For many people living in our world today the image of the 1950s, with all its beauties and shortcomings, is one dearly cherished. In the dying stages of the atomic age, our society was engaged in a technological race unlike any other in human history, while at the same time being mindful of the aesthetic aspects of pretty much everything.
Just take a look at this here Buick Century. A technological masterpiece of its era, it’s also a perfect representative of how people saw beauty back then, even in objects as utilitarian as a station wagon.
The Century had been introduced in Buick’s lineup way before the war, in 1936, but it wasn’t until its revival in 1954 that the model really became a charmer. Sold primarily as a coupe and sedan, the range eventually grew to include a station wagon that would go on to be known as the Caballero.
It’s this variety of Century we’re staring at now, coming before us in restored form at the end of a frame-off process that managed to retain all the car’s decades-old charm and shine.
Wearing a Slanted Brown paint on the outside that looks gray in most light, the wagon packs under the hood a 455ci fuel-injected engine the likes of which was offered in the third generation of the model – the largest option available at the time this car was made was a 364ci. The engine is tied to a Turbo 400 automatic transmission, but it’s unclear how much power it develops.
Four wheels of the Boyd Coddington Columbus series spin under the power of the engine, touching the ground by means of Vogue whitewall tires. Behind them, a suspension system comprising Roush control arms and RideTech hardware complements Wilwood disc brakes in helping the Caballero navigate terrain easily and safely.
The interior comes in black leather and is dotted with fabric inserts. It’s a kind of vehicular interior space we’re used to seeing from such an old machine, but modernized with the help of a Focal sound system with Bluetooth capability, and Dakota Digital cruise control.
The car is supposedly the winner of multiple Goodguys awards, and took part back in 2019 in the Goodguys Road Tour. It’s now for sale, making some of us sorry we’re not in the position of spending a small fortune for it.
The fuel-injected, restored 1958 Buick Century Caballero is scheduled to go under the hammer at the hands of auction house Mecum at the end of this month in Dallas, Texas. No mention is made as to how much it is expected to fetch, but valuation company Hagerty places a car such as this, in Concours condition, at over $100,000. And this one will probably get well above that if the right crowd is in the house.