1973 Buick Century Regal: One Handsome Intermediate from GM!

[@dannyg6592]

My dad bought a new '73 Century in the fall of '72. It had a silky smooth drivetrain, as the Buick 350 V8 was very well mated to the Turbo Hydramatic transmission. Excellent brakes and surprisingly good handling. Thanks for the memories!

[@michaelwhite2823]

See how this channel has become so great since you focused on individual years and models? This is where your knowledge and expertise are so valuable. Your use of proposed sketches and clay models are an added treat.

[@issyparrish]

I agree.

[@anthonyhunt701]

Make that unanimous!!!

[@michaelbradford4116]

Adam, thanks for another great trip back in time. The Regal was a brilliant move by Buick, and they were dead serious. So serious, those comfortable seats could be had in the Electra Limited’s iconic brocade upholstery called Georgian cloth in ‘73. I know because I was a 15 year old who had memorized every detail of the catalogue by the time my dad picked up his new Electra Limited in Green-Gold iridescent with beige vinyl top and Sandalwood Georgian cloth interior. Quite an impressive ride in our small town. (He actually wanted a burgundy Riviera, but mom was a no.) I was counting on few knowing about or ever seeing a lowly mid-size Regal with what had been GM’s top tier interior (other than 98 Regency) and available only in a car costing thousands more than a Regal. Not sure how many had the cloth rather than the vinyl, but Regal was a hit. Among many great Buick’s to come in our family, my mom would eventually drive an ‘81 Regal Somerset II edition in a somewhat wild gold/brown two-tone with gold turbine wheels & beige velour pillow seats with dark brown piping. My dad’s last Buick was a ‘92 Roadmaster he drove more than 300,000 miles! Built like a tank overall, and even with some cheap hard plastic interior pieces they were screwed together perfectly and held up incredibly well. The seat design and comfort (non-Limited) were first rate in every respect. Buick was a great brand!

[@brianlaurance8570]

Thank you for mentioning the brocade upholstery that was available in these cars. My college roommate and I test drove a new '73 Regal coupe with this interior, and we came away highly impressed. I already had a Centurion, and my roommate finally got a new, loaded Regal coupe in 1977.

[@trickyricky12147]

Keyword _was_ a good brand. Now, Buick has fallen like all the other GM divisions currently with way too many unnecessary nanny systems.

[@ShawnM-w8e]

I have to say this Buick looked way better then the 1973 Pontiac Lemans I did owned.

[@pcno2832]

I liked all the '73s, even the Malibu, which many people panned. But by '76, some of these cars had become a mess; I never understood the popularity of the '76 and '77 Cutlass models.

[@Muscular-Tower]

​@@pcno2832 LOL 😂 You MUST be very VERY old. Not only did the 1976-'77 Cutlass AND Regal look better than the 1973, 74, and 75 Cutlass, Regal, and Century... But the 1976-'77 Cutlass AND Regal looked a LOT more sophisticated than the earlier models _ALL AROUND_ hands down.

[@dave1956]

I thought that the ‘73 Lemans was one of the ugliest vehicles in the ‘70’s. The ‘74 & ‘75 were slightly better, the ‘76 & ‘77 were tolerable, but the ‘76 & ‘77 Cutlass Supreme were the best looking of the entire GM intermediate lineup.

[@garykeith1048]

@@Muscular-Tower I totally agree. They looked 100% better.

[@jamesterakazis6624]

@@pcno2832 Nothing worse than a 1970 Pontiac Bonneville....an all time low point for GM Design...

[@joemazzola7387]

The doors on these were cut very low We lived in the city back then and when parallel parked the door would scrape the curb when fully opened For a younger man it amazes me how much knowledge you have for cars of the 60 and 70s

[@kalui96]

I just love how clean your narration is. Thought-out clean English

[@pcno2832]

Adam does a great job of editing these videos. With some other YT posters, you get 10 minutes of content and 20 minutes of hemming, hawing, silence and introductions.

[@Paramount531]

I really wasn't a fan of the GM 1973 midsize restyling, but the Regal was the best of the bunch. I owned a 76 Regal for a few years, that was a really nice, solid and quiet car. Gas mileage wasn't great, but it sure was comfortable on a trip!

