For subscribers of the philosophy that bigger is better, I present to you a full-sized Buick passenger car of ample external proportions, this ’82 Electra Park Avenue coupe. This model year was the sixth for GM’s downsized C-Body platform, and the third featuring the refresh that arrived for 1980. Let this soak in for a minute: what we see in these pictures was actually the downsized edition of something that was substantially bigger than this in ’76. Lest anyone mistakenly think I am making a value judgement about this car’s size, allow me to state from the top of this essay that there are often great things to be said for a little extra.
What may appear to be a super-sized (two-door) car in 2021 represented a very big shrink compared to what came before. In comparing the dimensions of the ’76 and ’82 editions of the two-door Buick Electra, our featured car was exactly one full foot shorter (at 221.3″ long) and four inches narrower (at 75.9″) than its forebear, on a wheelbase that was 8.1″ less (at 118.9″). The base coupe’s starting curb weight of 3,747 pounds was over 750 lbs. lighter than its ’76 counterpart.
Following the 1979 oil crisis, the second such event in the span of less than six years, the push for smaller, more efficient vehicles of all types was already well under way by the time this Electra was new. I honestly don’t remember if these Electras ever looked trim or tidy to my eyes compared to other cars of its day. To a young kid growing up in Flint, Michigan, a town where Buick was headquartered and wrote many of the checks, any Buick save a Skylark or Skyhawk seemed like a big car.
According to a license place search, this Electra was built in Flint, and is powered by the optional 140-horsepower 5.0L V8. The base engine was a 4.1L V6 with 125 horses. The two-doors vied with the Estate Wagons, the latter being on the B-body LeSabre’s three inch shorter 115.9″ wheelbase, for the least popularity in the Electra line. Only 8,400 two-doors and 8,200 wagons were produced that year, against 59,600 four-doors, with all non-wagons being offered in Limited and upscale Park Avenue trim levels.
Curiously, this one seems to be wearing the rear bumper of a LeSabre, which had its license plate located between the taillamps. It took me a while to figure out what looked slightly off about the rear appearance of this Electra, as this bumper from the lesser car is a pretty good match. The slight dip in its center and the lack of an indentation for the license plate holder are the giveaways and, thankfully for the owner, not all that obvious at first glance. This car also has the stylized “portholes” on its front fenders and the body side moldings of the Park Avenue, but lacks the rear quarter fender badges identifying it as such. My guess is that this is a Park Avenue (and not a Limited) that had sustained some rear-end damage at some point, and was repaired nicely with parts that were either cost-effective or simply just available.
Not owning a vehicle myself or being familiar with Chicago’s parallel parking laws, I had wondered if the owner of this Electra would have to pay for two spaces. There’s a 2000 or so Ford Expedition that’s usually parked in front of a barber shop a block east of where I took these pictures. That machine looks like a tight fit at the curb, but it is also over a foot shorter in length (at only 204.6″ bumper-to-bumper) than than this ’82 Electra. The difference of 16.7 inches is substantial. The new 2021 Expedition comes a bit closer to this Buick with a length of 210.0 inches, but it’s also capable of hauling up to eight passengers and a bunch of stuff. This two-door Electra could hold six, but they’d undoubtedly be more comfortable in an Expedition, new or old.
I have written before about how I love apples. During the week, an apple is often the last thing I will eat for the day, following dinner. I like them big, juicy, and flavorful, and my semi-recent discovery of the Piñata apple has changed my life. I had just finished the third grade in the spring of 1983 when U.S. funk and soul band Mtume was on the local urban contemporary radio station WDZZ 92.7 FM constantly with their now-signature song, “Juicy Fruit“. You have probably heard its programmed beat sampled many times even if you are only a casual fan of ’90s R&B and hip-hop.
There’s a line in that song where vocalist Tawatha Agee makes reference to “good and plenty”, and that’s the image that this two-door Electra conjures up in my mind. This car’s Red Firemist exterior finish and white vinyl top make it look even more like a succulent apple. This would have been the car for you if you didn’t care about rear seat accessibility with only two doors, or about fuel mileage. A period 1982 Gas Mileage Guide from the EPA rated a 5.0L-equipped Electra as delivering only 16 mph on their test simulation. You would still, however, have all the big car you wanted, all for just yourself.
