On Wednesday, Buick formally committed itself toward an “all-electric portfolio” by 2030 — saying that it would be embarking on a brand transformation that would fundamentally change the company forever. This includes an entirely new horizontally oriented badge that doesn’t stray too far from Buick’s traditional tri-shield design.
“The Buick brand is committed to an all-electric future by the end of this decade,” stated Duncan Aldred, global vice president, Buick and GMC. “Buick’s new logo, use of the Electra naming series and a new design look for our future products will transform the brand.”
This decision is wholly in line with General Motors’ overarching efforts to become a zero-emissions automaker prioritizing all-electric vehicles and could work particularly well for Buick, which sees the majority of its sales in China. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has mandated that the nation ban the sale of all internal-combustion vehicles by 2035 with increasingly stringent emissions requirements being required for preceding model years. Europe, Canada, and the State of California have imposed similar timelines for their gasoline bans. However Chinese automakers have issued self-imposed bans targeting 2030 in anticipation and have been joined by multiple manufacturers based in the West.
The transition for Buick will be particularly swift. Under its current strategy, the automaker does not plan to launch any new internal-combustion vehicles after 2024. This is roughly the time its first EV (the Electra) is scheduled to arrive and will coincide with efforts to gradually remove gasoline-driven vehicles from its North American lineup.
Though the related presentation spent very little time talking about Buick’s product planning to outline changes to branding. In addition to the new logo, Buick is also intent on using new naming conventions, typography, and marketing tactics — saying the swap would take place over the next twelve-to-sixteen months.
From GM:
The new badge, which is the first significant change to the emblem since 1990, will be body-mounted onto the front fascia of Buick products starting next year. No longer a circular logo, the badge incorporates a sleek, horizontally aligned layout that builds upon Buick’s recognizable tri-shield. The redesigned columns of the tri-shield, which have roots in company founder David Dunbar Buick’s ancestral heraldry, incorporate fluid movements that will be found in future vehicle design.
“Our forthcoming products will adopt a new design language that emphasizes a sleek, dynamic and forward-looking appearance,” said Sharon Gauci, executive director, Global Buick and GMC Design. “Our exteriors will incorporate fluid movements that contrast with tension to convey motion. Interiors will balance modern design, new technologies and attention to detail to evoke warmth and a rich sensory experience.”
The brand previewed the Buick Wildcat EV concept (pictured) to help illustrate what the new design language could mean for the streets. However, GM was hesitant to confirm it for assembly, saying instead that aspects of its design would be apparent in the production vehicles going forward. It also plans on using the “Electra naming series” to come up with monikers for all subsequent vehicles — which we were told would be crossovers.
That’s kind of a shame. The Wildcat has a storied history and was arguably one of the company’s better products until it was ruined (like so many other American cars) by the 1970s. Basically indistinguishable from the LeSabre, GM pulled the plug on the model right as the decade started. Regardless of past tragedies, the concept isn’t bad to look at (even if it does resemble a Toyota/Lexus product) and customers will probably be pleased to see future Buick designs offering a little more attitude. There’s just no hope of the vehicle you’re seeing here actually making it into production. The Wildcat EV isn’t even sized in a way that would make it possible to use GM’s Ultium platform. It’s simply a design study designed to hype consumers about Buick’s pending all-electric future without serving as a direct representation of the forthcoming automobiles.
“Our forthcoming products will adopt a new design language that emphasizes a sleek, dynamic and forward-looking appearance,” said Sharon Gauci, executive director, Global Buick and GMC Design. “Our exteriors will incorporate fluid movements that contrast with tension to convey motion. Interiors will balance modern design, new technologies and attention to detail to evoke warmth and a rich sensory experience.”
But there is a potential catch here. Despite the langue indicating that Buick will forego gasoline-powered models entirely by 2030, it has left itself an out by tying EVs to the Electra name. This theoretically would allow the automaker to walk back promises of total electrification by making EVs into their own sub-brand in a manner similar to Cadillac. However, the automaker has not explicitly said this would be the plan, only that all subsequent Buick EVs would use the Electra naming convention. As things currently stand, Buick has famed itself as wholly committed to electric cars.
