1961 Buick Flamingo Concept

The Buick Flamingo was an Electra 225 Convertible with several unique design elements and novel accouterments; its most dramatic visual feature was its custom pearlescent pink scheme, leading to its 'Flamingo' name. Like many concepts, where the manufacturer was thinking about making changes or additions to the equipment, options list, color scheme, or design of an existing automobile, the Flamingo was used to showcase new ideas and gauge customer reaction. This 'concept' car (which could be considered a prototype, preproduction or pilot car) made its debut in 1961 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York as part of General Motor's famous Motorama.

General Motors Motorama (1949 to 1961)

From 1949 to 1961, General Motors stagged its own auto show that soon became known as the Motorama. The first show was the 'Transportation Unlimited Autorama' held in January 1949 at the Waldorf Astoria with approximately 600,000 enthusiasts visiting the event. Current and potential future models continued to attract visitors year-after-year, with over 1.4 million spectators visiting in 1953. Approximately 10.5 million visitors attended the Motorama shows between 1949 and 1961 (no shows were held in 1957 and 1958).

The Buick Flamingo Unique Features
- Pink exterior paint scheme
- Two-tone upholstery in matching pink leather and cranberry brocade
- Swivel (pivot / rear facing) passenger seat
- Wide center console with bright-metal trim
- Instrument panel with relocated elements

The Buick Flamingo
Since the Buick Flamingo was based on the Buick Electra 225 Convertible (of which Buick produced 7,158 examples in 1961), that means it had a 126-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 219.2 inches. Beneath its bonnet was an overhead valve V8 engine that displaced 401 cubic inches, had a four-barrel carburetor, hydraulic valve lifters, and five main bearings, and produced 325 horsepower at 4,400 RPM and 445 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 RPM. The transmission was a Dual-path Turbine Drive automatic unit that was shifted via the steering column.

Exterior styling elements, like the Electra 225, included four 'ventiports' along the front fenders and deluxe wheel covers, but did not have the extra chrome strips along its lower body. Instead of the 'Electra 225' nameplate on the tip of its front fenders, the Flamingo had its name in script at that location. Some of the Electra 225 models received rear-wheel coverings - the Flamingo was devoid of this feature.

The swiveling front passenger seat was certainly one of its most novel features and period advertisements described it as 'the perfect car for scolding misbehaving kids, especially on long trips.' The seat could rotate 180 degrees, allowing the front passenger to face either front or rear. It is assumed that the orientation of the seat was decided upon before the vehicle was put into motion, with the passenger's door wide open, allowing room for one's knees, legs, and feet to gracefully move. Inspecting period photographs, seatbelts were not part of the equation. Assuming the rear seat was not occupied, the rear-facing passenger may have been 'safer' in accidents (question mark).

A rear-facing seat would allow the passenger to give one's full attention to rear-seated children, attending to their every need. It could also be useful when transporting friends - promoting conversion. Theoretically, it could have been used to preserve one's fabulous hairdo, combating the torrent of wind produced from the absence of a roof with the nearness of a windshield.

One final feature was the repositioning of the clock from its usual perch atop the radio to the center console.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2024