This 1959 Buick Electra Two-Door Hardtop is a relatively rare beast, but the first owner’s decision to order it in the two-tone Spring Accent paint scheme makes it even more special. The car presents beautifully, and having spent most of its life in Arizona, it is rock-solid. The interior is spotless, and the mighty “Nailhead” V8 provides excellent performance for such a heavy beast. I must tip my hat to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting this Buick listed here on Craigslist in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada for C$84,500. At the current exchange rate, that’s US$59,000.
Buick introduced the Electra in 1959, utilizing the same C-Body platform as the Oldsmobile 98. Bill Mitchell handled styling just before he became Vice President, Styling Section, when Harley Earl reached the company’s mandatory retirement age. Fins remained a dominant styling feature, but the Electra stood out for its relatively restrained use of chrome. The grille and chrome rocker covers dazzle, but the remaining brightwork is subtler than equivalent offerings from other marques. This first-year example is the relatively rare Two-Door Hardtop, making a bold statement in Arctic White and Shalimar Blue. This combination was part of the company’s “Spring Accent” range, a mid-year introduction that let buyers give their new purchase a distinctive appearance. The seller bought the Buick in 2003 and had it repainted in 2006. Two decades have passed, and its lack of deterioration suggests a high-end approach. The paint shines warmly, and there are no panel bumps or bruises. There is no visible rust, and the underside shots seemingly confirm that years in Arizona have left it rust-free. There is dry surface corrosion, but no evidence of developing steel penetration. The bright trim and tinted glass look exceptional, and the full wheel covers and wide whitewalls add the ideal finishing touch.
There is no escaping that, with a curb weight of almost 4,750 lbs, this Electra is a fairly heavy beast. It could have been an automotive slug, but Buick ensured it wasn’t. It equipped this car with a 401ci “Nailhead” V8, a two-speed “Twin Turbine” automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The Sales Brochure quotes power and torque figures of 325hp and 445 ft/lbs, and while it won’t burn rubber, it should be an effortless performer in city traffic and on the open road. The seller says they recently rebuilt the transmission, resealed the torque tube, and upgraded the brakes with a dual-circuit master cylinder for safety. The Electra runs and drives perfectly, ready for action with its new owner behind the wheel.
The theme of spotless presentation continues inside this Buick, with the seats fitted with new covers by the previous owner. The seller replaced the carpet, with the lack of general wear and tear consistent with the car living a sheltered life. The wheel appears to be cracked, but that is the worst of its cosmetic issues. The speedometer is a mystery, seemingly showing this Electra traveling at 50mph in the seller’s driveway. The buyer may need to send it for repair, although it doesn’t rate a mention in the listing. It isn’t lavishly equipped, as the pushbutton radio is the only obvious factory option.
Buick produced only 11,216 examples of the 1959 Electra Two-Door Hardtop, making it a rare car in its own right. The first owner’s choice of the Spring Accent paint scheme adds to its rarity and helps it stand out in a crowd. The seller’s price puts it at the top end of the market, but I believe it’s justified. Values have climbed faster than the market average over the past couple of years, and if that trend continues, this Buick could be a solid investment. Hmm, a stunning classic with a V8 under the hood that is ready for action and could provide a future financial windfall? I can’t think of anything negative about that concept. Can you?
This is a very beautiful car. But part of the CL ad is just silly:
“No restoration was ever done just new paint and interior.” Then “Dual brake master cylinder — upgraded for added safety”
Uh, new paint and interior is restoration. Might not be a “full” restoration, but saying “No restoration was ever done” is, at best, silly.
Hey come on, it wasn’t a restoration, they only re-did the interior and paint – just minor details. :D
This is a neat car.
It definitely looks like they covered almost everything on the restoration, and have kept it in very nice condition. One thing I noticed in the front end styling, they really gave it a sporty aggressive look to it with the angled headlights as well as the chromed fins (eyebrows?) above them. Also those fins in back made the ’59 Impala’s look tame in comparison. I think it’s worth the asking price, with all those details GM put into it back then.
