The final phase of the Commodore's recovery strategy involved the 1988 VN, a significantly wider model powered by the American-designed, Australian-assembled 3. 8-litre Buick V6 engine.

Only one prototype Buick V6 car was built in 1918 and was long used by the Marr family.

1962 saw the introduction of the Buick Special, which offered a 90 ° V6 with uneven firing intervals that shared some parts commonality with a small Buick V8 of the period.

When Buick designed a 90 ° V6 based on their 90 ° V8, they initially used a simpler three-throw crankshaft laid out in the same manner as the V8 with pairs of connecting rods sharing the same crankpin, which resulted in firing intervals alternating between 90 ° and 150 °.

Some manufacturers such as Buick in later versions of their V6 and Mercedes Benz have taken the 90 ° design a step further by adding a balancing shaft to offset the primary vibrations and produce an almost fully balanced engine.

The design was first used by Buick when it introduced its 198 CID Fireball V6 as the standard engine in the 1962 Special.

Examples include the later versions of the Buick V6, and earlier versions of the Mercedes-Benz V6.

Only the Buick 90 degree V6 ( 1962 – 66 ; 1975 -), Jeep ( 1966 – 71 ), was an American V6 with 90 ° between banks.

Also: Kaiser Jeeps used the AMC 327, Buick 225 (" Dauntless V6 "), Buick 350 (" Dauntless V8 "), Willys 134 I4 (" Hurricane ").

Other similar design examples are the odd-fire and even-fire Buick V6 and the Maserati V6 seen in the Citroën SM.

Instead, Holden manufactured their own 3. 8-litre V6 engine based on a Buick design, adapted from front-to rear-wheel drive.

The latest revision of the Buick 3. 8-litre V6 engine was fitted to the VR Commodore, featuring rolling-element bearings in the valve rocker arms and increased compression ratios.

An overhauled Ecotec ( Emissions and Consumption Optimisation through TEChnology ) version of the Buick V6 engine coincided with changes to the engine in the United States.

However, the coupes from Buick and Oldsmobile both utilized Buick's 3. 8 liter V6 engine, while Cadillac continued to use their exclusive 4. 1 liter V8.

A bigger 400 cu in ( 6. 6 L ) engine was included with the 442 option, based on the newly introduced 425 cu in ( 6. 9 L ) engine from the full-sized Oldsmobiles while the Oddfire Buick V6 and Olds 330 cubic-inch Jetfire Rocket V8 were carried over from the previous year with increased power ratings for the V8 options.

The Buick V6 was replaced on base models by an Oldsmobile-badged " Action-Line 6 " version of Chevrolet's " Turbo-Thrift " straight-6 engine, while the Jetfire Rocket V8 continued with power ratings of.

This Cutlass was lighter than earlier versions at around, and it could be ordered with any of several engines built by GM's different divisions ; a Buick 231 V6, Oldsmobile 260 V8, Pontiac 301 V8 or Chevrolet 305 V8s with either 2 or 4 barrel carburetors.

The 1981 model saw very few changes from the 1980 restyle but it got a modified grille, new powertrains ( the Buick 350 V8 was dropped in favor of a standard Buick produced 252 in³ V6, and an optional Oldsmobile 307 in³ V8 ).

The facts were almost identical to Cadillac a year earlier: a wheel from a wheel manufacturer was sold to Buick, to a dealer, to MacPherson, and the wheel failed, injuring MacPherson.

Their first release, " Buick 59 ," ( based on Todd Rhodes's double-entendre R & B hit " Rocket 69 ") was backed with a ballad called

Another V6-car was designed in 1918 by Leo Goosen for Buick Chief Engineer Walter L. Marr.

It originated as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company in 1899, an independent internal combustion engine and motor-car manufacturer, and was later incorporated as the Buick Motor Company on May 19, 1903, by Scottish born David Dunbar Buick in Detroit, Michigan.

