"We knew you wanted a car of true modernity - and this 1958 Buick fairly sings with it. From its graceful grille to its gleaming tail towers to its luxurious décor inside - this is the freshest fashion in town."
You might think: "That's not fair!", and we think so, too. This Buick Special gets a special treatment in the narrow streets of La Habana Vieja. Most cars here are used as a Taxi to make a living, and when the car must run to gain money, then sentimentality is out of place.
1958 was a difficult year for Buick: the completely new lineup was launched amidst the first post-war recession and miles away from the customer's demand for more economic cars. The design was a typical excess at the climax of the "chrome-and-tailfins" era, and while the catalog praised the Buick as the "First big car that's light on it's feet", the reality couldn't hide that the cars were heavy and sluggish. Even the famous 160 chromed pyramids of the "Fashion-Aire Dynastar"-grille couldn't make up for the insufficient brakes and the lethargic handling.
GM had to react quick, and they did. The usual three-year lifecycle was shortened to just one year: already in 1959 arrived a completely new designed lineup, which should proof to be way more successful.
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