[Images: Buick]
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“until it was ruined (like so many other American cars) during the 1970s.”
The Wildcat went out of production in 1970 and I don’t see how the 1970MY version was “ruined” compared to the ’68 and ’69.
The Wildcat was replaced by the Centurion in 71 when their full sized B-body was redesigned. It filled the sporty niche in between the LeSabre and larger more luxurious C-body Electra.
It came with the 455 big block as standard equipment with even a few four speeds built.
My Old Man briefly had a Centurion prior to transitioning to Ford/Lincoln PLCs. I remember that it compared unfavourably particularly in regards to the interior, to the T-Bird that he replaced it with before he made the ‘upgrade’ to Mark Lincolns.
The 71-76 GM full sized B and C body cars lacked the quality of the previous 65-70 cars. They tended to have fit and finish issues along with weatherstripping that prematurely deteriorated and leaked. My folks had a 73 Impala coupe where the drivers side window started to rattle and the vinyl top bubbled. Their 76 Eldorado was somewhat better constructed.
The comparable full size Fords as well as the fuselage Chrysler’s of the era were better built.
Will the Red white and Blue tri-shield be swapped out for 3 red shields in China?
They should just take Bruick out behind the barn here in the NADM! There’s nothing left! Let them be Chinese SUVs—they can stay there!
Not that I’d buy any GM product made since the demise of the Almighty 3800 anyway, but if there’s only going to be glorified golf carts available from them, it makes the decision easier!
Buick still outsells Acura…
Your point Norm? At least I can name a.few Acura models. Buick? No.
Buick is a Chinese brand that is largely dead in the US
Buick is the purveyor of crap GM products largely sourced from S Korea and now totalitarian China
formerly Buick was also 2nd hand Opels before that moribund company was dumped on the French
fact is the imported Encore is the unfortunate face of Buick in the US, and that is craptastic, as it is rated among the worst in class
Guess leads lux compact segment in Consumer Reports? Not Acura RDX but Buick Envision. Guess who is at the top in lux subcompact segment? Acura has nothing while Encore and Encore GX are tops! The Buick Enclave lead the lux large crossover recently too!
That is one model assembled in China with GM powertrain, two from Korea, and one assembled in Michigan.
Hate to break it to you Crowe, but no matter how much you fellate GM Mary Barra is never going to return the favor.
Consumer Reports data means nothing to me, because I’ve seen enough about how they generate it (and tweak things to get clicks) to not trust it to reveal much of anything of value.
(I have no dog in this fight – I despise Acura’s product line, and Buick is basically dead to me.
Doubly so if this All EV Lulz thing isn’t just “we’ll forget about that right before 2030” posturing.
The only Buick I ever vaguely considered useful in recent memory was the Regal TourX, which of course they don’t make, preferring *boring* also-ran SUVs.
I don’t dislike SUVs, either, but … Buick is not a name to invoke with, not now, not remotely.)
And how is beating Acura, also a dead brand walking a measure of success? Buick sucks. So does China. A perfect match.
Considering Buick China outsells Buick USA, a Smiling Mao logo would be very appropriate.
Do y’all think you’re being clever, or something?
No. Just pointing out what a S#!+ brand Buick is. S#!t cars designed for a S#!+ country. Screw Buick.
Well one things for sure, they won’t make anything that looks like this concept.
@Corey Lewis–Agree. Interesting video on Rare Classic Cars from Adam who worked for GM for years explaining how cars are designed and the limits that designers have the basically limit most models to the front and rear fascias which is what happen on the X,J, and A bodies where the designers were only allowed to distinguish the different brands and models by the front and back. There might be a few changes between the Cadillac, Buick, and Chevy but they will share many body parts like doors, hoods and roofs.
CaddyDaddy will give an additional shout out to Adam at Rare Classic Cars and History YouTube channel! One of his latest vids is on a Virgil Exner designed 62′ Full Size Mopar. It’s fascinating and got him canned. The modern Stutz featured on TTAC and this Mopar share many design elements.