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, This channel has covered the cars of "Hawaii Five-O", "The Streets of San Francisco", "Barnaby Jones" and "Cannon" so it was high time Lieutenant Theo Kojak's 🍭Buick Century made an appearance. 🤩🤩

[@unclebob7937]

"Who love's ya baby?" 😎

[@dougkabler3032]

What a great idea for a show. TV police cars?

[@bill90405]

I second, there were so many cop shows in 70’s and 80’s how bout a series on the cop show cars exclusively?

[@thesultan4030]

theres' a channel called CarStarz that showcases all the TV cars.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@unclebob7937 🍭🍭

[@davidwatt7663]

KOJAK chariot of choice 😊

[@dinoferrante1718]

I thought his was a bit later of a model. Maybe '77?

[@michaelorlando6159]

His was a 75 i believe....who loves ya baby

[@janfswedane]

The best driving intermediates ever... Far better driving than the 68 - 72's... Poor built quality however, making them difficult to restore...

[@wyattdean5658]

Kojak and the lollypop

[@Johnnycdrums]

I his options were limited. Bare bones, horrid color.

[@mkernen]

When I was 16 my great uncle owned a Buick dealership. My father took me there one day and bought me a 1973 Century Luxus. That car was so rusted you couldn't use the trunk because whatever you put in it could fall out on the road! The car was a mere 8 years old and had only 75,000 miles on it. So, for $300 my dad and I picked it up and drove it about 175 miles back to where we lived. I think it ran on about 6 cylinders (it was a 350 V8) all that way. Vinyl seats, no A/C, AM only radio, crank windows, manual locks. All it had was power steering and brakes, the 5 spoke steel wheels, and the faux cloth top -these were probably the Luxus pieces. None the less, I love this car. I fixed the rust, repainted the whole car, added an FM converter. I still love the incredible styling of this car and when I sold it, I missed it and got a 74 which had the ugly 5MPH rear bumper and the less formal roofline of the Luxus. I still miss those cars and love looking at them. I always wanted to get a 73 GS 455 Stage 1. Thanks for doing this video.

[@Diogenes1360]

I was 13 years old in 1973, a great year for music & automobiles.

[@richardbaumgart2454]

Well it was a great year for music anyways

[@blu_e1910]

wouldnt quite say it was the best for cars

[@pcno2832]

@@blu_e1910 It was a better year for cars than '74 or '75, but to paraphrase Gerald Ford, our long national nightmare was just beginning.

[@Atomwaffen-y3s]

No. It wasn’t.

[@IcelanderUSer]

I was 10 years younger and didn’t start noticing cars until 86 or so but started loving new music in 77. Random comments.

[@tomb7382]

The Regal Coupe was spectacular looking, and also my favorite of the 73 A cars.

[@MarinCipollina]

As a Pontiac guy, I was partial to the Grand Prix, but the Buick was a solid choice.

[@HfYr-p3e]

I've had a fondness of the Buick intermediates & I really liked the Regal when it came out, it just looks luxurious

My older brother had a black-on-blue coupe version of this car. 455 into a TH 400. Smogged out, of course, but still quite powerful, and a dream on the open highway.

[@tombrown1898]

Adam, my best friend in college, "The Rich Boy," as Fitzgerald would have called him, came west from New Jersey with a slightly used 1973 Buick Regal. Great car! He was the envy of us all. When he was a Senior, his parents gave him a 1980 Regal as an early graduation present. He was properly grateful, but to this day, he still misses the '73.

[@olddisneylandtickets]

My 73 century 4 door was uncanny with its handling and sure footed feel, extremely well built for the era "when better cars are built, Buick will build them" indeed.

[@randallfabian6640]

I drove one for years and it was one of the best cars I ever had.

[@marckyle5895]

I think the reason that the wagons didn't sell all that well was due to their intended purpose as a family friendly kid hauler. Once you made it to the Buick rung of the Sloan ladder, it was YOUR kids who were gonna need a wagon, not you. In fact you traded in the Olds Wagon they were raised in on the Buick Regal once the kids left home.

