The T-Type name was used in a series of
Buick automobiles that were popular during the 1980s. This marketing approach for Buick products was a revival of a similar approach used in the 1960s (and later revived in the 1990s) with the
Buick GS designation.
History
These T-Type cars were built as performance-oriented models, the most famous of which was the
Buick GNX (based on the
Regal platform). During the time that the T-Type cars were in production,
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
s were becoming very popular in the aftermarket performance industry, and in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, they were adopted for use on production vehicles, the most notable of which was the Regal.
The first model to receive the T-Type badge was the 1981
Buick Riviera
The Buick Riviera is a personal luxury car that was marketed by Buick from 1963 to 1999, with the exception of the 1994 model year.
As General Motors' first entry into the personal luxury car market segment, the Riviera was highly praised by au ...
. Within a few years, other models from the Buick lineup would follow suit. The Grand National (also referred to as "GN"), an adaptation of the Regal T-Type and introduced in 1982, became an instant success; it inspired the company to extend its T-Type line to its other mid-size offering, the
Century (though without the turbocharged engine). The compact
Skyhawk and
Skylark
''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...
also received the T-Type treatment in 1983, and in 1986 the
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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did as well.
The T-Type series reached its peak in 1987. By that time, even the full-size
LeSabre and
Electra were available as T-Type models, but without the turbocharger. The Lesabre T-Type coupe design was a different approach, pieced together from design highlights of the rare 1986 Lesabre Grand National (116 built), and although odd-looking, was a more cohesive touring car package. Also that year, the GNX made automotive history as "the fastest American car in 1987" (a distinction it held through 1989, which was the Regal's second year as a front-wheel drive car). The GNX recorded a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds, and its "fast car" reputation led many people to dub it "Corvette killer." In addition, its turbocharged V6 made it an attractive alternative to its similar-bodied V8-powered siblings, such as the
Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS and
Oldsmobile 442
The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 (also known as the 442) is a muscle car produced by Oldsmobile between the 1964 and 1987 model years. Introduced as an option package for US-sold F-85 and Cutlass models, it became a model in its own right from 1968 to 197 ...
(neither of which had the turbocharger available to them).
T-Type Models
Legacy
The T-Type line met its demise in 1990, as an option on the Buick Electra, and the following year, a new, upsized
Park Avenue Ultra was introduced with a
supercharged engine. The Riviera and Regal also had supercharged engines as an option when they were redesigned in 1995 and 1997, respectively; the current Regal also has a turbocharger as an option, starting with its return to the lineup in 2011, as do the 2012
Buick Verano
The Buick Verano (Chinese: 威朗) is a compact car manufactured by SAIC-GM for the GM's Buick brand since 2010. It debuted at the North American International Auto Show on January 10, 2011, during a preview of Buick's then upcoming 2012 model.
...
and 2014
Buick Encore.
The turbocharged engines were usually
General Motors' famous 3.8 L V6 engine, but in the case of the Skyhawk, a turbocharged four-cylinder was available (1.8 sourced from Brazil in the Skyhawk, 2.5 in the Skylark/Somerset). Transmission choices were a five-speed manual (Skyhawk only) and, depending on the year and model, a three- or four-speed automatic. The interiors of T-Type cars differed from most other Buicks in that the front seats were almost always bucket seats, and the shifter was mounted in the center console, except the 1981-85 Rivieras which had the buckets and a consolette but a column shifter. Some T-Type Electras and Centurys kept the front bench seats and column shifter intact and even in bucket seat models, the T-Type Electra and Century still had a column-mounted shifter. By comparison, the turbocharged editions of the 2011 Regal and 2012 Verano use a 2.0 L four-cylinder engine that can be mated to either a manual or automatic transmission (both six-speeds), and the Encore uses a 1.4 L four-cylinder engine that is mated to a six-speed automatic only.
The T-Type logo consisted of a large red letter "T", and the word "Type" in small black or white letters. The emblems were only placed on the fenders and on some later models (1986) a grille emblem was used. The single T was only used on the turbo Regals and only in 1987. Originally the T-type name was to be an appearance package and used across the line (which it did) but was confused by the turbo Regal when the 3.8 turbo motor could be ordered with the T-type package. In 1987 Buick dropped the T-Type package on the Regal. All turbo Regals in 1987 came with the Y56 T package and have a T badge on the fenders and on the horn button (a similar T badge also appears on the current Regal Turbo and Verano Turbo). This T package is often erroneously thought to designate the Turbo T package, which is solely the WE4 Regal.
As a drag racer, the GN's main opponent is the
Ford Mustang, a prime example of GM's long-standing rivalry with
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
. In 1984, the GN's legend grew when it defeated a
Corvette in a quarter-mile run featuring GM vehicles, thus creating a rare instance of "the fastest American car" that was not made by Chevrolet (despite the fact that it had two less cylinders than the normally-aspirated sports car).
Possible Return
It has been rumored that the T-Type, Grand National and GNX nameplates could return to the Buick lineup, to be sold as 4-door sedans. These new incarnations would share a rear-wheel drive platform with the
Cadillac ATS
The Cadillac ATS (short for ''Alpha Touring Sedan'') is a compact executive 4-door sedan and 2-door coupe manufactured and marketed by Cadillac and developed at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Cadillac assembles the ATS ...
and be powered by a choice of two engines that would be mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual. The T-Type and Grand National would use a turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder (272 HP) or a naturally aspirated 3.6L V6 (321 HP) while the GNX would most likely get a 3.6L Twin-Turbo V6 (400 HP). This would be the first use of rear-wheel drive since the
Buick Roadmaster
The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile that was built by Buick from 1936 until 1942, from 1946 until 1958, and then again from 1991 until 1996. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and s ...
was discontinued in 1996.
References
{{Buick
Buick
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Front-wheel-drive vehicles
Mid-size cars
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Sedans
Station wagons
Cars introduced in 1973
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Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States