One Family Survivor: 1968 Buick Special Deluxe

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The Special was part of the Buick line-up from 1938-96, though not always in consecutive years and the same body sizes. From 1964-69, the automobile was wrapped in a mid-size package and was the entry-level car on the way up to the Skylark and Gran Sport. This ’68 edition of the Special Deluxe (there was no plain Special by then) is a one-family car that has seen only 40,000 miles and looks to be original except for consumables. Located in Bristol, Connecticut, this Buick is available here on craigslist for $15,900. Thanks, Pat L., for your usual good job of finding old cars!

General Motors would redesign all their intermediates in 1968 and the Buick was probably the most unorthodox when it came to styling. The headlights were set in slanted housings and the trunk lid and rear bumper had a “v” shape to them. Things were toned down things slightly for 1969 and by 1970 they would be boxy like the rest of the GM herd. The entry-level Special Deluxe would see production nearing 50,000 units in 1968 of which almost 22,000 were 2-door coupes like the seller’s car (all Specials were “post” cars).

This Buick was purchased new in Connecticut, and it’s stayed there for 53 years. The mother passed it along to the son, who is now 85 years old. This may be one of those “little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays” cars for it to travel just 769 miles per year since new. It has spent most of its time in a garage and was always well-maintained. The level of attention to this car shows and has enabled the original paint to look about as nice as it did on the showroom floor. On the inside of the Buick, the carpeting may be new as its color is more vibrant than the rest of the interior trim.

Special Deluxe’s were rather basic cars, but this one was ordered with a 350 cubic inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor and 2-speed automatic transmission, of which both are said to perform well. We’re told the car has zero issues and looks like something you could drive anywhere. Especially since it’s been tuned up and treated to a new exhaust and tires. The Special Deluxe isn’t likely to command the kind of money a Skylark or, certainly, a GS would. Hagerty says Concours is worth $18,000, but Excellent (which likely describes this one) is more like $12,000 or 20% below what the seller is asking,

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Comments

  1. Paul

    That engine that’s simply beautiful

    Like 11
  2. Vin_in_NJ

    I always loved how the bumpers on these cars were not an afterthought, but rather molded into the body

    Like 14
  3. JoeNYWF64

    I guess hidden wipers, like on the 2nd gen camaro, were optional on this Buick, even tho the hoods were “prepped”(with a lip) FOR them, in case they were ordered.
    I hope the new owner keeps this very nice specimen intact – as intended.

    Like 6
    • Jimmy

      Yes, on the lower line A bodies from 68-72, hidden wipers were optional. I owned a 68 Chevelle 300 2 door with post for many years and it had the same wiper setup as this Buick. A bit of trivia, those wiper arms are the same as the 68-74 X body cars. There was a slight change to the arm when the X bodies were revamped for 1975. I still own a 68 Nova SS that I owned while I owned the Chevelle, and at the time I owned the Chevelle, my Dad also owned a 75 Nova, which is how I made the discovery of the shared wipers

      Like 4
  4. local_sheriff

    This is sleeper material – only thing I hoped for but is missing here is a three-on-the-tree setup. Lift the stock engine onto a pallet, then give it a killer Buick engine of your liking. Otherwise let it look OE.

    Once again it strikes me that even when one opted for a base version in the 50s/60s it’d still look good. If it turns out to be as sound as it looks it’s worth every penny IMO

    Like 6
    • Jim

      You gotta be kidding! Why would ANYONE ruin this beauty by tearing it apart????????

      Like 28
      • local_sheriff

        C’mon – it’s all reversible. I would never mod a car without having the thought of undoing it at a later stage. Same with installing upgraded (power) brakes. It’s not a museum piece – it’s a car and we’re doing everyone a favour by driving, showing and enjoying it

        Like 5
  5. Geoff C.

    These Buicks ride like a magic carpet. Very good looking, and peppy enough.

    Like 6
  6. Luke Fitzgerald

    No argument, A buy

    Like 6
  7. Old greybeard

    Always thought Buicks designers were trying to hard on these A bodies.

    Like 1
  8. Jim

    One hopes whoever gets this beautiful car doesn’t go ripping the engine out of it or some other attrocity!!! This car is about as perfect as I’ve seen in a long time if it’s anything like the pictures show it to be!!!