[@yossarian6799]

1973 Century-Regal assembly plants: Flint, Michigan Framingham, Massachusetts Fremont, California The Wagons were only made at the Framingham plant.

[@rightlanehog3151]

My car was built in Fremont so I am always interested in learning the models which preceded it.

[@DawnaThurtell]

Elegant, reserved styling, good proportions, nicely appointed. I sure miss Buick automobiles, wonder if we will ever see them again.

[@tedforsure8659]

Go check out your local GM dealer, I'm sure they have lots of them.

[@carlm8821]

Yes, I also miss Buick…..once the American pinnacle of luxury (under Cadillac and next to Olds) with a mix of sporting flair depending on the model! Today’s Buick just isn’t the same and hasn’t been for quite a long, long time! I get having to keep up with current automotive trends and what’s ‘in’, but nothing in the lineup today looks better than any other X-over/suv and don’t even hold a candle to say anything from Infiniti, Lexus, Toyota, Volvo, etc.

[@BlutoBlutarsky]

I think the Cascada was the last gasp of anything exciting coming out of Buick. Hope I'm wrong.

[@paulasturi4199]

I love the design sketches you use in your videos, Adam! They are underappreciated and thus rarely seen.

[@e84harrison77]

I love this channel so much. Keep the 60s & 70s cars comin.🎉

[@davidwatt7663]

Just loved the 1973 Buick Century , lovely lines rode in one that was a taxicab when I was on holiday in Connecticut . “ who loves ya baby “ 👍🇬🇧.

[@rightlanehog3151]

👍

[@Sedan57Chevy]

The 73 Regal and Century are cars that just speak to me, with great looks, ride, engines and transmission. Its very cool to see the pre- bumper sketches. I really love much of GM's early 70s styling, and it would've been cool to see how they would've turned out without the big bumpers.

[@edwardpate6128]

My dad had a 1975 Buick Regal for a company car, it was a very nice looking and nice driving vehicle. With the Buick 350 2 barrel it wasn't exactly a hot rod but it was still pretty peppy. Those 1970's GM A body cars were all very nice! He put a GM power antenna in the left rear quarter as he detested that windshield antenna, for years afterwards I saw a middle aged lady driving that car around the Warren MI area after he traded it in and it was resold.

[@mammothscott1455]

Thank you for covering this specific year and model. I’ve always admired the 2 Dr coupes. When these came out I was barely 6 months out of high school and obviously not in the market for a new car. When I did buy a car, 5 years later this would have been what I would have wanted. However, what I did find was a 73 Caprice 4 Dr hardtop which I bought. I would have really rather had a Buick as the slogan went in those days. Cheers!

[@nebaldeby5369]

Beautiful car!

[@MNBluestater]

THANK YOU for featuring the 1973 Buick Regal. My dad had a Luxus , beautiful car, mustard yellow, white interior, black carpet. Backlight was two piece beveled glass. 350 cu in. phenomenal acceleration. Styling typically understated Buick….

[@rumplestilskin5776]

The '74 Buick Century Luxus coupe was my first car. Very much like the maroon with black top you pictured.

[@jimmyguy428]

I am addicted to your channel! It's great to see these classic cars get some love, and to learn a bit more details about them as well. I started out my mechanic career in the early 80's working on most of these vehicles so your videos really bring me back. I'm surprised at how much I still remember all these years later. Thanks for the nostalgia trip, and please keep up the good work.

[@bartnikolas8211]

I worked for Buick '71-74. My job was new car issues, rattles, trim failure, etc. I was stunned at the drop in quality from '72 to '73. I remember a customer with new '73 Regal. Due to the new smog pump, it was nearly impossible to get them to run well. Warped interior color keyed trim items such as the C pillar would be replaced by a black replacement that had to be painted. Guess how long that paint lasted before flaking off in the hot Atlanta sun? When the '74's arrived, no one had told the new car prep guys (whose job it was to unload the car transporter) that GM had changed what locks the keys would work on. The site of them breaking into new cars was something I'll never forget. Finally, the attitude of the dealer employees to customers was derision, from the salesmen down to the service shop and the mechanics. Having experienced all this in my youth, I was not at all surprised at their collapse in market share or eventually their bankruptcy

[@loumontcalm3500]

It's the difference of actually experiencing these new versus a rosy nostalgic view from people too young to remember. The four door version was really ham fisted, design wise- and that's being polite. I think that the "we can sell anything" myopia in Detroit management, (along with a similar myopia by the UAW) and the cost of mandated smog and safety, forced the bean counters to de-content and cheapen the cars. And it showed.

