Preparing to put the ’50s in the rearview mirror, Buick left the past behind with its new-for-’59 lineup featuring new names, bodies, and chassis designs. This 1959 Buick LeSabre in Fresno, California exaggerates the lower, wider styling with its aftermarket air suspension. Pile in the family and explore America in your Buick on the world-class Eisenhower Interstate Highways. This impossible-to-miss classic can be yours with here on eBay, where it awaits an $18,000 opening bid.
The cursory description says this Buick “runs and drives,” and we might assume from the clutch pedal that the floor shifter stirs a manual gearbox of unknown specification. The air ride system (also not detailed) presumably uses the cable controller shown to adjust ride height with settings like Asphalt Scraper and Gopher Smoker.
Got fins? How about fins that start at the A pillar and don’t stop until Kingdom Come? The high rear glass and dart styling suggest Space Age transportation. Surely flying cars are just a few years away! Before slamming the slammed stance of this classic, note that Buick offered air ride as a factory option in 1959, albeit only on the rear after complaints on the four-wheel system from ’58. Thanks to 1fine59 for some details.
If original, this should be the 401 cid (6.6L) “Fireball” V8, though motorheads call this vertical valve mill the “Nailhead.” I brought one of these back from the dead in my late father’s ’53 Roadmaster Riviera, and after some preparation and lubrication, the long-parked Nailhead sprang to life and almost immediately settled to a vibration-free idle. We can probably blame lawyers and Marketing nerds for eliminating colorful names of fireballs and explosions from automotive nomenclature. “Do you have to call it fireball? How about Earth Friendly Cloud Ball?”
You’ve got two hours to install this air ride system; go! Leftover plywood gets the job done here, and the as-is presentation suits the 35 word description. Credit the seller for getting the entire car in most of the pictures though, a simple IQ test too-often failed. All that aside, I’d like to own one of these absurd late ’50s or early ’60s highway cruisers, and this LeSabre’s design suits the air ride and oversized wheels and tires. What’s your high bid on this late ’50s turf-scraper?
I guess everyone has their own personal taste. And some people don’t have any taste. It’s a joke really…ruin a perfectly good car, and then ask 18K for it?
Next.
its true I would not pay 18k for some rims and a body
if you paint it, it will still not be worth 18k.
6,000 is fine
If ever a car could be angry this 59 Buick is growling “what have you done to me”. I’m angry because I’m old and tired and I deserve a better life!
Agreed. I’ve long thought ‘59 Buicks look a little demonic.
I agree, too. The mechanicals haven’t been destroyed but that “patina” BS has got to go. The manual trans should be fun, especially if there are more speeds than three. Even the air ride is livable. A nice paint job and decent looking wheels and tires are mandatory.
To each their own I guess. Fortunately nothing has been done that can’t be reversed.
Personally I am a fan of this big, low sled. The wheels, tires and air ride work with this car very well. If I were to aquire this one I would drive it just like it is and enjoy the heck out of it.
Beautiful car I remember my thrifty uncle bringing home a new 59 complete with the standard floor mount 3speed .
I used to work for a Buick deanler,
Buick never made a floor mounted shifter.
At least not from the factory.
They had a 3 speed manual (3 on the tree)
Or 2 speed Dynaflow automatic.
It’s a shame to modify this car like that.
It can be undone, but will never be original.
How would you like to look in your rearview mirror and
see this extremely mean looking car barreling down on
you ! … 😂😂 …. Like the movie .. Duel … but this car instead of that old mean looking big rig ! ….
I have a loaded station wagon that has front end damage that I bought years ago. Everytime I found a parts car, it was on the other side of the earth. This unit is not a parts car but it is kind of hacked,” to me”. I had a rather decent Electra convertible back in the 80s with bucket seats, sportable radio and all the other cool stuff they put on them. I regretted selling it but it was that one or my 59 Caddy convertible. Sometimes I wish I had let the Caddy go instead. These are fantastic cars when they are functioning. The brake set up sucks as it is under the floor and it was one of those tredlecrap things. I took all the 60 stuff and it all bolted right to the 59. It worked great and cost me a tenth of what that other archaic junk cost then.
gfL with that price. I’m a big fan of ’59 American iron, who’s really interested in spending stupid money to spend more making it right???
Ghetto wheels suck real bad, could be coo car with a little bit of class..
The price is way too high for needing to toss or re-do a bunch of the owner-inflicted “mods”.
If original, it should be a 364 cu. in. engine, not a 401. LeSabres came with the 364; Invictas and Electras came with the 401.
Thanks Pete. When I wrote it up the car was listed as an Invicta. Later the eBay listing changed it to LeSabre and we followed suit, but I did not re-write the engine references. As you suggest, it is probably a 364. Thanks for keeping us straight!
I wonder if it has a front stabilizer bar. They didn’t have them from start of production until someone in Flint almost drove one off the side of the parking deck at the plant.
I really like the ’59 GM cars. I was just looking for a 1959 or 1960 El Camino last night on the computer…junk or totally cherried out and pricey. “Retro paint job??”…looks like Fresno camoflauge. I would buy a ’59 GM in a heartbeat if priced right.
I bought one when I was a kid big mistake
Great looking cars. Here’s a fun fact. I’ll bet most of you think a 59 Buick cranks just like a 59 Chevy or Pontiac, turn the key and go. Wrong. Turn the key to on, then press the gas pedal to engage the starter. Just like Aretha Franklin said, press the pedal and go.
Yes, I think 1960 was the last year for that. This is one cool looking sled though.
That’s too much money for something that needs to be set back to rights. I hope I live long enough to see those awful wheels, and their variations, go out of style. They don’t even look good on new cars. Upholstery is nice, although wrong for the ’59 LeSabre, air ride gotta go too, along with the other “improvements”.
Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell knew what they were doing.
Oh I love the 59 Buick they look so mean! I really like this car but that paint job has to go. Paint it black, re/do repair all the chrome, put som nice wheels on it and update the brake system. What a bad asz ride this would be.