Buick Estate is a nameplate that was used by the Buick division of General Motors, denoting its luxury full-size station wagon from 1940 to 1964 and from 1970 to 1996. The Estate nameplate was derived from the term country estate in wealthy suburban areas and estate car, the British term for a station wagon.
For much of its model life the Buick Estate was produced using GM B platform as the station wagon counterpart of Buick sedans; it was offered on the GM C platform from 1949–1953, then again from 1971–1976. With the exception of the prewar Buick Limited limousine, the Estate was the largest vehicle of the Buick line, combining the luxury features of Buick sedans with cargo-carrying capabilities. In line with other brands having a wagon-associated moniker, Estate became adopted by other Buick wagons (regardless of size), with the exceptions of the 1964–1972 Buick Sport Wagon and the 1982–1989 Buick Skyhawk station wagon. In 1976 American Motors Corporation introduced the Jeep Grand Wagoneer with similar passenger accommodation, luxury standard equipment and a simulated woodgrain appearance built on a dedicated chassis.
Following the 1996 model year, Buick discontinued the Roadmaster Estate and mid-size Century Estate station wagons, ending the use of the nameplate. Buick would not market another station wagon in the United States until 2018, rebranding the Opel Insignia as the Buick Regal TourX.
1940s
The first Buick Estate station wagon was a large-bodied wheelbase GM C platform Buick Super introduced mid-year only for 1940 with a wooden body, the same year the wooden-body station wagon Packard One-Ten was first introduced. The 1940 Super Estate was very exclusive and was installed with the second largest engine offered at the time, with a retail price of US$1,242 ($ in dollars ) while the limousine Buick Limited manufactured 1,739 for a listed retail price of US$2,199 ($ in dollars ) with similar length and interior comfort. The appearance of the wood panels using both mahogany panels with oak trim was different from other wagons that used one source of wood. resembling a cargo van that could seat up to eight passengers. 1937 was also the year Packard first offered a station wagon on the junior series Packard Six Model 115-C. Buick and Packard had a professional rivalry and the introduction of the Packard Station Wagon was an opportunity Buick leadership saw to offer one for Buick. The retail price for the Special Estate was US$1,463 ($ in dollars ) and a similar production total of 838 were produced, while the Touring Sedan made 91,138.
Later after automobile production resumed at the end of World War II, the Estate returned to Buick's C platform Super and Roadmaster for the 1946–49 model years and a long tradition of contracting the station wagon body style was provided by Ionia Manufacturing, also known as Mitchell-Bentley Corporation that today is called, Mitchell Corporation, which built all Buick station wagon bodies between 1946 and 1964 instead of GM's Fisher Body.
The 1946 Super Estate was listed at US$2,594 ($ in dollars ) and production total of 786 were produced while still offering the wheelbase.
Due to the high maintenance required of the genuine wood veneer panels requiring a coat of varnish to keep the durability and appearance, the use of wood gradually decreased until 1950 when it was not much more than window surround for the exterior while more modestly used inside where the wood was protected from the elements. The Estate for 1950 was offered on the Super and Roadmaster, while the Roadmaster was offered with two trim packages called Model 79 Estate Wagon and the Model 79R Deluxe Estate Wagon, the latter offering leather upholstery, a carpeted cargo area and the first time power windows and power adjustable front seat were available.
It was installed with the largest engine available in the top-level Roadmaster, which was the Fireball Straight-eight engine that necessitated the long wheelbase.
| transmission=
| platform = B-body
| successor = Buick Sport Wagon
In 1959 the LeSabre Estate was introduced on the B platform. Beginning in 1959 the intermediate Invicta Estate was offered with a listed retail price of US$3,841 ($ in dollars ) while the junior LeSabre station wagon was listed at US$3,320 ($ in dollars ). Engines were unchanged from previous years including the standard 250-horsepower 364-cubic-inch V8, no-cost regular fuel 235-horsepower 364 or the four-barrel 300-horsepower option of same engine available at extra cost. The two-speed Turbine Drive Dynaflow automatic transmission was standard equipment on LeSabres and all other full-sized Buicks this year, although a manual transmission was also available. The three Ventiports returned to the side of the front fender denoting the junior-level status in Buick's hierarchy of products offered. From 1967 until the Estate returned in 1970, GM's most upscale full-sized station wagon offering simulated woodgrained paneling was the Pontiac Executive Safari station wagon and Chevrolet Caprice Custom Estate.