[@dave1956]

I enjoyed reading your comments. I owned a 1973 Regal purchased 3 years old. I noticed water running into the trunk, so I got inside had a coworker close the lid and start spraying water. You can imagine my horror to find out that the rear body panel was akin to filigree. It was full of pinholes due to the rust. All this on a 3 year old car. GM got what they deserved. I moved to Toyota in 1987 and never looked back.

[@patrickflohe7427]

@@dave1956 Good for you. Everything rusted back then, and I can remember driving toyota and datsun pickups around that you could see the ground the rotted floors.

[@patrickflohe7427]

Smog pumps pumped air into the exhaust, as I recall. Not sure how that would affect the way the engine ran, but whatever. If that was the case, I would’ve just unhooked or removed the thing.

[@MarinCipollina]

GM bankruptcy during the 2008 - 2009 financial collapse had nothing at all to do with quality issues from decades prior.

[@dstrau7987]

The '73 Regal is very attractive. My parents had a blue one with the black top just like the one in the picture. I wish I had it today. Great job on the video as always Adam!

[@frankthetank9346]

Yeah ! Thank you Adam. I am so excited finally a 73 Regal made it to your Channel, although mine is a 75. Rare, but not much desired in the classic car community. Seems like only a few survived in decent original condition, if at all. Did not see a second one in real live yet, which is kind of cool but pretty sad at the same time. Greetings from Germany.

[@timferguson1593]

My wife (high school sweetheart). Been together for 46 years. She had a 1973 Buick Century. The car pictured is an exact carbon copy of her's. That blue when I wased and waxed it for her was the prettiest blue on a vehicle. Its hard to describe just how deep it looked When she was parked next to my 1974 Monte Carlo, I hate to brag), but we had the 2 best looking cars in our town.

[@ricksand6477]

Believe that these Buicks pioneered a "semi-closed" cooling system which ran cooler and supposedly gave Buicks an advantage as far as overheating and boil-overs versus the cars from the sister divisions. With stricter emissions controls, air pumps etc. the underhood temperatures were going up and this system allowed the Buicks to run a bit cooler. They molded the coolant reservoir into the fan shroud to show off this feature - as these cars were some of the first where you added coolant into an unpressurized reservoir which siphoned coolant as needed into the radiator instead of having to wait for everything to cool down before adding coolant directly to the radiator on most other vehicles. A nice feature we take for granted today was kind of a big deal when it came out on 1973 Buicks.

[@brianlaurance8570]

Buick introduced the semi-closed cooling system on its 1970 models, and it really did make life easier! I agree that the fan shroud and coolant reservoir that Adam shows in the video appeared for 1973.

[@ricksand6477]

@@brianlaurance8570 Right you are, Brian. Another unsung automotive convenience from the incredible engineering at General motors that we take for granted today. Thanks!

[@ToddMcDurmont]

It's nice to see someone finally do a video on this. I drove a 1974 Regal. Great car. Nice video.

[@johnwwirtanen1283]

I custom ordered a 1973 Buick Regal. I had long been a GM customer but always chose the upper end series of their large cars (e.g. Chevy Caprice, Olds 98, Buick Ekectra, Cadillac Deville.) This was my first mid-size car. When it came out I was instantly in love with its style and quality. I ordered EVERY option available except stayed with the absolutely gorgeous fabric seats. I also stayed with the standard very stylish wheel covers. I didn't care for the styled steel wheels. I chose a blower rear window defroster instead of the electric wire type - I'd had a poor experience with one in my 73 Olds 98 Regency. I had the 350 4 bbl V8. However, I think this may have been the standard engine for the Regal. I don't recall needing to order it as an option. The ride and quietness were the equal of my previous boats but in a more nimble package. I bought cars very often when living in the Detroit area in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. This was my absolute favorite of all. My 1979 Cadillac Sedan de Ville came very close.. Sadly, GMs paint from around 1978 or so was very substandard: It chalked badly within only a few years. Plus some of the interior trim quality/durability could have been better. So, the Caddy was my second favorite. Having gone to imports around mid 90s. I came close to, but never achieved, my love for these two vehicles.