For those of you who were afraid I was going to compare this big Buick to Good & Plenty licorice candies (are they seriously anyone’s favorite?), I hope you’re relieved. However, just understand that like those rattly, pill-shaped things, this Electra is also not for everyone, but it does have its fans… including me.
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois.
December 2012, June 2015, and September 2015.
This generation of big Buicks seems to straddle a sweet spot between “tuna boat” and “mini-me”. Although I do love the 1985-90 Electra/Park Avenue for their pragmatic size, fuel economy, and capabilities… and my Dad indeed drives a 1989 Electra sedan with 252k miles and still going strong… the appeal of a bigger rear drive car really tugs at me. I once owned and now miss a 1978 LeSabre- a lovable car whose only sin was a propensity toward chugging fuel. Also one of the few big GM cars to feature amber rear turn signals.
Your featured car is missing one of my favorite GM features though: Fiber optic lamp monitors, which can be seen on the car in the brochure. Those are more of a want than a need, though. I’d happily rock this car!
I have really come to appreciate the following, downsized generation of Electra / Park Avenue four-door, and have been sitting on pictures of one for close to a decade. (The two-door looks decidedly less impressive.)
I like that you mentioned the amber turn signals on the 1977 – ’79 LeSabres. I’m trying to think if there were any other full-sized, domestic cars from around this time (that weren’t a special edition, like the T-Type Buicks) that also had amber blinkers.
H’mmm. Closest thing I can think of is the ’77 Plymouth Fury, but that wasn’t the big Plymouth that year.
The 1980 LeSabre also had them. 1980-84 Oldsmobile 88’s did, too… but only on the 4dr sedan. 2 doors appeared to have the same lamps as the 4 door, but the amber section was replaced by a red lens and a second tail-brake-turn bulb.
The one 2 door that I really do like in the FWD C/H body, is the 1987-89 LeSabre T-Type. But, agreed. The formal roofline 2 doors *are* pretty darn weird.
Oooh, nice! Seeing one of these 2 door C bodies always perks me up. Having owned the Oldsmobile version of this car for four years, I always notice these on the increasingly rare occasions where they are found. These were good looking cars, probably the last of the good looking big 2 doors in the US.
There was a lot to like about these, but they are certainly not as roomy as they might seem from the outside. That 4 inch drop in width was significant. I sometimes think that these are the last passenger cars that GM did uniquely well. These cars had a solid heft about them that never let you forget you were in a big car. People will disagree on whether that is a good thing, but it was one of the things I liked about mine.
I really miss 2 door cars. Every day I carry a briefcase with my laptop, and every day I am faced with a choice to 1) open the rear hatch to put it there, 2) open a rear door to put it in the back seat or 3) heft the not-light bag across my lap into the front passenger seat. This car would allow me to open the door, drop the bag on the floor behind the seat, get in and go. I rarely carry more than one passenger (and have a minivan for when I need to) so a 2 door would fit my needs perfectly. Yet they are nearly extinct.
Agree that the downsized GM B- and C-bodies were the last good-looking full-size, two-door coupes on the market. After 1966, most full-size domestic cars looked better as a four-door sedan or hardtop than as a two-door. (The two exceptions were the 1967-68 Chevrolet Impala fastback, and the 1969-70 full-size Ford.)
After a certain point, the size of the car required four doors for a more balanced appearance. The shorter coupe greenhouse looked out of proportion to the big lower body. The fuselage Mopars were the worst offenders in this regard.
Yeah, combined with the massive length of both the hood and rear deck, the fuselage Mopars never looked right as a 2-door.
And speaking of Mopars, I can never look at one of these downsized Buicks and marvel at how the R-body Newport and Gran Fury look virtually identical. I mean, everyone knows how Chrysler was copying GM’s last model cycle ever since the ’62 downsizing debacle but, jeez, most times they made a ‘few’ changes (almost always for the better).
But by this low point in ChryCo’s history, it’s like the styling department wasn’t even trying, anymore. I wonder if it was because, by then, both Engel and Townsend were gone. Say what you will about those two, but their Chrysler copies of Ford and GM designs were at least coherent and, most times, an improvement. Except for the St. Regis’ covered headlights and some cost-cutting measures (like frameless doors), the R-body variants were virtual clones of the Buick.
Until Iacocca came on board, Chrysler top management simply managed by allowing things to fester until they blew up into a crisis.
Making sure that the design department developed a coherent and distinctive design theme was undoubtedly low on the list of management priorities. The Omni and Horizon, for example, were basically VW Rabbits with a sloped front end.
