In the automotive world, some models are renowned for their longevity, while others tend to be a “blink and you’ll miss it” proposition. The Buick Centurion would fall into the second category because the company only produced and marketed it from 1971 until 1973. Our feature car hails from that final year of production and is a one-owner survivor that presents superbly. After nearly five decades under his care, the owner has decided to part with a vehicle that seems to need nothing. Located in Portland, Oregon, you will find the Centurion listed for sale here on Craigslist. You can drive off into the sunset by handing the owner $18,500. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Matt H for spotting this beautiful Buick for us.
If big is beautiful, then at more than 18½’ in overall length, the Centurion would nearly qualify as gorgeous! This is a big car with a lot of presence, and it presents superbly in its original shade of Brown Metallic. The paint shines beautifully, and the color is almost deep enough to sink into. The owner doesn’t indicate whether he has ever treated this Buick to any repainting work, but if he hasn’t, it seems that he is an expert at preserving what the factory provided. There are no visible flaws, while the panels look straight and true. Adding to the overall positive impression is a spotless Beige soft-top that comes with a matching Parade Boot. There are no visible signs of rust problems, and the owner reassures potential buyers that the car is clean. The owner ordered this Buick with Soft Ray tinted glass that appears flawless, while the same seems true of the exterior trim and the chrome Rally wheels.
When a car is the size of this Buick, it is usually no surprise to learn that it is also pretty heavy. That is the case with the Centurion because this one should tip the scales at a whopping 5,081lbs. That means that if progress is going to be anything but glacial, the car in question will require something special under the hood. Buick delivered on this front because the owner ordered this Convertible with the high-output version of the 455ci V8. This monster motor should be producing 260hp, which finds its way to the rear wheels via a 3-speed THM400 automatic transmission. The owner also chose to equip this classic with power steering and power brakes. With all of that weight to drag, it would be fair to expect the Centurion to be a performance slug, and while it didn’t offer muscle car performance, the 17.4-second ¼-mile ET should be considered respectable. The engine bay presents well for a survivor of this age, with no evidence of fluid leaks or long-term problems. Sadly, that’s about all that we know on this front. However, the owner’s assurance that everything works should be seen as a positive.
When we turn our attention to the Centurion’s interior, we discover more spotless presentation. It is upholstered in Brown vinyl, and there’s no evidence of any wear or physical damage. The dash and pad look perfect, while the owner has protected the carpet with mats to help maintain a high presentation level. The owner provides no information on an odometer reading, but the lack of visible wear on the wheel suggests that he hasn’t driven this classic into the ground. It isn’t loaded with luxury extras, but air conditioning, a pushbutton AM radio, a tilt wheel, a speed alert, and a clock all add to the positive impression made by this Buick.
The “blink and you’ll miss it” aura that the Buick Centurion produces is reinforced by the low build totals. During its final year on the market, Buick only managed to sell 44,976 of the Centurion across all body styles. Of these, a mere 5,739 were Convertibles like our features car. This one cost its owner $5,900 when it was new, which was not cheap by 1973 standards. They are not a strong performer in the current market, although it is unlikely that potential buyers will suffer a long-term loss if they were to grab one today. Pristine examples still regularly sell for over $20,000, and when you look at the overall condition of this one, the asking price looks competitive enough to justify a closer look.
My grandfather had an Electra 225 same year and color. Brings back memories..
This example was ordered with performance in mind – as much as you could get in a ’73 B body.
HP 455, dual exhaust, performance axle, and firm ride & handling package (known as F41) were all checked off, confirmed by the window sticker.
Love to have it!
I had this exact car, if it wasn’t on the opposite coast I’d be checking the VIN. It was a great car, I kept it for about 10 year. It sucked gasoline which was a problem during the two 70’s gas crunches. Fortunately my other car was a 6 cyl. Compact. I’d love to have this but not at 5 times what I paid for the last one.
Really cool car! I’m not a fan of the convertible top mechanism these had, but I could live with that for this car. A bit steep on the price.
The one advantage of the scissor tops is no hydraulic leaks. They are prone to binding if you don’t keep the mechanism lubed, and because they fold onto themselves it can tear the top. Yep happened to mine.
This sounds like a lot of money, but presents well and has ac, plus it’s a convertible that will seat six. Hagerty says these are trending up. Now would be the time to buy.
It isn’t so much a matter of keeping them lubed, as of adjusting the cable mechanism of the scissor tops. The cables do stretch over time (just like bicycle brakes), which makes the frame misalign & bind.
Beautiful car, but pack your credit card for gas stops.
Isn’t this the car from the movie “Used cars?”
According to the Standard Catalog of American Cars, shipping weight for a 1973 Centurion convertible was 4316 lbs. Still substantial, but not 5000+.
My favorite book. No 1973 Buick weighed over 5000 lbs. in 1973. Buick’s heaviest car the 1973 Electra 225 custom 4 door hardtop sedan 6 passenger weighed in at 4603 pounds.
Its not the HP, this monster should produce 510 ftlb of torque at 2800 RPMs!!!!
Not bad for 1973
Torgue was somewhere around 390ft/lb in 1973. That 510 number was from 1970.
Seems like a reasonable price. Wish I had room for this. I drove a big car Ford XL convertible for decades. This would be a Sunday cruiser so gas should not be and issue. Nice find Barn Finders.
What a beautiful Centurion. My parents bought a ’73 hardtop twin to this in 1975. Same color exterior, but white seats on the inside. I took my drivers exam in it in 1976. Parallel parked it like a pro.
And markp is correct. These 455-4 barrels were torque monsters.
Oh ,how I miss this shade of “beer bottle brown” so many GM cars of this ear came with. A far cry from the black/white/grey variants that all new cars are painted now
Regarding the mileage, when I was daily driving my 75 Grandville convertible, I got 15-18 consistently. Not great at all, but my Wife’s 2018 Grand Cherokee doesn’t do much better. I kept plugs and filters clean, plus it’s a boat that you don’t wind out in all the gears.
That said, a 75 was the first year for catalytic converters and unleaded fuel. I’ve heard that the 71-74 cars with the first round of emissions controls “never ran that well in the first place”. I did have a 73 Bonneville hardtop that I can confirm ran awful. But this was in 1991, so it may have just been worn out. I only had that one for a few months as a winter beater. Back then you could buy a 70s barge for $400 if you were willing to spend a weekend cleaning it up, and changing out the water pump (or something similar).
The front seat covers look like they have a different pattern.
WTH?! Craigslist ad shows a 2001 Jeep Wrangler in Portland, Oregon!
This swan-song year for the Centurion mandated you OPT. for the 455 if it was desired. That wasn’t necessary in ’71 & ’72.
I had exact car in 1984 in the service,white with black convert top..Had northern rust but only 55000 miles..I recurved ignition,did away with the smog gear,switch metering rods in carb..Ran hard for its weight,easily clocked out the 120 speedo with those 2.93 gears..Fun car for a bunch of drunken sailors like us to cruise in..
I think you ought to buy this Buick. Mmm hmmm… I think you ought to buy it right now, today. You wanna know why? Because this Buick, is you; the color is you. Look at it! The color is you. Stanley Dualski is Buick Centurian convertible…