[@488ci]

The nice thing about those big bumpers was you could hit stuff and there was no damage. You could push your friends car down the road when they ran out of gas because that happened alot. You could hook a chain to them and they wouldn't bend. When you live in rural areas with more gravel roads than pavement you get stuck alot because people only had a car and not a truck. Trucks were for farmers and cool kids drove cars 🤠 and cool kids do stupid stuff because they are dumb. Took me awhile before I figured out I needed a 4x4.🤠

[@christianbugatticg]

Very nice presentation!

[@rexracernj7696]

I recall these, as a teen, they were really handsome machines; elegant variations on the Monte Carlo/Grand Prix body.

[@vintagemotelguest]

Adam, it is hard to describe the feeling we all got when the GM colonnades first came out in late 1972. I was 12 years old and had been reading the two or three car magazines and multiple brochures my much older brother brought home to me each week. I of course loved pony and supercars but when I first saw the drawings of the "mid"-sized GM cars that supposedly heralded the "end of performance" they really did look different -- modern, unusual, and, surprisingly, SMALLER looking despite being some 250 pounds heavier than the cars they replaced. Take a look at any 2-door '73 Regal, Century, LeMans, Chevelle, or Cutlass and you can see why -- still-short 112 inch wheelbases;, single headlights outside of the grilles; long, F-body-like doors; and semi-fastback-like roofs on the non-luxury models. As you discuss, the lines on the Regal were just right, but the single-year thin-blade bumpers on the Cutlass, integrated nose of the Laguna, and louvered rear quarter windows of GTO and Grand Am all added sporty touches that make many of us still want them today despite those 4,200 or so pounds - plus they handled pretty well. I'll add however that the 1976 redesign of the lowers on Regal and Cutlass made them look much more heavy and blocky in my opinion, and stacked rectangular lamps looked horrendous.

[@5litreho]

My 7th grade teacher bought a 1973 Regal brand new with a 455. It had a 455 badge on the front grill. I was only 12 at the time. I asked him if I could check out the engine, and he agreed. I remember seeing that oddball fan shroud. Cool times !

[@fleetwin1]

My friend's Mom bought at 73 Century coupe after her 69 Volvo got totalled. This was really a nice car, looked great, was tight, did everything well

[@madmike2624]

That was my first car in 1980! ***even the same color/white top** 35K one owner and I was 15-1/2...I beat the crap outta that and it never ever failed me!! What a great car!! I would drop a few bucks to find one unmolested!!!

[@Geordo1960]

I loved these luxurious, quiet, and smooth riding “personal luxury” cars. I had 2 Monte Carlo’s and loved them. I was so disappointed when they stopped making them and wish I had one now. I regret to this very day getting rid of my last Monte Carlo, but who knew at the time. Now they are too expensive to buy.

[@patrickwade3150]

My first car was a ‘73. Metallic green with a cream color vinyl top, GM mag wheels. It was a sharp looking car. I bought the car from my parents for $500. Of course I got teased about driving a “dad’s car” but that was a great car and very comfortable ride.

[@loveisall5520]

I always preferred the '68-'72 series better, owned a ' 72 GS convertible back then. However, out of this massive bodied series, the Buick was certainly the best looking. Thanks so much!

[@JoseHernandez-if5ll]

My Dad bought a '73 Century Luxus back in '73...burgundy with a white top...remember it well. Thanks for another great video!

[@markbehr88]

I remember Kojak’s Buick, which was this model in a sedan. I prefer the Oldsmobile though and have a 74 Cutlass. I’d love a Grand Am and later Can Am. I have a 76 Grand LeMans sedan too. I see 71 Riviera in the black and white early mock up.

[@mbd501]

Nice looking car. As a kid, my family had a '74 Olds Vista Cruiser, which was the Olds A-body wagon.

