Through most of the 1950s, the Special was Buick’s entry-level full-size automobile. The name was temporarily mothballed in 1959 only to return in 1961 as the GM division’s new “senior” compact (along with the Pontiac Tempest and Oldsmobile F85). The car would continue in this role until 1964 when it was shifted again to a new mid-size platform. This pretty Special drop-top is in Maxwell, Iowa, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $7,000. And it is another great tip brought to us by “Zappenduster”.
The Special was treated to a styling refresh in 1963. The car was powered by a 198 cubic inch “Fireball” V6 with a cast-iron block that was based on the 215 CI V8 with an aluminum block. A manual transmission was, of course, standard, but buyers could opt for a 2-speed Dual Path automatic transmission as in the seller’s vehicle. This white over blue edition has been granted new paint and upholstery, though the top has a couple of spots that need to be sewn up.
This Buick doesn’t look like it has 134,000 miles, but that’s the claimed odometer count. Besides appearing quite nice, we’re told it runs and drives very well. Everything is said to work as it should. The seller’s 1963 Special is sort of rare in that about 8,000 convertibles were produced, along with another 10,000 as Skylarks (a fancier Special).
After the Special was moved upstream in the Buick lineup in 1964, the GM division wouldn’t have another compact of its own until 1973 (the Nova-based Omega). Until then, they relied on German imports from Opel to help fill the void.
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