?Buick? Like all of GM’s divisions, a race to the bottom. All modern organizations meaningless promises for some goal or event to be established in the future that never occurs. With no repercussions for the failed result. In the end, all of these promises (all electric, climate doom, zero COVID, carbon free etc…) are just exercises in virtue signaling to meet public relations for the the next quarter….. and .gov blessings.
With all due respect, I don’t think that’s true. That seemed to be a particular constraint that is no longer an issue. Currently, apart from the BOF trucks and SUVs, no GM vehicles seem to share any major body panels between brands, not in the same markets.
Take, for instance, the Buick Enclave and the Chevrolet Traverse. They’re very closely related, and have an identical wheelbase and structure under the skin. But they look noticeably different from one another, and you’d need to know cars to see that they were the same. That’s also true for the XT4 and the Envision, and the Enclave GX vs the Trailblazer.
The roof lines and the dimensions of the Enclave and Traverse are basically the same. Agree it might not be as obvious as the GM cars from the 80s but there are just enough design elements shared to lower the cost of design and production. The front and the rears of both are very different.
@Corey Given most coupes (except sports cars) don’t sell now, I can’t imagine why an EV coupe would.
@RangerM Fully agree, the coupe is a thing of the past. Given the emphasis on carrying ever greater amounts of junk in your car for ‘lifestyle activities,’ I don’t see a return to the coupe any time soon.
Coupe SUV? Perhaps.
Kind of got coupe suvs now except they are 4 doors with the slopping roof lines of coupes. Not real practical just mainly for looks. Some have those floating roofs that appear to be almost pillar less.
Buick Who?
It’s hard to imagine a less relevant brand, at least in my part of North America.
Come to southern Florida and you’ll see Buick sedans galore parked at restaurants at 4 pm when dinner is served. Curb feelers are the #1 aftermarket accessory.
There are still a number of Buick sedans roaming the roads where I live and newer Buick crossovers. See lots of Enclaves and Encores and a number of Lacrosses and Buick Lesabres with the 3800 which live a long long time.
Especially in the Midwest, where old Buicks are everywhere, because they refuse to die.
They do refuse to die. I had a beautiful fully loaded 2012 Lacrosse I sold to Carvana and they sold it quickly. I made 4k on it but I do miss it what a beautiful car.
Old GM cars run like s**t forever.
Our ’64 Riviera (with the “Wildcat” V8) was still running fine (or as fine as any 60’s car ever ran) when we sold it after 30 years, though the frame was rusting out.
When I could not find replacement hubcaps, I sourced some from a Wildcat, and replaced the center hubs with the plastic Riviera symbols, as they were otherwise the same. I kept the plastic Wildcat hubs as souvenirs.
“It’s hard to imagine a less relevant brand, at least in my part of North America.”
Yes. For example how about FIAT and Renault? Mini and DS?
Infiniti…
Quite right. Infiniti has no identity — sports? Luxury? It’s the answer to a question no one is asking.
My non-professional interest in the brand pretty much died with the Buick Regal GS and wasn’t all that strong to begin with.
“(U)se of the Electra naming series…”
Electra
Electra Supreme
Electra Salon
Electra Ciera
Electra Calais
Because it worked so well the last time GM tried this…
I kind of like the evolution of the logo, but nothing else about this connects this in my brain to Buick. But I’m admittedly just stuck too much in the past.
Worked well until it didn’t! Rather Intriguing insight, though! ;-)
“Buick” to non-enthusiasts means “old people car”, pretty much?
(I’m not the kind of enthusiast that cares about Buicks, but *I acknowledge the name once actually kinda meant something*.
Not really so much in my adult life, but it DID.)
I remember when Buick meant something but that was well before the late 80s. The 50s, 60s, and most of the 70s Buicks were considered to be just below Cadillac and Lincoln and some of the Electras were even more premium than Cadillac and Lincoln. All the GM cars started to decline in quality starting in the late 60s and after that they went into a noticeable decline to the present. There were some blips where GM started with a few models and years to get better but for the most part the bean counters ruled. But then most US manufacturers have been going the same route and now many of the foreign car companies are doing the same. Most brand names of the past noted for quality have either become cheapened or have disappeared. I could rattle off a few but then I could keep going because the list of declining brands is longer than those who have survived.