[@joeseeking3572]

While I later came to the (for me obvious) conclusion that the best A body was the Grand Am (by far), as a child I was fascinated with the original Regal. I think it was the combo of the knight emglem, the little jewel like parking lights, taillight applique and the 3 pillow seatback - one more than the Luxus. So exclusive. Beyond the family price range - we got a Century '350' (a trim package for about $100) 4dr sedan. Loved the diving fenderline and always thought the 76-77 coupe refresh was retrograde, though very popular. Nice that even with body sharing, there was still brand differentiation back then, people knew what you'd bought - even an 8 year old.

[@GKW76]

I owned (2nd owner, bought it off my neighbor) a 1973 Buick Century Luxus 2 door w350 2 barrel with a 350thm. Was a beautiful driving car, and rode nice. It used leaded premium, and in 1993, premium was $1.10/gallon, so no worries about mpg. Miss that car. Repainted it, new tires brakes, shocks and rehabbed the AC on it with a used compressor from an ‘81 Monte Carlo (same compressor, different side of motor). B

[@kevinfrances1694]

Hi Adam I would like to thank you for taking the time on a car like this body style buick personally I had a 71 centurion

[@sweetdaddy77]

Love the content. It amazes me how quality control (or lack of) plagued GM during that time frame. As evidenced by the comments, some got tight, solid, good running vehicles and others got poorly running rust buckets that only lasted a few years. It's absolutely mind blowing the discrepancies there.

[@ScottJones-d7s]

So beautiful! I wonder how it would look without those safety compromise designs.

[@alexanderspenser4960]

My BF replaced his stolen XR7 convertible with 73 Regal and got married, two points that ended our cruising. Buick advertised that new yellow shroud, as a point for a heated windshield washer. Love the prototype pix. As always👍🏾💯🇺🇸

[@barrythomas1320]

Great design. In 1973 I ordered a Grand Prix, dark blue, black vinyl top and white vinyl buckets with full power equipment. Still, think that it was a beautiful car.

[@steves9905]

man this blue example with the wire caps is super classy looking. the 73 colonnades were all good lookers...tons of style, decent performance, and excellent ride.

[@jaynaysayer4677]

My Aunt Dot had a Regal in the same color combination as you thumnail. I hoped to get that car someday. Unfortunately she traded it in before I had a shot at it. She tried to console me by telling me it had some rust on it. That would not have matter because I thought the car was beautiful.

[@davidallen5776]

The Cutlasses and Regals were what the masses had gravitated toward at the time no matter what!

[@jonathanabbott8579]

Had a '75 Century that was light yellow w/the 350 2bbl. Great looking, and actually pulled well despite the 2 barrel. Found it on the side of the road in NH and paid $3600 with less than 70k on the odometer back in 2000. Of note, I believe the Century paced Indy that year.

[@behnamsepehrian7025]

Thanks man I love you buick century ❤

[@walterwright8454]

While not my favorite year of Regal, I do love them as I have owned a couple different year Regals over the years.

[@gilromard]

For me, the '73 was, far and away, the most attractive colonnade Buick Century. Details like those recessed tail lights and the way the front bumper had those upturned ends, in '73 only.

[@danwohlslagel1277]

It was the same with the Monte Carlo, Le Mans, and Cutlass. I think that the Cutlass rear bumper might have been the coolest that year with the deeply set vertical tail lights and deeply sculpted under neath.

[@paulmaul2186]

@@danwohlslagel1277 Definitely the best year for the Cutlass for exactly the reason you described. The revisions to the tail lights the following year were much less attractive.

[@gilromard]

@@danwohlslagel1277 I totally agree about the Cutlass rear!

[@smellsuperb1]

I had a '73 Cutlass coupe for a few days (bought it for $250 to scavenge the motor for my '77 Ninety Eight regency sedan) and I really liked the rear bumper treatment as well.

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

The pre 75 GM A body's were the last of the best cars on the road in my opinion !

[@davidroper6048]

They rode and handled so well! Could use that today!

[@viciouspoodle5543]

My brother had a 1973 Buick Century Luxus with the 350 2B V-8. What a piece of CRAP! The accelerator pedal was like a leg trap. The rear fenders rusted through to the trunk and we almost died of CO2 poisoning and it was impossible to start. You had to crank it forever before it fired up. Really makes you appreciate today's cars. I remember how bad things really were back then!