Buick picked it up, prompting a renaming to The Buick-Berle Show, and the program's format was changed to show the backstage preparations to put on a variety show.

For example, the General Motors factory in Arlington, Texas where rear-wheel-drive cars were built, such as the Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Roadmaster, and Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was converted to truck and SUV production, putting an end to full-size family station wagon and overall terminating production of rear-wheel drive full-size cars.

In 1937, Oldsmobile was a pioneer in introducing a four-speed semi-automatic transmission called the " Automatic Safety Transmission ", although this accessory was actually built by Buick, which would offer it in its own cars in 1938.

Oldsmobile was among the first of General Motors ' divisions to receive a true hardtop in 1949, and it was also among the first divisions ( along with Buick and Cadillac ) to receive a wraparound windshield, a trend that eventually all American makes would share at sometime between 1953 and 1964.

Compounding the problem for Oldsmobile and Buick was a styling mistake which GM called the " Strato Roof.

While the 5. 7L was also offered on the 1980 Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, and Chevy Impala, they were soon discontinued by all divisions by the mid 80s.

But a complete departure in 1961 was the new Tempest, one of the three BOP ( Buick-Olds-Pontiac ) " compacts " introduced that year, the others being the Buick Special and Skylark and Oldsmobile F-85 and Cutlass.

The aforementioned Buick 215 V8, was ordered by less than two percent of its customers in the two years it was available, 1961 and 1962.

Based on the G-Body, the same as the Oldsmobile Aurora and Buick LeSabre, the car was more substantial feeling all around.

On April 23 a report was published stating the company would be dropping the Pontiac brand while preserving the GMC truck line, as well as the Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Buick brands.

His mother died just before his eighth birthday, and he was raised by his father, an executive with Buick.

Storrow arranged a meeting with Charles W. Nash, then president of the Buick Motor Company, who was looking for a smart production chief.

The most notable of these are the Chrysler Town and Country, The Buick Estate Wagon, The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, The Chevrolet Kingswood Estate and the Mercury Colony Park.

The Riviera was also notable for its popular optional " Sweepspear " chrome body side molding, which would soon become a Buick trademark.

The ECC was standard equipment on the 1985-1989 Buick Riviera and later the 1988-89 Buick Reatta, but was unpopular with consumers partly due to technophobia on behalf of some traditional Buick customers, but mostly because of costly to repair technical problems suffered by the ECC's touchscreen which being the sole access method, would render climate control or stereo operation impossible.

The Pontiac 215 blocks are distinct from other Buick 215 blocks because in addition to the factory Buick markings they were hand-stamped at the Pontiac plant with the Vehicle Identification Numbers of the individual cars they were installed in.

* Buick had to rename its Lacrosse to Allure in Canada, because it was a euphemism for masturbation in Quebec.

The Opel vehicles sold in the 1960s and 1970s are exceptions to this rule because they were sold through the Buick distribution channel, while retaining the Opel brand name.

It was originally sold as Buick Allure in Canada because " la crosse " means ' self-love ' ( or ' swindle ') in Quebec French slang.

Swapping an MGB all-iron 1. 8L 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed transmission for a Buick 215 V8 and a modern 5-speed transmission actually improves both cornering and acceleration because it reduces the overall weight of the car by about 40 pounds.

NOTE: The Buick V-8 was originally called the " Nail Valve " by early hot rodders because the valves looked like nails since the stems were so long and the heads were small.

In the mid-1970s, GM was using powerplants sourced from various GM divisions where the Buick V8 was considered a factory option with the Buick 350 as the sole survivor, or in the worst case, for Buick vehicles where the 400 / 430 / 455 big blocks were phased out because of fuel economy / emission requirements.

This engine was actually, but called a " 400 " by Buick because that was the maximum engine size limit set by General Motors for the intermediate body cars.

The V6 was only offered on the base-level LeSabre and not mentioned in initial 1976 Buick literature issued in September 1975 because the V6 engine was a last-minute addition to the line.