This gold-and-white 1971 Buick LeSabre four-door hardtop treated a retired doctor during his golden years, according to the seller’s description. After a claimed original 44,000 miles, the tidy Gravois Mills, Missouri cruiser comes to auction. Note the three Ventiports on the hood where the upscale Electra 225 boasts four. Smartly integrated bumpers on this new-for-’71 fourth-generation body style would soon give way to sturdier and less attractive versions in model year 1973.
A tilt steering column offers everyone a comfortable wheel position. Partially-installed aftermarket cruise control dangles from the column area. The cruise has not been tested but “PROBABLE WORKS,” according to the admirably lengthy yet optically painful ALL CAPS listing. Twenty-four years into the 21st century and ALL CAPS still afflicts planet Earth, though we optimistically cling to hope.
Adjustable rear louvers reflect light from the rear window, though it’s hard to imagine them not making a sound fit to resuscitate the dead during windows-down cruising. The pillarless hardtop design makes the roomy cabin a respite of rejuvenating air and light.
The good doctor prescribed a double-dose of horsepower and torque with this 455 cid (7.5L) V8. Air conditioning eased the pain of hot summers. How often do you see what looks like a factory-original heat riser tubing? This primitive system helped warm-up by passively routing warm air that surrounded one exhaust manifold into the air cleaner until the engine reached operating temperature. Having driven a 455-powered fourth-gen LeSabre, I praise their ability to gobble-up miles, and the two-lane handling is stable and reassuring if you don’t ask too much. Check out Bud Lindemann and crew thrashing and praising this car’s Oldsmobile twin, the Delta 88. Tires squealing over a full orchestra transports me back to my formative paste-eating years.
This Elk-grain door panel might be the interior’s fanciest detail, the middle of three upholstery options. Elk harmed in the making of this Buick: zero. Thanks to the cache of factory brochures at lov2xlr8 for some details. If this Show Me State classic looks like good medicine, inject a winning bid here on eBay where at least five bidders have set the out-of-pocket maximum above $6500 so far. Hopefully the next owner of this well-kept Buick takes an oath to do it no harm. Is this nicely-preserved LeSabre the cure for what ails you?
My ’80s co-workers Mike and John and the LeSabre Mike inherited from his Grandfather. The old man had a lead foot, and Mike’s grandmother had him pop the hood to prove he was buying one with a 350. Mike inherited it and had his garage do a tune-up and none of the 350 parts were right. That’s when Mike discovered Grandpa had the dealership put a 350 air cleaner on top of the 455 four-barrel. Anytime we were in the LeSabre we’d park next to the biggest car in the lot and the Buick almost always won the length-off contest. I drove it from State College to Harrisburg and back once. The power made it feel more nimble than you might think, and it would corner fine if you did your braking in a straight line and kept your steering inputs smooth.
Good one
Switching the air cleaner, that’s gold.
Lmao 🤣 love the air cleaner switch something I would do!!
Air cleaner lids, front fender emblem swaps, I always like to underestimate the cubic inch displacement of my vehicles!
I had a ‘72.455,light blue with a white vinyl roof.
I added a set of factory “mag” wheels.It didn’t look
like a 4 door with those wheels & pillarless side windows.
Man that thing would really get up & go! I pulled a
large U Haul trail from just South of Great Falls,MT to
Eureka,CA.I had to keep reminding myself that I was towing
it,as it didn’t put a strain on that LeSabre.
I sold it to a couple who bought it for their daughter who
was going to college in Las Vegas.I’m not sure if she really
appreciated a big car like that.
A while later,I got a letter from the Las Vegas Police Department,
say that my car was “towed & impounded”.I was tempted to get
it back,as I figured “How much damage could it have?”,as these
were one of the best built cars ever made,back when they were
made out of heavy metal.
The thing I didn’t like was that bench seat.It was like sitting on a
comfortable sofa,& if you attached the shoulder belt,it would chafe
your neck.
When you put your foot down on these,there’s no hesitation!
Yep teenager me working in neighborhood garage early 80s, would give grandma and grandpa ride home, once out of earshot, smoke the right rear for couple blocks,Buicks, Oldsmobile, Chevy,Ford, Mercury, Pontiac, Mopar,all cars from that era would perform..
These GM products including the Olds Delta 88, full size pontiacs and full size Chevy’s had a perimeter frame and a 4 link rear suspension giving them a superior ride and handling to similar sized fords and Chrysler variants that had leaf spring rear suspensions and unibody for the full size dodge, plymouths and Chryslers. The Chrysler products did have torsion bars but add a rear sway bar and good gas shocks to these full size GM barges and you have a great ride and reasonable handling for chump change.
This hard top is awesome even thought I’m an Olds guy.
This is the third time the seller has listed it, last time he ran an auction the high bid was $8,000, but did not meet reserve, the time before that he had it listed for $12,500 OBO and didn’t sell.
Steve R
This Buick was offered on CraigsList (Lake of the Ozarks, MO.) in early July for $14,500 USD.
To be honest, the car doesn’t do much for me though I’m sure it has a smooth ride. In the early 80s that’s the kind of car a lot of us would look for to pull the engine to replace the thrashed ones in the cars that we could afford. I never owned a Buick but 4 door MOPARs with 440s were always on the BOLO list.
But, even though the car doesn’t move me I’ll join your crusade against all caps and fight the good fight.
455 all torque nice
This Buick does nothing for me either. It’s so run of the mill for the period. And really, what is the difference between this and a Chevrolet Impala of the same year? Of course, there are no power windows! You might just drive into a river and drown. LOL
Lovely looking car. My grandmother drove a 1971 Buick LeSabre 2 door hardtop back in the 1980s. I was way too young at the time to drive a car, but I remember joking “That thing is a boat!”, but then I love boating.
These big block sedans are what makes more door more
Just right. Hard top, air and 455 cubes making that lovely torque. Good low radar color.
This Buick was offered on CraigsList (Lake of the Ozarks, MO.) in early July for $14,500 USD.