Rare is the automobile as luxurious, stylish, comfortable and as powerful as the Wildcat convertible
“Sleek, sure-footed, muscular – 325-HP strong” was Buick’s description of their 1963 Wildcat. Truer words have never been said.
This was a full-size automobile with fine styling, a well-appointed interior that was incredibly comfortable and reassuring to drive, and the smoothest shifting transmission known to man. When Buick wrote in their literature, “Thrives best on the open road (tracks arrow-straight, and corners like a cat),” they weren’t kidding.
This was the first year the Wildcat was its own series; no longer was it a sub-series of the Invicta line. To suit a variety of buyers, it was available in three different body styles – four-door Hardtop, two-door Sport Coupe, and convertible. Being a General Motors B-body, each could accommodate either five or six passengers. All told for the 1963 model year, 35,725 Wildcats were built.
The Wildcat’s decorative stainless-steel trim and paneling lends it an aura of elegance that few cars of its era possess. Inside the cabin, the very sporty bucket seats are ergonomically perfect, and the beautifully designed instruments are a visual feast for your eyes. This is one classy automobile, the kind that makes you feel like a million bucks when you’re behind the wheel.
What’s so unique about this Wildcat, and most other Buicks of this era, is its Turbine Drive automatic transmission. Based on the previous Dynaflow transmission, it consisted of two internal turbines and a set of planetary gears, which were forced into position via oil flowing against the vanes of the turbines. It was a bit complicated to say the least, but it worked so well that the usual feeling of shifting gears was totally absent. As the accelerator is pressed, all you feel is an ultra-smooth surge in power. So smooth is this Turbine Drive that you would think the car didn’t have a transmission at all. That’s smooth.
According to this car’s owner, John Giltinan, “My Wildcat convertible is stylish and elegant and reflects the optimism of its time with its crisp tailfins and beautiful aircraft-inspired switchgear. And I love the Jetsons touches in the interior.”
Buick’s “nailhead” V-8 displaces 401 cubic inches, and with its single four-barrel Rochester 4GC carburetor, it puts out 325 horsepower at 4,400 RPM along with 445-ft.lbs. of torque at a much needed 2,800 RPM. Its dual exhaust adds to its sporty nature. Note how the back-up lights are integrated into the bumper. And ya gotta love that appealing Wildcat script.
