At some level, General Motors’ main focus in 1958 was Impala, the new kid on the block whose first public appearance happened only two years before.
As the top-of-the-line Bel Air version, Impala took everybody by surprise with record overnight sales, eventually convincing GM to turn it into a stand-alone series only a year later.
But then, there was the Buick Special, a model whose legacy in the automotive space was already reaching new heights. The car followed the same styling trends that made their way to other GM models as well, going through a series of transformations that prepared it for a bright future.
Buick’s 1958 lineup included several successful models, including the Roadmaster Riviera, the Limited, the Super, the Century, and the Special series. The wagon model was sold as Century Caballero, but needless to say, it wasn’t necessarily the best-selling version. On the other hand, the version that really had a hard time convincing buyers to give it a chance was the Limited Riviera, not necessarily because they were ugly and lazy (because they weren’t!) but due to a crazy high price. Each of these models costs $5,000.
The 1958 Special that eBay seller ginadylan has recently discovered is a beautiful bit of automotive culture, still coming in an unbelievable shape after all these years. Sure enough, it’s hard to tell if the car has ever been restored, but given the overall condition, I doubt this is the case.
The sedan looks like a great project for restoration, especially because almost everything is still there. If you spot anything missing in the pictures, chances are it’s in the trunk, where most trim is currently stored. Furthermore, the seller claims the car also sells with plenty of extra parts, possibly as someone planned a restoration but never finished it.
As you can tell from the shared photos, this Buick is still pretty solid, and this is probably the most surprising part. The rust certainly isn’t a probably, and for a car built in 1958, this is rather unique, especially without any restoration to date. I would still inspect everything closely, though, but overall, it just looks like whoever took care of this Buick knew exactly what they were doing.
Unfortunately, the engine under the hood no longer runs, but otherwise, we know nothing about it. A good mechanic should be able to tell more about it, which is why a full in-person inspection is strongly recommended.
The selling price makes perfect sense, as the bidding starts at just $2,500. Without a reserve in place, I expect the price to go significantly higher, especially as the auction is still in its early days. It’s projected to end in one week.