Here is some interesting data from the Editors of Consumer Guide:
Beneath the 1960 Buick Electra was the 401-cid V-8 introduced in 1959, dubbed Wildcat 445 (to denote its torque rating) and churning out 325 horsepower. LeSabres carried a 364-cid engine, with 235 to 300 bhp.
Electras came with power brakes and steering, but this year’s dual exhaust system switched to a single transverse muffler. Limited demand and high cost nixed the Triple Turbine Drive transmission that had been optional since 1958.
In its place, a new Turbine Drive transmission featured a variable-pitch fluid-control mechanism that replaced ordinary gears. Buick Transmission Engineer Harold Fischer explained to Car Life that “for maximum acceleration … you don’t shift gears, you shift a constantly flowing stream of oil.”
Instead of the customary “neck-snapping” downshift when passing, the magazine reported “a smooth surge like a rising wave.”
Other magic went inside: namely, a new Mirromagic instrument panel that let the driver read the bar-style speedometer and warning lights through an adjustable tilting mirror.
More important to passengers was the lowering of the central tunnel and floor pan, which added leg room. Back doors opened wider than before, doubtless a concession to the age of the typical Electra customer.
A smooth ride had long been a Buick trademark, so the company promoted Electra’s Torque Tube driveline, full-coil suspension, and solid K-braced frame. Air Poise suspension, formerly optional, was now consigned to the history books.
Electras rode a 126.3-inch wheelbase, 3.3 inches longer than the other Buicks, and carried 8.00 x 15 tires. A convertible came only in the Electra 225 series, priced at $4,192. Budget-minded buyers could get a base Electra hardtop sedan for a mere $3,818.
The 1960 Buick Electra dashboard panel of speedometer, odometer, and “idiot lights” is actually a mirror reflecting images from horizontal instruments in front of it.
An impressive option list included Twilight Sentinel that turned headlights on automatically, Guide-Matic to dim them, power windows and six-way seat, air conditioning, and “Wonder Bar” (station-seeking) radio.
“When better automobiles are built,” trumpeted ads with regularity, “Buick will build them.” Whether the 1960 Electra was “better” than the 1959 is a matter of taste.
With a convertible top down, in particular, either of those huge heavyweights still turns heads today — even if some observers might be taken aback at the sight of all that chrome and bulk.
The 1960 Buick Electra was softer and more subdued than its 1959 predecessor. But with tailfins, VentiPorts, and a “Wildcat 445” engine, the sedan was still a highly stylized — not to mention, powerful — luxury tourer.
Engines: ohv V-8, 401 cid (4.19 × 3.64), 325 bhp
Transmission: Turbine Drive (twin turbine) automatic
Suspension front: upper and lower A-arms, coil springs
Suspension rear: live axle, coil springs
Brakes: front/rear drums
Wheelbase (in.): 126.3
Weight (lbs): 4,453-4,653
Top speed (mph): 110-180
0-60 mph (sec): 11.0-12.0
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