The Estate returned to an earlier tradition during the 1940s and 1950s of positioning it as a luxury vehicle similar to the top-level Electra 225, with full power amenities, air conditioning and the available AM/FM radio, and included an optional roof installed luggage rack with a vinyl roof covering available. To accommodate various load duties, the second row bench seat had a 60/40 split for additional passengers and cargo while using the Buick 455 V8 for effortless driving. The 1971–76 GM full-size bodies, at front shoulder room and rear shoulder room set a record for interior width that would not be matched by any car until the full-size GM rear-wheel drive models of the early to mid 1990s. The Estate also shared the Electra 225's interior and exterior styling from 1971 to 1974 (complete with the prerequisite four VentiPorts). Door trim and seats were not as plush in 1971–74 wagons and no door pull strap was included as it was on the Electra.
The Estate used the Buick 455 V8 from 1971 through 1976 found in the Buick GSX. The Stage One high performance version, with high lift camshaft, enlarged ports, enlarged valves, and dual exhaust, was available as an option through 1974.
To commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States, the standard colors available on all Buicks were Judicial Black, Liberty White, Pewter Gray, Potomac Blue, Continental Blue, Concord Green, Constitution Green, Mount Vernon Cream, Buckskin Tan, Musket Brown, Boston Red and Independence Red, with specially available colors on select models Congressional Cream, Revere Red, Colonial Yellow and Firecracker Orange. The 1977 listed retail price was $6,078 ($ in dollars ) with the optional rear facing third row seat, while the "Dual-Action" tailgate was now standard equipment with a power retractable rear window on all GM station wagons.
!
!Yearly Total
|-
|1977
|25,075
|-
|1978
|25,964
|-
|1979
|21,312
|-
|1980
|15,332
|-
|1981
|11,268
|-
|1982
|15,331
|-
|1983
|18,887
|-
|1984
|17,563
|-
|1985
|13,366
|-
|1986
|18,126
|-
|1987
|12,759
|-
|1988
|9,624
|-
|1989
|7,531
|-
|1990
|7,999
|-
!Total
!<u>220,137</u>
|}
<gallery widths="250px" heights="215px">
File:Buick Electra Estate Wagon.JPG|1980-1989 Buick Electra Estate Wagon
File:Buick Electra Estate Wagon (7871807824).jpg|1986 Buick Electra Estate Wagon
File:1982 Buick Electra Estate in WA, US.jpg|1982 Buick Electra Estate Wagon
</gallery>
1991–1996
For 1991, Buick revised its nameplate offerings. The stand-alone Estate Wagon was retired, as Buick reintroduced the Roadmaster nameplate as its new full-size line (replacing the Electra, but not the Park Avenue). While last used in 1958, the Roadmaster line again offered an Roadmaster Estate station wagon for the first time since 1953.
The B-body chassis underpinnings from 1977 returned with evolutionary upgrades, with a complete redesign of the body and interior. Introduced a model year before the Roadmaster sedan, the Roadmaster Estate shared its body with the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and the Chevrolet Caprice station wagon.
GM discontinued the Roadmaster Estate in 1996, ending production on December 13 of that year, the last traditional full-sized American station wagon. The towing package added 2.93 rear-axle gears and a rear limited-slip differential, heavy-duty cooling system including oil and transmission coolers, and a factory-installed self-leveling rear suspension called Dynaride, which consisting of air shocks, a height sensor between the rear axle and body and an on-board air compressor. Most visibly, a pair of electric fans offset to the left under the hood was replaced by the combination of one conventional fan-driven mechanically from the engine alongside one electric fan.