There were a number of Canadian Prime Ministers, including Diefenbaker who made Buick their ‘official’ car/ride. This to demonstrate that they were not ostentatious/pretentious enough for a Cadillac or Imperial, but understood ‘value’. You respected a Doctor, banker or accountant who drove a Buick because it demonstrated that they were affluent but did not ‘show off’ by moving up to Cadillacs.
Wouldn’t You Really Rather Have an Internal Combustion?
Buickman
jdollinger.com
Not current Buick owners who may already drive around the community in a electric golf cart already.
In another year I am going to be one of those EV golf cart owners. Maybe I will put ventiports on the side and get one of these new Buick emblems and mount 1 on the front and 1 on the back. I could envision that happening and I would follow that up with an encore in my new enclave.
That’ll be the story of the century!
I’m fine with the new logo and electric propulsion, but if all Buick sells here are CUVs I’m not interested. And just how do they intend to distinguish their brand from the GMCs sold from the same showrooms?
This +1
I want to see some different EVs, like a 2 door coupe or a sporty hatchback. I know these don’t sell in ICE form but maybe they can as EVs? One of the promises of the skateboard EV platform was different “shells” on top.
Buick, like many GM brands (really just flavors) have been badge jobs for so long I don’t see the point. Styling differences are nice, but they need to have something truly unique to get buyers dollars.
By the tri shield and some ventiports on the front sides otherwise Buick crossovers and GMCs crossovers are the same vehicle with the same drive trains.
“Europe, Canada, and the State of California have imposed similar timelines for their gasoline bans.” Nice and subtle – associating the Chinese ban with, and thereby implying that Europe, Canada and California are somehow Communist too. (Except Europe isn’t a country – It’s a continent) No mention of the bans for India, Egypt, Israel, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan – but I suppose that would make your agenda of guilt by association with the Communists too complicated?
BTW – Wildcat didn’t have a “storied” history – Just three 50’s concept cars and two generations of production over 7 years, which ended in 1970. Hardly ruined by the government regulation of the 70’s as implied by your text.
Yes, we can see right through your agenda – Collect your check from Putin and Big Oil at the door.
Yes, every MP article that mentions China mentions it has a COMMUNIST government. Hey, I don’t like communism either, but you don’t need to remind us China is communist at every opportunity. We already know.
Wildcat wasn’t ruined it was discontinued for the 1971 MY when all new fully redesigned full size GM cars were introduced and then the Wildcat name went back to be used as the the name for Buick’s high performance V8 which is what it was before 1964 which in 1964 the Wildcat name was used thru 1970 for the sportier more performance full size Buick. I do like the fact Buick is going to use the Electra name and I think the Wildcat name would still be a good name if Buick ever comes out with an EV sport sedan.
2030 to be fully committed to electric power? I’ll venture that time might be close to the nadir of the ICE. The pendulum will swing back at some point when it becomes apparent that there are roles to be played by each type with hybrids being the most flexible option.
This makes a lot of sense.
Will there still be a Buick in 2030?
****! Will there still be a GM in 2030?
Will there still be a Tesla in 2030?
Probably. Buick? Yeah, but you’ll need to go to China to buy one.
If it is still around in the US, it’ll be rental car fodder. Fortunately it’ll be for the regular achlebs and not in the executive or executive elite aisle.
It’s like getting an Aspire 30 years ago.
GM and Buick will survive the question will be who will own them. The interview with Bob Lutz on Rare Classic Cars is interesting. Lutz tells about his time at GM, BMW, Ford, Chrysler, and ending in GM. In the early 00s GM seriously considered buying Chrysler but decided not to which is ironic since both GM and Chrysler later went bankrupt.
Nice to see the Wildcat name on a good looking coupe again. The first car I bought was a good looking brg Wildcat 2 door. Buick had some pretty good names, like the Electra and Riviera as well and I think really was positioned in the market where Lexus is today. (In any event, I went from Buick to Lexus myself years later.) Too bad that Buick will probably never produce a nice coupe, or even an automobile again.
