As the owner of a 1969 Lincoln Continental, it should come as no surprise that I like classic luxury cars. I do, however, wish the Lincoln were a bit simpler. I’ve long thought the Buick Electra could be that perfect balance for me between luxury and simplicity. This 1968 Buick Electra 225 was sent in by a Barn Finds reader who found it here on eBay in Cleveland, Ohio. With 28 bids tendered, the current high bid is $7,300 on this no reserve auction.
Not only do I like classic luxury cars, but I’m also a big fan of the 4-door hardtop. This Electra is checking the right boxes for me. 1968 Electra production was strong at a little over 125k units and the 4-door hardtop was a popular choice – 66,222 of all 1968 Electras were 4-door hardtops.
This Electra has a claimed 26k original miles. Based on its condition alone, that’s believable. The Maroon Metallic paint has held up well and shines bright, but the seller notes some paint checking. All body panels are original. The seller says those are Dayton wire wheels and they are new, but the original wheel covers are included. If I were the high bidder, I’d be going back to those original wheel covers with some whitewall tires, but I’m a purist at heart.
The 26k original miles really shows inside. This interior is in excellent condition. The black seats look unused. The dash, although boring in design, looks perfect. The full-width floor mats, which I assume are original, do show a little wear, but what little carpet I can see around them looks great. This is a clean, comfortable interior where I’d feel right at home logging some miles.
The seller tells us that everything on this Electra is “in proper working order” and it “runs and drives great.” They also say this is a numbers-matching car, so that should be a 430 cubic-inch V8 under the hood. Power is sent to the rear wheels by a column-shifted automatic transmission. You’ll benefit from such luxury items as power windows, power seat, and air-conditioning.
My only nit to pick with this Electra is the wheel choice, which is easy enough to change. It appears to be a well-preserved low-mileage example of a classic luxury car. The other big plus for me is it’s a 4-door hardtop. I know I’m getting very specific, but does anybody else like classic American luxury 4-door hardtops?
Interesting that only half of the “deuce n a quarter”s made were 4 door hardtops. That’s the only model I seem to remember seeing.
Very similar to my second car, ’72 olds 98 four door hardtop, midnight blue with a black vinyl top . So yes I have them in my heart, it was beautiful.
Jonny, you & I are in the same camp! I love full-size luxury cars and 4dr. hardtops. I always felt it was a crime to do away with that bodystyle when it was so insanely popular for decades. Same holds true for full-size 2dr. hardtops. The lines of a car with all windows down is unlike any other. No obstructive pillars, and the roofline is accentuated so well that way. 1967-68 Electras are among my favorites. I feel Buick did a much better styling job on these than the Cadillac, Olds 98, or even the Caprice or Bonnevilles. And YES! I’d definitely wants the factory wheelcovers vs. the wire rims–Buick used those deep-dished chrome covers that looked so nice along with that chrome rocker moulding behind the rear wheels!! I wish the seller luck; sounds like this jewel will go bye-bye in nothing flat.
A product from one of GM’s finer moments complete with the period-perfect color combination.
I can picture my Aunt Becky making her long-ago annual trip back to Texas from New Hampshire at the end of summer, in one like this.
370, GM was at the top of their game, especially with Buick. My family had two Electras, a ‘70 and a ‘76. The ‘70 was built like a Swiss watch. Gobs of torque too. This is a sweet ride for sure.
Most Electra 225’s I’ve ever seen were the “Custom” model–which never had a “Custom” nameplate anywhere, but had more luxurious interiors which always included a front-seat center armrest. This car is the base model. Still, a beautiful car.
Very nice car, but a might too long to park in my 17 foot garage and I sure wouldn’t leave it outside. I happen to love the wire spokes and think they look great on this car. I’ve owned several 4 door hardtops over the years, the biggest problem is noise level, but with all windows down on a nice dry day they make for a beautiful cruise about town.
God bless America
I bought myself, when I was much younger, a 1968 LeSabre Custom and I want this real bad.
I, too, would do away with the cheesy wire wheels.
I also don’t think an Electra ever had redlines.
I owned 3 225’s, a ’65, ’71, and ’76. All great cars!
This is a beautiful car I wish I could buy.
This car really brings me back. My father was a big fan of Buick Electra’s. He had a 64, 66, 68, and finally a 1970. His was the gold color with black vinyl roof. If I remember correctly his was a limited which I think was the top of the line. Great car and many memories for me.
The narrative mentions the front floor mat as “perceived” to be an original. It is not. All Buick mats (as well as each other GM division) had their mats Identified as to the car. The Buick mats had a big round Buick tri-shield on them. You could not confuse a Buick mat with any other.
I’d ditch the wheels and turn the tires around with stock wheel covers.
Roland,
I, too, had a ’72 Olds 98 in midnight blue, but, unlike yours, mine had a blue vinyl top and cream interior. Also, mine was not new. Picked mine up around 2002.
Great luxo barge.
Beautiful car! I believe the miles are probably accurate, but might be a well loved 126,000 miles. The interior tells me it is original though.
Too bad the seller installed a modern cd player & cut up the dash board to do so.
If you look closely you will see that the cd player was installed in the glove compartment. No cutting of the dash.
I didn’t look that close lol. I do feel better about that then.
What’s with the tear on the lower portion of the dashboard under the headlight switch?
Great looking car. Just need a really BIGGG GARAGE.
Beautiful car, beautiful color. I agree, put the stock wheels back on!!
Me, I’d use it and cruise it as is. And though I know that many of you are purists, but I like my cars to be a little
different in a slightly subtle way. That’s why I’d leave the rims on it. Even if it had
121K miles on it, the car still looks good.
If someone were to ask me if I’d really
rather have a Buick, I’d answer yes, yes I
would.
I’d rather have a Buick like this.
Happened to stumble on this. I’m the new owner of this classic beast. Great cruiser. Especially with all the wheels down and dual exhaust rumbling. And yes… I kept the spoked wheels and redlines.