1958 Buick Limited Classic Car

Buick intended the 1958 Limited to mark its grand return to the luxury car market. Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Unforeseen during the planning phase, 1958 became a year of economic recession, the most severe since the 1930s.

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Adding to the challenge, a significant number of American drivers seemed to abruptly lose interest in the large, road-dominating vehicles that had been popular for years, a category Buick had heavily invested in. The era of compact cars had arrived.

Buick's sales dropped sharply by 37 percent compared to 1957, but the situation was even more dire — 1957's sales were already just over half of the record-breaking numbers achieved in 1955.

Since 1954, when Buick surpassed Plymouth to claim third place in sales for the first time since 1926, numerous challenges had emerged. Despite this, Buick celebrated its success and continued to push forward, producing 781,296 vehicles in 1955 — a remarkable 47 percent increase from the previous year and a new milestone for the brand.

Regrettably, this achievement came at the expense of a significant decline in quality control, along with several unresolved design issues.

Discover the modifications implemented to gain broader acceptance for the 1958 Buick Limited in the upcoming sections.

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1958 Buick Limited Restyling Efforts

Significant changes were necessary for the 1958 models to gain broad appeal. However, Buick faced a challenge: it was too late to alter the fundamental body design. As a result, the restyling efforts for the 1958 Buick Limited focused on cosmetic updates to the trim.

This approach might have aligned perfectly with the zeitgeist of 1958. Following years of wartime austerity, spanning both World War II and the Korean War, Americans appeared eager to embrace extravagance. Sociologists have labeled this period the "Age of Excess," where the motto seemed to be, "If you have it, show it off."

The 1958 Buick may have gone overboard, but it reflected the trends of the time, characterized by dramatic tail fins and multi-tone paint schemes.

The engine specifications for 1958 remained the same. The Special model, featuring a 9.5:1 compression ratio and a two-barrel carburetor, delivered 250 horsepower. Other series, equipped with a 10.1:1 compression ratio and a four-barrel carburetor, produced 300 horsepower — matching the output of Ford's new four-seat Thunderbird.

In 1958, Buick introduced a new automatic transmission: the Flight-Pitch Dynaflow. Later referred to as the "triple turbine" transmission, it was standard on the largest Buick models and optional for the rest. This highly complex mechanism was costly to produce, with Buick reportedly investing $86 million in tooling alone.

The Flight-Pitch transmission, with a maximum stall ratio of 4.5:1, relied entirely on hydraulic multiplication across all speeds, delivering exceptional smoothness. However, it lacked the quick responsiveness of Hydra-Matic and suffered from significant slippage, leading to poor fuel efficiency.

On the next page, delve deeper into the Limited's transmission system and explore details about its optional Air Poise suspension.

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1958 Buick Limited Suspension

While the Flight Pitch transmission fell short of being a complete success, Buick's other major engineering innovation for 1958 turned out to be a complete failure. This was the optional Air Poise suspension, originally a Cadillac development, which all General Motors divisions offered that year.

The system used individual air bellows in place of traditional coil springs at each wheel. Air was supplied to the bellows from a tank, with pressure maintained by a small compressor powered by the engine.

In theory, Air Poise was designed to deliver a smoother and quieter ride than coil springs, though this claim is debatable. It did, however, maintain the car's level stance regardless of load or driving conditions — at least when it functioned correctly.

Owners quickly found that Air Poise often developed leaks, sometimes causing the car to sag onto its axles. Motor Trend criticized the system for excessive wheel-hop, bottoming out on sharp dips, and significant body roll in turns — though the latter issue also affected Buicks with conventional suspension.

Priced at $188, Air Poise never gained widespread popularity, which was fortunate since many owners eventually had to switch to coil springs.

Automotive journalists who evaluate new cars often tread carefully in their critiques, as their access to new models depends on maintaining good relations with manufacturers.

However, Don Francisco, writing for Motor Trend, was candid in his review of the 1958 Buicks: "In 1957, Buick fell from third place in sales to Plymouth," he noted, predicting that "based on the performance of the 1958 Buicks I tested, they might drop even further this year."