    The perfect collector car!!!! Definitely worth the money. I can see it garnering a lot of trophies.

    Like 6
  9. Steve WolfMember

    This is a beautiful car. Please leave it alone as it was intended to be. Hot rod something else.

    Like 8
  10. Joe

    I hope nobody takes this beautiful car and bastardized it. Not everything has to be made into a high performance machine to compensate for a low performance……..

    Like 8
  11. Jcs

    I’ve always found it odd that every 68 and 69 Skylark was pre-rearended from the factory. Must have been a manufacturing glitch of some sort.

    Like 8
  12. Rex Kahrs Rex Kahrs

    As usual , Russ, I love the cars you write about, and the write-ups are always well done. Two thumbs up, sir.

    Like 7
  13. Chris Webster

    Disc brake conversion, faster ratio steering and firm up the shocks. And a hidden sound system. That’s it.

    Like 3
  14. Chris Webster

    Disc conversion, faster steering and firmer shocks. That’s it. While my cars aren’t corner carvers, these need some help in the handling department.

    Like 3
    • Chris Webster

      My bad. Sorry for the double up. I’ll see myself out….

      Like 5
  15. 86_Vette_Convertible

    This is one great looking car. Might consider some minor tweaks but nothing that couldn’t be reversed if ever desired.
    Show it like it is and enjoy it.

    Like 1
  16. Roger

    My second grade teacher owned one that was even more basic than this one,it was black and had dog dish.hub caps,under the hood was a 250 Chevrolet straight six and possibly a tree on the tree

    Like 3
    • Little_Cars Little_Cars

      I’ve owned two, a 68 and a 69 blue one just like this. It had the Chevy-sourced 250 straight 6 under the hood. I made it into a GS clone but kept the engine and automatic on the column. Both my Specials had rubber “carpet” on the floors, automatic on the column, and doors that sounded like bank vaults when you shut them. Awesome intermediates!

      Like 3
  17. Phipps Hadaway

    Man i’m a huge fan of these particularly in factory colors. May be next on my list

    Like 2
  18. Jrich10

    That awkward blue carpet may be covering a rubber floor. Mom had one with the same set up only white and dog dish hub caps. She bought it hastily b/c dad pouted every time she wanted to drive the LeSaber convertible. It had dents all over in no time. Dad was right!

    Like 3
    • Little_Cars Little_Cars

      I purchased my 68 Special driven by a “little old lady” who’d accumulated only 28k miles on the odometer by 2007. After I took delivery from the seller I reached out to the family on the title. Her son told me there were enough dings and dents on the car to necessitate a repaint sometime in the 1970s. It was a radio-delete car, with power steering but manual brakes. The son told me he’d replaced the front passenger fender from another car with a hole for a factory antenna which was professionally welded over with metal. Nice car for cruise-ins to the local Sonic. FYI- Russ, the 1969 Specials were identical in almost all ways to the 1968. Not much “tone down” except maybe inside the cars.

      Like 3
  19. charlieMember

    Had a ’68 Chevelle Malibu, same basic car, big V8, one of the best cars of 30 or so that I have owned or driven a lot, but it needed disc brakes, from 65 mph it would slow to about 10, and then the brakes would fade and it would just keep going. Found that out in the first week when I sailed through a toll booth, luckily there was no car stopped in front of me. NTSB would have a fit if a car were manufactured like this today. So, I adapted, slowed to 55 before needing to stop, and all was well for 5 years and 85,000 miles when a drug dealing mechanic “fixed” the 4 barrel carb so that it sprayed gasoline all over the engine and when it was started it caught fire.

    Like 1
  20. Bob C.

    This looks like a good honest car for the money. One plus with post sedans, less wind noise.

    Like 3
  21. Autoworker

    Shine her and drive her, pretty car.

    Like 2
  22. Mike Thomas

    A guy I know has a 455 gs 1 and turbo 400 for sale for 8500 🤔

    Like 1
  23. Fran

    WOW, I usually pick car apart, but this is just so cool. I cannot. It took me back to 1968 when my brother had one just like it! WOW!

    Like 2
  24. Stevieg

    I’m late for the party on this one, but this is a really nice car. I hope whoever ended up with it kept it as-is. I wish I had the chance to get it.

    Like 1

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