[@jetsons101]

1973 was a good year for GM mid-sized cars in general. For me, a 73 Buick Regal with a 73 Chevy Monte Carlo rear end.

[@frankthetank9346]

I like that idea for a Crossover from two of my favorite rides. Would look great, I guess.

[@lght5548]

I seem to recall a friend buying a new one that was the same blue/black color combo except with bucket seats, console shifter, and a 455 with a 2 bbl carb, which Adam did not mention as an option. It was a very nice car.

[@JoshKetchum]

Id give my left arm to get my hands on one of these cars.. might have to contact you sir :) awesome videos keep them coming

[@carlm8821]

Thanks for this feature segment. The 1970’s may have largely done away with the hot-rod/muscle car era and craze of the 60’s, but to me personally, the styling and designs of this decade was by far the most impressive even over the 80’s and 90’s! The General was really on a roll during this period with the new for 71’ B and C bodies, and the intermediate A bodies across all the divisions! Heck, even the pseudo-sporting H bodies in 2+2 form were lookers. The Century Regals of this generation has to be, again, in my opinion, some of the most handsomely styled cars….sedans and wagons included….with the integrated sweeping lines and curves and those features were greatly highlighted with certain metallic paint colors like that beautiful blue on the featured example in this video! Designers back then really worked together and took great pride in what the final results ended up becoming. I’d be very hard pressed to walk into any GM dealership (of the few remaining divisions) today and find ANYTHING that speaks to me the way these cars did back then.

[@NorlandBoxcar]

The tail lights are nice just like the first year Monte Carlo. Love the side design too..

[@weegeemike]

Love me some Buicks! I didnt realize that the Regal name came out in '73 along with the reintroduction of the Century name, and i didnt realize that they cane out together on a car with two names! The Regal and Century would go on to be connected to one another, they were separated for a period in the 80s, but in '97 the Regal and Century donned two different versions of the same W body car, with the Century replacing the Skylark as the entry-level Buick and the Regal being a slighly more sportt and well equipped version of that car, featuring the 3800 V6, a superior engine to the Century's 3100 V6.

[@DoudD]

My dad had a '73 Regal....same blue as the car in your video. It was dead reliable, comfortable, and a pleasure to drive. Maybe not the most exciting or interesting car...but a very good one.

[@DSP1968]

Another great video, Adam. As you mentioned, these cars suffered a bit design-wise from the new 5 MPH bumper regulations, which to me just takes most of them a bit over the edge. This one does have a very nice interior for its price point, though.

[@PhilRacicot]

Many don’t care for these Colonnade GM cars, I’ve always liked them!

[@kenswonger4738]

back in my mid 20s I owned a 73 Buick century regal.it was yellow & had brown leather seats.i drove it until the transmission let go.

[@brentmiller3479]

Hi gang I was 18 when I ordered my 73 Buick Regal, White with tan vinyl, 350, It flew! BUT it was such a leaking rust bucket so quickly, The trunk was a swimming pool, so sad, I actually went to the Plant in Flint to see them being built, a 4 door came down the line with a wrong color front clip, Oooops, It was a powerful fast car! The years have gone by so fast!

[@joe6096]

Adam you should do a video on the 80s G-Bodies. When the Regal (and all others) went to the G-body in ‘81 they were some of the best sales successes ever at GM and they’re starting to appreciate on the classic car market today.

[@kc0lif]

my parents had 1974 century 4 door. i like that woodgrain.

[@lifeislucci]

The Stage 1 engine could not be ordered on the Regal. Only on the Century Gran Sport. Great video and love the early renders of the car. They are great cars. I have restored three 1973 Gran Sports. You need to find parts cars to find replacement body panels as reproduction parts for the 73 model year are still slim pickings. My 73 GS Stage 1 has over 100k miles on the original engine and still fires up every time and runs like a champ.

[@davidallen5776]

I was in grade school.in 1973...thus making things all the more tragic because I was much too young to drive!

[@quincycooper79]

Beautiful Car Adam.

[@MarinCipollina]

Thanks for this one, Adam ! I notice the clay model that shows up at 5:45 in is labeled as a 'SKYLARK'.

