertible coupe, and a 6- and 8-passenger station wagon. Prices ranged from $2,870 to $3,500. The most popular body style was the sedan with 54,033 examples built, followed by 35,999 of the four-door hardtop sedan. 14,388 were two-door sedans and 26,521 were two-door hardtop coupes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2016

The 1960 LeSabre received a major facelift, the new body design sharing only the roof and trunk lid with the 1959 model. The new Buick now sported a concave grille and horizontal headlights centered by Buick's then-new 'Tri-Shield' logo, which is still in use today. Reintroduced to Electra and other Buicks for 1960 were the chrome 'VentiPort' portholes first introduced in 1940 and last seen in 1957. LeSabre and Invicta models had three portholes while Electras and Electra 225s were 'four-holers.' Inside, a revised instrument panel featured a 'Mirromatic' speedometer for which the lens could be adjusted to better visibility to suit the driver. A new two-spoke steering wheel with horn bars was introduced, replacing the time-honored horn ring then still common to most automobiles. The 250- and 300-horsepower 364 cubic-inch V8s were continued from 1959, but a new no-cost option was a 235 horsepower lower-compression two-barrel version of the 364 with a lower compression ratio to permit use of regular-grade gasoline instead of the premium fuel required with all other Buick engines.