That’s pretty sweet. Out of my price range. But wow what a nice car?
Wow 325hp is not enough to ‘burn rubber’? I feel like cars with much less hp have been able to achieve that. ;)
I guess you’ve never driven a Buick with Dynaflow automatic transmission.
The weight, 2 speed trans with variable vane torque converter and highway gearing rear (low numerical ratio = high gear ratio) made it difficult for the Buick to spin the tires on take off, but you could hit 90mph before it shifted into 2nd.
Really LOVE the vintage cars
This heavy metal beast is the definition of American automotive art. It can be a symbol indulgence of the day or, in a solid color , rolling art.
Nice, and it’s not a trailer queen, so you can enjoy it, but $59,000 is a number from a few years ago. If ever.
This will sell. They seller just has to come to terms with the market.
A beautiful, fairly rare, safety updated turnkey classic. Fly up and drive it home.. If my check book was big enough I would buy it, cruise it, show it, and ENJOY this car.
Dated a girl while in college who’s dad had a 4 door version of this car he let us use periodically. Felt like I was driving my dad’s boat. Beautiful example of the big 50s cars here.
The first automatic I drove was a 59 Electra 225. My parents only had manuals that I had been driving since I was a 12 year old. When my best friend’s older sister got her first car, the 225, she offered this 14 year old a chance to drive it. It had a big V8 and when I got to the stop sign at the top of our hill, I pushed the clutch to the floor. However, this car did not have a clutch, only an 8 inch wide pedal for the power brakes. Needless to say to say, that big old boat stopped immediately. Fortunately, I wasn’t driving that fast, so none of us unseat-belted occupants were injured. It was a good lesson for me.
A lovely example of an utterly hideous car. Thankfully, Buick returned to styling sanity for 1961 and 1962: I wouldn’t be seen dead in this monster of excess!
What a beautiful car!
However, I won’t be driving to British Columbia to pay “convertible” prices for it.
My neighbour has this car in a convertible. It is so long that it doesn’t fit in the garage unless he parks it at an angle taking up the better part of a two car garage.
I believe Kindig-it Designs did one of these. Gorgeous car.
I had a 1960 LeSabre 2dr HT in the late 60s. Bought it because I loved its look, but it was a real lemon (or likely mistreated by first owner) but very solid. I saw a child running out — head bobbing in front of a parked car. I locked up the breaks and was rear-ended by ’57 or ’58 Dodge 2dr HT. He dove under me and slammed me through the crosswalk, but the child never ran out and was safe…thankfully.
The driver and passenger of the Dodge couldn’t get out as the front end was smashed in so bad it pushed the fenders back over the doors on both sides. My Buick had a dent in the trunk edge, a dent in the trim of the left fin and a cracked tail light. Both mine and my date’s glasses where in the back seat and she was on the floor almost under the dash but no injuries. Sorry, long story just to say the Buick was built like a tank.
The speedometer had a warning sound for whatever speed you choose and that would be the red line showing 50mph on this vehicle.
The option was called the “Speed Minder” and had an adjustable threshold to whatever target speed was selected. We had one on our 62 Buick.
I like it.. big, bold and beautiful. I bet it’s a great highway cruiser.
The letter combination CC on the body plaque clearly states: This car has been all over white when it left the factory in 1959! In case of a spring accent color styling with Shalimar blue you should read HH-C on the plaque. The fire wall should have been painted blue if this would have been an original accent color styling paint job. Shalimar blue looks different than the color on the car. It is lighter and a clear blue that shows no turqoise tint.
Craftmanship of the interior is exellent and seams are in the right place, but unfortunately the craftsman choose the wrong material. An all vinyl interior had not been available. Only the bolsters and door panels should be vinyl. The inserts have to be blue cloth. The surface grain of the vinyl is also not correct.
So, the Buick purist will have some problems with that car.