Given that environment, it’s amazing that the Omni O24 and Horizon TC3 were not a Toyota Celica, Chevrolet Monza or VW Scirocco clone.
I’m not sure I’d agree on the Omnirizon. It was more of a Simca 1100 effort with a short-block engine supplied by VW. Chrysler got lucky on that one since it was PSA (and not Chrysler) that had already done most of the work and the end result was a fairly competent, state-of-the-art FWD subcompact (at least for 1978).
In fact, the Omnirizon is something of an irony since PSA just recently bought Chrysler from FCA and the company is now known as Stellantis.
I meant from a styling standpoint. The Omni and Horizon five-doors looked like a copy of the contemporary VW Rabbit, except for the front. As one journalist put it at the time, “Chrysler has pulled a Rabbit out of its hat.”
One day about 10 years or more ago, I was eating a box of Good & Plenties at lunch, because I like candy. One of my older coworkers came up and shook the box and said, “Choo-Choo Charlie!” Good & Plenties flew threw the air, fell on me, came clattering to a rest on the table, and I just looked at him with a completely stoic expression for a solid 30 seconds before asking him what the hell that was all about (I’ve seen the ’60s commercials, so I knew the premise of Choo-Choo Charlie). Needless to say, he brought in a bag of bulk Good & Plenties weighing about 3 pounds. I got so tired of them that I stopped eating them for several years. I’m back to them, though – I just had a box the other day.
Sooooo, they’re not my favorite, but I like them. 🙂 Regarding the Buick, there’s a pretty nice blue version of this car in my town, and the owner drives it year-round. Fortunately, it’s managed to stay in pretty nice shape considering our copious use of road salt.
Oh, wow – I do not recall the “Choo Choo Charlie” commercials, and so I just had to look one up. I love old commercials featuring jingles like that!
As far as bringing you a bulk bag of Good ‘N Plentys, I’d probably do with that the same thing I’d do with a large bag of orange-colored Circus Peanuts. Nevertheless, I’m curious about Good ‘N Plentys now and feel like buying a box at the local drug store to see if they’re actually as nasty as I remember. So many of my tastes have changed since childhood, so I might like black licorice these days.
You’re correct about Michigan and salt, though. Absolutely.
Awright, since we’re on the topic, how do you feel about those chewy peanut butter halloween candies wrapped in orange or black waxpaper? For some strange reason, everyone is supposed to hate them.
I don’t actually mind those. I have a mouth full of fillings, though, so I normally have to limit myself to how many of those candies that I can have at a time. I always feel like those candies are ready to pull my fillings right out of my teeth.
Yeah, I was totally waiting for the candy reference, instead I got an apple to try and a link to a great original track…..made my morning! Even as I eat a few Good & Plenty I packed for lunch later today, not my favorite but my mom had them when I was a kid. During Halloween in the 80’s, I didn’t complain when she grabbed the Fun Size boxes out of my trick-or-treat horde. And Juicy Fruit? I’m a little younger than the author so my mind immediately thinks of Biggie, but I knew back then who he sampled from music savvy friends.
I’ve always liked the C-body 2 doors, I feel one would make a great weekend cruiser. I prefer the Buick variety, but they all look great. These were thin on the ground where I grew up in north eastern PA in the mid 90s, but a few annual trips to NYC would produce a few in various states of service.
Now, living a slightly less road salty area, I see more C & B body GMs in daily use than ever before. I have had my eye on a local green Electra sedan in similar codition as the feature car, but I believe the owner is keeping it for the long haul. He keeps it in immaculate condition and I only see it out on the weekends, living its best Brougham boat car life.
The Biggie song still holds up just as well as the Mtume tune! Definitely.
I’m thinking about which of the C-bodies I would prefer as a weekend cruiser (I agree with you), and I honestly can’t decide. I’d probably go with Buick since there’s a personal connection there with Flint.
J.P. Cavanaugh’s statement about this car being amongst the last of the full size 2 door U.S. cars is a statement worthy of reflection for more than a minute. Full size, V-8, Rear drive, full frame and 2 doors with a roofline that was first and foremost all about style were the ingredients to each GM division’s flagship offering from the late 40’s-early 50’s to the late 80’s. THAT IS A LONG PERIOD OF TIME for an automotive era and cars like this are rarely noted for their end of an era status.
