Buick's Overlooked Turbo Coupe: A Famous Name, A Forgotten Flop

Turbocharging is everywhere today, but it was once a bold experiment. Oldsmobile tried it first in 1962, and Porsche made it famous with the 911 Turbo in 1974. By 1978, Buick jumped in with turbocharged Regal and LeSabre models. 8-liter V6.

The Century name itself had a long history, starting in 1936 and returning in 1954 and again in 1973. But the Turbo Coupe, offered only as a two-door fastback, was a short-lived experiment, dropped after the 1980 model year. Buick produced fewer than 3,000 units.

The car promised V8-like performance with better fuel economy, but it struggled. The turbocharged V6 was reportedly unreliable, thanks to a poorly engineered turbo control computer and metallurgical weaknesses in the engine. The carburetor's design also caused the engine to run rich under load, hurting fuel economy.

Only a three-speed automatic was offered, no manual gearbox.

The styling was not well-received, and it was too similar to the Regal, so buyers often chose the Regal instead. With roughly 2,727 examples sold, it was no sales hit. Today, these cars are relatively cheap, with asking prices typically between $6,500 and $10,000 on auction sites.

8-liter V6's legacy. The later 3800 series, introduced in 1988, earned a strong reputation for reliability and won multiple awards, including Ward's 10 Best Engines honors. The Century Turbo Coupe remains a quirky footnote in Buick's history, slow, ugly, and unreliable, but a unique piece for collectors.