Forgot to say it was a 1969 Wildcat in British Racing Green. Nice car, nice proportions, although a little too large to be sporty.
Bill on Curious Cars did a review a few month back on a beautiful light metallic blue 64 Buick Wildcat convertible in pristine condition.
One clever aspect of the Electra name could be to use numbers to denote the range or other aspects of the vehicle.
Electra 225, Electra 300, etc.
That is a good idea with the number denoting the range instead of the size.
One unicorn I’ve never seen actual tangible evidence of — outside of dealer brochures — is the 1985 Electra 300, with the 3.0 V6 as opposed to the 3.8 of the Electra 380. I mean, it had to exist…
Using the numbers in a similar fashion like you suggested is indeed a good idea.
Originally the 225 in Electra was to denote the length of the car. The Electra 225 was the longest Buick.
Getting a new logo usually means all problems fixed. Right?
I mean the reason Buick even exists is because of its legacy in China. I think even if they go all electric, they continue to associate themselves with that legacy. We all know in America Buick is irrelevant. It is hodgepodge of made in China CUVs and made in Korea three cylinder uber rides, and some other re-badged this and that.
“saying that it would be embarking on a brand transformation that would fundamentally change the company forever. This includes an entirely new horizontally oriented badge that doesn’t stray too far from Buick’s traditional tri-shield design.”
That’s what left of once-vaunted American Engineering and Industrial prowess; after 50 years of run-amuck dollar printing has succeeded in transferring all wealth, hence all decision making power, to rank retards and nothing but, who have “made money from their (invariably decaying hence actually value _destroying_) home” and “portfolio.”
“even if it does resemble a Toyota/Lexus product” You need to see your optometrist.
You don’t see it in the front?!
GM is dead, dead, dead. We should save Corvette, but that’s it. After years and years of purchasing GM poorly engineered and even more poorly assembled POS “things”, I gave up on them years ago and went Japanese. T
Whatever you do, do not click on this link:
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/the-best-full-size-suvs
GM leads the large truck in sales and owns 75% of tge large SUV market today.
“…. This decision is wholly in line with General Motors’ overarching efforts to become a zero-emissions automaker prioritizing all-electric vehicles and could work particularly well for Buick, which sees the majority of its sales in China. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has mandated that the nation ban the sale of all internal-combustion vehicles by 2035 with increasingly stringent emissions requirements being required for preceding model years. Europe, Canada, and the State of California have imposed similar timelines for their gasoline bans… ”
Nicely done, tying it all together.
I’m surprised though that TTAC has not brought to our attention the District of Columbia’s massive registration fee increases for large vehicles (large SUVs and pick-ups), or Canada’s even further increase on taxes/fees of these vehicles.
These increases can only hurt sales, resale value of big vehicles. For all it’s comments about electric, the fact is that GM probably generates 75-125% of it’s profits from the T1xx (full-size truck, full-size SUV) product line. This applies to Ford too.
The political correctness, which GM AND Ford so eagerly embrace is, going to boomerang.
Not only do they depend on gas-guzzlers, but (setting aside the innately lower profit margins), they have little to offer at the other end of the spectrum. Just the Malibu. One plant.
Hopefully Mr. Posky will inform people here of the DC, Canada and any other such regulations targeting big vehicles, not to advocate or challenge, but to make people aware.
All these companies and governments have jumped out of the airplane hoping they can make a parachute before they hit the ground. Personally, I think it’s all going to go splat.
Why has TTAC not paid more attention to the issue around ‘wire harnesses’? Or have I missed it? A significant number of these were manufactured in Ukraine. Some investment ‘experts’ believe that auto manufacturers will not invest in new plants to manufacture these for ICE vehicles. And that Tesla has largely circumvented the problem, with their design.
The lack of supply for this one product may hasten the demise of ICE vehicles.
True the wiring harnesses are made in Ukraine. Agree that the lack of supply will hasten the demise of ICE vehicles and additionally diverting funds from developing a new generation of ICE to EVs. Car companies are not going to spend billions on redesigning ICE vehicles when there are new deadlines for meeting Government mandates on the near horizon. Rising fuel prices will also drive more new car buyers to EVs.