The Buick Park Avenue is a full-size luxury car built by Buick. The nameplate
was first used in 1975 for an appearance option package on the Electra 225
Limited. It became an Electra trim level in 1978 and its own model starting in
1991 after the Electra was discontinued. Two generations of the Park Avenue were
manufactured in the United States until 2005, while in 2007 the nameplate was
revived on a large Buick sedan built by Shanghai GM for the Chinese market based
on the Holden Caprice from the WM/WN range. The nameplate is derived from the
affluent New York City boulevard, Park Avenue.
As a sub-model The Park Avenue remained part of the
Electra model family though 1990 however, Electra references were dropped
starting with the 1989 model in conjunction with the addition of the new
top trim line Park Avenue Ultra. Some considered the 1989 and 1990 models the
"true" first generation Park Avenues but those cars were still technically
Electras. The Park Avenue didn't become a standalone model until 1991.
Essence concept car The Buick Park Avenue Essence was a
concept car designed and engineered by the Buick division of General Motors to
showcase advanced technology and styling. First shown in 1989 in a light
green metallic color, the Essence made rounds through the auto show circuits
later in a light white. Inside the Essence was a wide, sweeping instrument
panel that housed a prototype Delco Navicar navigation system among other
innovations. Smooth, graceful body lines forecast the eventual production Park
Avenue, introduced in 1991. The Essence was powered by the then-new 185 hp
version of Buick's 3800 OHV V6 engine. First generation
The model year 1991 Park Avenue, introduced in 1990, utilized GM's GM C
platform until the C-body was dropped in 1997. The Park Avenue was normally
powered by the 3.8 L 3800 Series I V6, with a special Ultra model using a
supercharged version starting in 1992. Many consider the supercharged model to
be a "sleeper" due to its exceptional acceleration, despite its large size.
The base model Park Avenue came with a 3.8 L naturally-aspirated V6 engine and
plush velour interior upgradeable to leather. The Ultra came with a 3.8 L
Supercharged V6 engine and standard leather interior. The Park Avenue was
Buick's largest front wheel drive sedan, but was joined with the larger
reintroduction of the Roadmaster sedan and station wagon in 1991.
Inspired in great part by the 1989 Park Avenue Essence show car, the Park
Avenue's silhouette was often compared to that of contemporary Jaguars and many
of its styling cues, including a large 'dollar-grin' grille mounted to the
hood, rounded lines, and full-width tail lamps made their way to other Buick
models restyled in the 1990s. The base Park Avenue was available in
Europe from 1991 to 1996 and varied from the North American version by featuring
a truncated taillamps with separate amber turn signal indicators and red
brake lamps, wider numberplate bezel, fitment of rear red fog lamps, headlamps
with different lens pattern, white front side running markers, amber front turn
signal indicators, side turn signal repeaters, "flagpole" external rear-view
mirrors, stronger seat belt and anchors, "softer" air bags, metric speedometer
and gauges. They are to comply with the European regulatory and safety
standards. This generation of the Park Avenue was
the last Buick to be officially marketed by GM in Europe. This move was to reduce
the "cluttered" model range that confused the European consumers. After
1996, Cadillac and Chevrolet remained the sole General Motors North American
brands to be sold in Europe. Second generation
An updated Park Avenue was released in 1997, it was now built on GM's G
platform; however GM chose to continue to refer to it as the C platform. This
new generation was powered by updated Series II variants of the 3800. As
before, only Ultra models were supercharged. The base trim featured a
hood ornament while the Ultra had a less conspicuous tri-shield inset in on the
upper edge of the grille. The velour interior trim that was only offered as
one of the options for the base model was dropped in favor of the leather
trim. The Park Avenue went largely unchanged
until 2003. Trademark Buick ventiports returned that year along with a bolder
grille that carried a larger monochromatic tri-shield badge in the
center. For 2005 — its final model year — base Park Avenues received the new
grille, and previously Ultra-exclusive ventiports. Also, the rear fascia was
redone across the line with a prominent chrome bar above the license plate
holder with an embossed Park Avenue script and amber turn signal flashers.
The 2004 Park Avenue base was the last USDM Buick to carry a factory hood
ornament. The last 3,000 Park Avenues carried Special Edition badging that
featured the namesake script underneath a silhouette of the New York City
skyline. 300 of these were painted with a special two-tone black-on-platinum
finish. Production ended on June 18, 2004.
The Park Avenue was discontinued after 2005 and in 2006 was replaced by the
Buick Lucerne. The Lucerne also replaced the higher-volume LeSabre.
Third generation In 2007, General Motors reintroduced the
Park Avenue nameplate in China on a luxury sedan that replaced the Buick
Royaum. Like its predecessor, the vehicle is based on the Australian-built
Holden Caprice, though, unlike the Royaum, it is assembled by Shanghai GM
from CKD kits. It is offered in three trim levels: Comfort, Elite, and
Flagship. The current Park Avenue is powered by
Australian-built versions of the GM High Feature engine. The standard engine is
the 2.8 L LP1, while the 3.6 L LY7 is available as an option on the Elite and
Flagship models. The engine control unit is a Bosch E77 32-bit ECM processor.
In 2010, new powertrains were offered, 3 L SIDI and 3.6 L SIDI displacing the old
2.8 V6 and 3.6 V6. The third-generation Park Avenue was
never offered in North America. The car was discontinued in China in 2012.
References External links
Media related to Buick Park Avenue at Wikimedia Commons
1991-1996 Buick Park Avenue: Overview 1997-2005 Buick Park Avenue: Overview
Buick official page: China