[@douglasrizzo9210]

In 73 and 74 the Stage 1 455 was also available in Riviera GS, VERY rare.

[@OLDS98]

Thank you Adam. Thank you for sharing the studio work the design sketches and models. This was interesting how Regal came to be. I recall the Century line and all those trim levels. It is interesting to note how Century and Regal reconnected in 1997 again and Regal was the top end and Century was the low end. The mirrors their full-sized counter parts as well. Century= Le Sabre and Regal= Park Avenue. I see the design in the student says Skylark as well. What is interesting was the Luxus trim name used. Who knew Lexus would come later. i know these midsized models were in inspiration for the full-sized 1977 GM cars. You cannot mistake the rear styling for anything but a Buick. It reminds of the Le Sabre from the same era. I thought about Kojak. He drove a Buick Century.

[@steveoh9838]

Kojak rolled all over town in one...lol

[@jamesterakazis6624]

Always excellent content.....

[@Flies2FLL]

Adam I think "opera" windows are simply a way to make the rear end look less heavy.

[@rovervitesse1985]

This video was such a treat! Love the 73 century and especially the regal. Since is was a small child i loved the rear end design and the front of the century. Many years later a discovered the regal version with its slightly different front and rear. In 2020 i started looking to get myself a 70ies Buick. Option 1 was a boattail, option 2 a 73/74 century or century regal and option 3 a 76 lesabre. Nice rivieras had gone way up in price, nice original unmolested century regals were impossible to find and then a perfect unmolested 75 lesabre coupe popped up on ebay so i bought that. But i still linger towards a 1973 regal… maybe some day… Ps, Adam, would you do a video about the 75 & 76 lesabres? They are the first with catalytic converters and in 4 door form were kind off the bridge between the rounded early 70s cars and the later boxy downsized cars.

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

My dad's mom bought a 1973 Century 4 dr. in that same light blue. she gave it to my dad around 1984 when she went to a compact Buick with a 4 cylinder. She didn't like that it was slow. It caught fire idling at the post office. She then bought a 4 century 6 cylinder .It was totaled when she died in a car accident with a sei truck.

[@MichaelNovello-q4i]

I bought my grandma's 1976 Regal in 1980. The front was squared off then and the side spear was gone 😣. The rear had a new design with fins and lights in them which I think looked really great. Regals in the mid 70s were really great looking and considered near luxury cars. Nice video!!

[@geraldscott4302]

This is a sweet car. It was Buicks version of the Chevy Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Oldsmobile Cutlass. I preferred the Grand Prix, but I like them all. I'm pretty much a sucker for a 2 door car with a landau roof and opera windows.

[@John-i3t9o]

I recall seeing a 1976 Century Special (the cheapest Buick A body that year) and it had a rubber floor mat. It was also two-tone, instead of having the typical vinyl top. Cheap with a capital C.

[@hutchcraftcp]

My family bought two 73 Buick Century models. A Green-Gold luxus 4 door. Parchment cloth seats 350 V2 and a triple brown 455 Regal coupe

[@PeteLenz]

Loved these cars! I’m curious - you worked in finance/ management- did you ever consider going into design? If not, why not? You’ve such a passion.

[@RareClassicCars]

Alas, I have no artistic ability.

[@dosgos]

Beautiful and comfortable cars. Not so much space for such large cars, however.

[@russellrobins5320]

Had a 73 century sedan 350 4bbl Was a quick car and handled pretty good

[@Alan-lv9rw]

In the 70’s I was hooked on the Datsun Z and the Toyota Celica. But in hindsight, these GM coupes were pretty cool. Especially the ‘76 Olds Cutlass coupe. I’d buy one today in a second if they made it.

[@dave1956]

I owned a 1973 Regal. I was working at a Buick dealer and it was a trade in. It was 1976. While it was a very pretty triple black beauty, but it was anything but trouble free. I got 12-13 mpg, about 1-2 less than the 1969 Riviera it replaced. I never could get it to run reliably when cold. It would stall and stumble and ate😂ignition poin😢every 5,000 miles.

[@markgrunzweig6377]

Make that a 1972 & I'll be even happier!