1955 Buick Century Concours Restoration Guide

The 1955 Buick Century is the original "banker's hot rod" — Buick's first mass-market performance car, built on the formula that would define muscle cars a decade later: the division's largest engine installed in its smallest platform. Buick took the Series 40 Special body (122-inch wheelbase) and dropped in the 322 ci "Nailhead" V-8 from the full-size Roadmaster, creating a car that ran the quarter-mile in 17.5 seconds and the Daytona Flying Mile at 110.425 mph in 1955 — competitive numbers for any production car of the era. Motor Trend clocked the 2-door sedan at 9.8 seconds to 60 mph. The California Highway Patrol ordered 268 specially configured Centurys for high-speed freeway patrol, further evidence of the car's authentic performance credentials.