Explore additional test-driving outcomes by visiting the next page.

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1958 Buick Limited Test-Driving Results

During a test drive of a 1958 Buick Super featuring the Flight-Pitch transmission, Motor Trend critic Don Francisco noted "significant slippage between the engine and the rear wheels. While engine speed increased with throttle input, the car failed to accelerate as expected."

"To maintain pace with regular traffic, it was necessary to fully depress the throttle, causing the converter ratio to shift to an even lower pitch."

In terms of fuel efficiency, the Super achieved 11.3 mpg on the highway and 8.5 mpg in the city. Overall, Francisco described the car as "a letdown." He concluded, "These vehicles are suited for formal attire and evening outings, not for navigating through rush-hour traffic."

This, we believe, was precisely Buick's intention. The brand aimed to convey an image of elegance and comfort rather than high-performance driving.

In this initiative — while keeping the Special, Century, Super, and Roadmaster series — Buick aimed to reintroduce its prestigious Limited model for 1958.

The previous Limited, discontinued during World War II, had never been a significant profit generator for Buick. However, it undeniably played a crucial role in enhancing the brand's image.

Harlow Curtice, then head of Buick Division, sought to position the large Buick as a rival to Cadillac, a plan that was eventually halted by his superiors. By 1958, Curtice had risen to become GM president, and it was widely known that he maintained a particular fondness for Buick.

Learn about the revival of the Limited on the following page.

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1958 Buick Limited Reintroduced

When reintroduced in 1958, the Limited was essentially a more refined Roadmaster, featuring an elongated rear deck adorned with chrome chevrons on the fenders. Unique to the Limited were its "Twin-Tower" taillights at the rear.

The wheelbase matched the Roadmaster's 125.5 inches, but the rear overhang extended an additional eight inches, resulting in an overall length of 227.1 inches. Even Cadillac's extended-deck Sixty-Two couldn't surpass it in length.

The new Buick was far from affordable. In 1958, the Limited was priced higher — by $110 to $240 — than the base models of Lincoln, Imperial, and Cadillac. In fact, it cost $33 more than Cadillac's extended-deck version.

Buick enthusiasts still argue that the Limited was worth its price due to its exceptional craftsmanship. The interiors, featuring a biscuit pattern, were available in Mojave cloth or broadcloth, both trimmed with leather.

Convertibles featured premium leather upholstery available in a broad spectrum of colors. Buick enthusiasts even argue that the Limited offered better balance than the Cadillac. Additionally, the finned aluminum brakes, introduced across all models except the Special series in 1958, lived up to Buick's promotional claims.

Interested in the fate of the Limited? Continue to the next page to discover more.

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1958 Buick Limited Ends An Era

The 1958 Buick Limited marked the end of an era. The lineup included three body styles: Riviera sedan, Riviera coupe, and convertible. Among these, the four-door model significantly outsold the others, though sales were still modest.

Even the Imperial, which also faced challenges in 1958, outsold the Limited by nearly double. In the status-driven society of 1950s America, it may have been impractical to market a car with a mid-range brand name — regardless of its quality — at prices exceeding those of established luxury brands.

Despite this, all Buick models struggled in 1958, leading to a fifth-place finish in annual production rankings, a drop from the previous year.

Considering the economic climate, the Limited's steep price, Buick's somewhat diminished reputation, and the over-the-top styling of the 1958 models, it's no surprise that this lavish series lasted only one year.

While the Electra 225 was introduced in 1959 as a large car — five inches longer than the standard Electra — it didn't match the Limited's prestige or price range. Model for model, the “Deuce and a Quarter” was nearly $800 cheaper than the least expensive Cadillac.

The Limited symbolized the conclusion of an era for Buick. Harley Earl, GM's styling director for over three decades, retired that year, as did corporate president Harlow Curtice, followed by Buick's head, Ed Ragsdale. A fresh team with a new vision would steer General Motors' oldest division into the 1960s.

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