We recently wrote about an elegant 1965 Lancia Flaminia with a V6 that originated from the 1950 Lancia Aurelia, the first mass-produced car to feature a V6. With that inspiration, today’s Pick of the Day is a 1965 Buick Special V6 convertible. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. (Click the link to view the listing)
The Buick Special traces its origins from General Motors’ “Senior Compacts” of 1961. Of the trio (which included the Oldsmobile F85 and Pontiac Tempest), the Special vied for the most interesting of the bunch, thanks to its aluminum 215 V8. That engine was the basis for the iron-block 1962 198 Fireball V6, which was another advanced mechanical bit for GM. That engine was increased to 225cid in 1964 and was produced through 1967, plus it was shared with the Oldsmobile F-85 from 1964-65. The tooling was sold to Kaiser in 1967, and AMC used it after picking Jeep from Kaiser. After the first gas crisis, GM bought back the tooling and created the 231 V6. The rest, they say, is history.
When the 1964 Special was introduced, it grew into a conventional mid-size car. The available models were Special, Special Deluxe, and Skylark. Interestingly, a convertible was available in the base Special in addition to the Skylark — somewhat unusual for a bottom-of-the-line series, as compact and mid-size convertibles tended to be in higher trim levels. Perhaps Buick’s upscale positioning was a factor?
This 1965 Special convertible features the V6 engine, one of 3,357 built that year (another 3,365 were built with the 300cid V8, which was an iron-block evolution of the 215). Painted Silver Cloud, this Buick is an older redux that is begging to be driven or some gentle refurbishment. “Virtually dent- and ding-free, the exterior is holding up well … with some slight areas of orange peel,” plus a few chips on the rockers. The power-operated black convertible top is clean without any tears or rips, though the plastic backlite is slightly yellowed. Inside, the original red interior is in “very good condition for its age” though there is “slight age wear” in various parts. Of special note is that “the upper padded dash is crack-free.” The Fireball V6 is connected to a two-speed ST300 automatic with 3.08 gears.
What you have here is an unusual 1960s American car with a powerplant that would do the Italians proud. “A quick starter, and effortless drive [with] smooth acceleration and a smooth ride.” For $23,500, you can just hop in and drive, or you can give it a little TLC and make it irresistible. With the right color combo and interesting tech, this 1965 Buick Special convertible is arguably irresistible already.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
…on this 1965 Buick Special convertible – interesting car, that looks in overall very good condition for its level of originality, but both of the doors are a decidedly different shad of the body color, and both of them also seem to not be aligned properly…!?!
My first car was the 1964 Special convertible with the V8 and auto trans. White exterior with blue metallic interior and white top, which I replaced with a blue top. Loved that car – got high 20’s mpg, on highway. No power brakes, no power steering… but did have power top. I traded it in on a used 67 Riviera – sure wish I had them today.
I noticed that too..I had to realign my doors couple times – GM engineering…also aligned the hood. I had a 64 conv – V8/auto, no AC, no pwr brakes or steering. But GM paint and body was always superior to Ford and Chrysler.