1958 Limited
The Buick Limited series was revived in 1958 as the ultimate Buick for the model year. In a model year where General Motors's answer to Chrysler's "Forward Look" was to update its 1957 Buicks and Oldsmobiles by slathering them in excessive amounts of chrome, the 1958 Buicks received the ultimate treatment.
Each Buick Special, Century and Roadmaster received a Fashion-Aire Dynastar grille, cast of 160 chrome squares, each, according to Buick PR pieces, "shaped in a design to maximize the amount of reflective light". Buick also added quad headlights and three emblems bearing a stylized "V", one a medallion on the hood and the other two as gun-sight fender-toppers. The Buick sweep-spear side trim, a styling hallmark since 1949, was joined by broad chrome panels attached to the rear quarter panels. Tail lights were housed in massive chrome housings; each trunk lid received a chrome grip in the center. Wheelbase was 127.5" and 227.5"long.
In comparison to the junior models in the Buick lineup, the Limited was slightly more restrained. Each Limited traded its chromed side panel trim for a body color-keyed insert decorated with fifteen slanted hash marks (three groups of five). The Limited also received its own rear tail treatment that traded the heavy chrome tail light housings for a wraparound tail light lens broken up by four chrome bands. Rear bumper "Dagmars" housed "Dual Jet" back-up lights. Power brakes were standard.
Available only as a four-door hardtop, two-door hardtop coupe or convertible, the Limited rode Buick's 127.5" wheelbase, with its body stretched 227.1", just shy of nineteen feet in length. Inside, buyers were treated to high quality fabrics in sedans and coupes, full leather in convertibles.
However Buick sold only 7,438 Limiteds, due in part to their price. The Limited's four-door hardtop sedan started at a base price of $5,112, which was $221 higher than Cadillac's extended deck Series 62 four-door hardtop sedan ($4,891) of which Cadillac sold 13,335 units.
For the 1959 model year, Buick renamed its entire lineup, with the Electra 225 taking the place of the Roadmaster and the Electra the place of the Super. Based on price class and sales numbers, there was no replacement for the Limited.
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