Beautifully and succinctly stated. Thank you.
Increasingly there was an all-or-nothing mindset to buyers of broughamy coupes that pans out in this one’s sales numbers. Either a G body Regal or Cutlass Supreme would do, or nothing less than a Coupe de Ville would.
That seems to happen in a lot of shrinking segments; try getting a manual transmission now in anything other than a base-base model subcompact or a raw-edged balls-to-the-wall performance car. For that matter small cars themselves, only the cheapest-of-the-cheap like the Mitsubishi Mirage seems to have survived the past few years among what was once a wide range of offerings below Civic/Corolla/Elantra size.
Nice shots.
Coming in at 3,747 pounds for a car of this proportion is efficient. A car of this magnitude today, would come in at say 4,400 or so. For example a Dodge Charger. I don’t know what a Ford Edge would weigh, but I’m sure it’s in that range. Cars today carry alot of extra safety equipment and systems, so that’s a good thing.
Anyone know what a Tesla Model 3 weighs? From what I gather, the average is around 3,740 lbs. Very close to the Electra, but a smaller car.
Great commentary on the weight of modern cars. I often can’t believe it when I see figures for curb weight of new cars, which then makes me wonder just how many hundreds of pounds may be attributed to safety equipment. This is even after increased use of lighter-weight materials.
Even with the extra foot in length, the 1976 Duece looks way more elegant and sleek than her puffy sister.
Sweet! That car definitely has some charisma.
The ’76 is beautifully sculpted, and looks especially great in a dark color like this one.
Nice car and writeup. I love these cars generally and had a brief section on my great uncle’s 83 4 door Electra in my last Buick Enclave article. Though usually a fan of two door cars, this is one I might actually prefer versions with rear doors. The colors are great on this one.
Is this car still prowling the neighborhood?
Also, while I wouldn’t say Good N Plenty is my favorite, I do like them. They are a tasty compromise between a hard candy and a gummy. It takes a while to eat a container, so it feels like a good value. That’s why they are a popular movie food: a box can easily take you a whole movie to eat!
Jon, I haven’t seen this car around for some years now. I’d like to think it’s still in a garage in the area somewhere. I’m trying hard to think. At some point, I stopped photographing it only because I knew I had so many shots of it already and didn’t want to press my luck. 🙂
Unless they rigged up something I can’t see in the photo, that license plate setup would fail inspection in some states for lack of a license plate light.
My father owned an ’83 Park Avenue sedan- gray Firemist with black vinyl top. Alloy wheels. His next Buick was the downsized ’86 Park Avenue- beige with beige vinyl top. Wire wheels. FWD and radically smaller, but still able to hold two golf bags. You go with the GM flow.
For the record, Good ‘N Plenty is my wife’s favorite candy. So … there’s one.
LOL – I actually love that people are coming to the defense of the Good ‘N Plentys! I may need to try them again. At worst, I’m out a dollar, right?
Seemed like too much of a coincidence to not post it.
This brings up an interesting point. The LeSabre’s mild restyle for 1984 & ’85, featured above, was given nearly full-width taillamps like those of the Electra / Park Avenue. I always wondered if this was deliberate to try to emulate the more expensive car in the last couple years of the large, RWD LeSabre.
The demise of big coupes isn’t surprising, what is is how many were sold for so many decades, when families had more children and old people in their homes, rail travel was dying, and flying was expensive.
I love the 1977-1984 C-bodies, especially the Buicks. I like the 1977-79 Electra 2-doors, but prefer the 4-doors for the facelifted 1980-84 models. Dark colors, especially navy blue and deep forest green, work well, but I’ve seen dark red ones that I would not mind having, too. The one must, regardless of year, body style, or color, is the Buick road wheel, no matter whether it’s an Electra, LeSabre or Estate Wagon.
100% yes, on the Buick road wheels. One of my favorite wheel designs of all time.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/qotd/qotd-what-was-the-best-and-worst-road-wheel-of-the-cc-era-2/
My father’s ’83 Electra sedan (see above) had those Buick road wheels- first seen on the Wildcats in the 60s. Somehow they migrated to the Electra sedan. I kind of wonder how he was talked into ordering them. He wasn’t a Wildcat kind of guy.
RIP James Mtume, whose musical genius was the partial inspiration for this essay.
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/10/1071812297/percussionist-james-mtume-the-beat-behind-juicy-and-later-miles-davis-dies-at-76