Buick Centurion

Buick Centurion
1972 Buick Centurion convertible
Overview
Manufacturer	Buick (General Motors)
Model years	1971–1973
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupe 4-door hardtop 2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	GM B platform
Powertrain
Engine	455 cu in (7.5 L) V8 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8
Transmission	3-speed automatic
Chronology
Predecessor	Buick Wildcat

The Buick Centurion was sold by Buick from 1971 through 1973, replacing the Buick Wildcat as the sporty rendition of Buick's full-size car. The Centurion name was inspired by a Buick concept car, that name coming from the professional officer in the Roman Army. The current car's symbol was not the traditional Buick tri-shield, but a side profile of a centurion. It was not, as some have suggested, a play on the Buick Century.

The Centurion name was first used on a Buick concept car in the 1956 Motorama. It featured a red and white fiberglass body, airplane like interior design. a full clear "bubble top" roof and the first Backup camera in place of a Rear view mirror, although it was never shown to be functional, merely a concept. This car currently resides in the Sloan Museum at the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Michigan.

First seen on a concept car, the Centurion was nearly identical to the contemporaneous Buick LeSabre, differing in badging and grillework, minimal chrome trim, and an absence of the VentiPorts usually found on full-size Buicks. Body styles included two-door and four-door hardtops and a convertible. There were no pillared sedans. The two-door hardtop shared the handsome semi-fastback roofline with the LeSabre and other GM B-body cars (such as the Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe and the Olds Delta 88) along with a standard vinyl roof.

Replacing the Wildcat as the mid-line full-sized Buick positioned between the lower-priced LeSabre and the larger and more luxurious C-body Electra 225, the Centurion was promoted more as a mid-level luxury car than the Wildcat, which was marketed as a sporty/luxury performance car. The Centurion was offered initially with only the 455 in³ big-block V8 in two power output ranges determined by the presence of either a single or dual exhaust. The '71 Centurion produced 315 hp (235 kW) @4400 rpm and 510 lb·ft (690 N·m) of torque @2800 rpm with the base 455. The Centurion was also offered in the 455 Stage 1 and a Manual Trans configuration as well during the early portion of the 1971 model year. This was known as the A9 and B6 Option when ordering the car. What also separated the car from the LeSabre was that when the car would be ordered or recognized as a Centurion it would be branded as a 4P as the first two letters of the Vehicle Identification Number.