The Svelte 1967 Buick 4-Door Hardtop

Sometimes it takes a large canvas to do a subject justice.  Putting it another way, an automobile styling axiom is that it's easier to produce a good design on a large car than on a small one.

Today's example is the 1967 full-size Buick four door hardtop sedan with a 123.0-inch  (3124 mm) wheelbase.  Model names for non-compact/intermediate Buicks were LeSabre, Wildcat and Electra, the latter being the most expensive.  Some background on LeSabres is here -- scroll down to the Third Generation section.

The 1960s represented something of Silver Age (maybe even a Golden one) for General Motors styling.  That was when the peppery Bill Mitchell was Design Vice President.

One of his team's better efforts in those days was the 1967 facelift of the 1965 large-body four-door hardtop sedan.  Yes, those cars were long and large.  Yet graceful, as can be seen below.

Gallery

1968 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop - factory image
Nearly identical with '67 models, I include this photo because it does a good job of showing the design.  That downward curving character line echoes Buick's famous 1949-1958 chrome SweepSpear.

1965 Buick Wildcat 4-door hardtop - car listed for sale
Here is the initial design that was facelifted for the '67 model year.  The windshield and door cut lines are the same, but most of the sheetmetal cladding was changed along with the aft section of the passenger compartment top.  General Motors was prosperous then, and could afford such a drastic "freshening."

1967 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop - factory photo
The grille is simple, though lacks the traditional Buick vertical chrome bars (which might well have spoiled the design).

1967 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop - factory photo
Graceful in side-view, the rear fender area seems a bit heavy in these quarter views.

1967 Buick Electra 4-door hardtop - for sale car
Now for a mini-walkaround.

Electras were longer than LeSabres and Wildcats, having a 126.0-inch (3200 mm) wheelbase.  The passenger compartment top differs from what was shown in the previous 1967-68 photos.  And the effect of the lengthening is a degradation of the design.  The rear overhang seems too long, and the reshaped top is angular enough that the graceful feeling of the LeSabre version is lost.

A trunk made for several sets of golf clubs.