1972 Buick Centurion

The Buick Centurion was produced from 1971 through 1973, serving as a replacement for the Wildcat as the company's sporty full-size vehicle, positioned between the LeSabre and Electra.

The 1972 Buick Centurion was offered as a two-door sport coupe with a factory price of $4,580, a hardtop sedan listed at $4,500, and a $4,620 convertible coupe. The hardtop sedan was the most popular with 19,582 examples produced, followed by 14,187 of the sport coupe, and 2,396 of the convertible. Power was from an overhead valve V8 with hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, a four-barrel Rochester carburetor, a 455 cubic-inch displacement, and delivered 225 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. The engine was backed by a Turbo-Hydramatic transmission and standard equipment included front disc brakes, variable-ratio power steering, and the necessary equipment to comply with federal safety guidelines.

Appearance changes were minor in 1972, with a revised vertical bar grille and taillight lenses being the most visible updates. There were no ventiports, Centurion lettering was located on the front fenders, and a Centurion medallion was on the decks and hoods - also on the body roof sail panels of the closed body cars.

During the Centurion's three years of production, 110,539 examples were built, including 10,296 convertibles.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2020