Just 18,000 Miles! 1965 Buick LaSabre Convertible
You have to wonder how a 57-year-old automobile manages to go through three owners and yet accumulates only 18,000 miles? That’s the claim for this 1965 Buick LaSabre convertible whose mileage is said to be verifiable. We’re told that it’s been in the garage since new and never driven in the rain or snow. Considering that only 6,543 LaSabre drop-tops were built that year, this could be one of the nicest few that are left. Located in Hudson, Massachusetts, this survivor is available here on craigslist for $23,900. Thanks for another wowser tip, Barn Finder T.J.!
The LaSabre was one of the Buick’s longest-running nameplates, appearing on full-size models from 1959 through 2005. The name is French for “the saber” and it was applied to automobiles in the 1960s that were positioned below the top-line Electra 225. Third-generation editions were built from 1965 to 70, including this beauty, featuring more rounded bodylines and “Coke-bottle” styling profiles. They rode on a new perimeter frame shared with other GM B-body cars that replaced the “X” frame used since 1961.
On the fender of the seller’s car is a “400” emblem, meaning it came with the new “400” package and a 250 hp, 300 cubic-inch V8 with 4-barrel carburetor and a 10.25 to 1 compression which required premium fuel. This produces 355 ft.-lbs. of torque, which explains the label on the air cleaner, “Wildcat 355.” The package also included the more desirable Super Turbine “400” three-speed automatic transmission found in Buick’s higher-priced cars.
We’re told this LaSabre is “almost” 100% original and there is mention of the top being like new. Does that mean the paint and interior are original to the car? Maybe so, as it certainly looks like it. The seller says the car has never been in an accident and there is “very little” rust to be found. As we don’t see any, that statement must pertain to the undercarriage of the automobile.
One interesting characteristic of the dashboard is the placement of the round gauges for speed and other functions. While they’re huge, they look to be positioned below the line of sight, meaning you’d have to take your eyes off the road to see how fast you’re going. At any rate, this is a beautiful car and – in convertible form – not seen very often nowadays.
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Comments
I was about to say I just saw a Burt Reynolds movie, yesterday, with this exact same car in it. At the very end of the movie he drives off into the sunset in this car…… until I saw the picture of the taillights. They don’t match. The one he was driving was a ’66. Almost identical.
I always thought that was weird the way Buick put the speedometer so low on the dashboard. You do have to take your eyes off the road to read it.
That would be the 1976 flick, Gator, with Lauren Hutton. Always like that movie.
Thank you, Russ. I could not remember the name of the movie. And I just saw it yesterday. Short term memory is the first to go. Then peeing 4 times a night, LOL
Actually Angel, memory is the second thing to go…did I mention sadly?
Elegant yet subtle design – it’s years since I last saw one of these ’65 Buick B-bodies, yet at a local show this last Thursday lo and behold there it was, just the Wildcat version wearing red with black top.
Always liked just how each GM division managed to churn out their own individual designs based on the shared body shell. And the 60s Buick trademark W’d face and ass make such a dramatic visual impression when I see these in the flesh. IMHO it’s so weird why we aren’t seeing more of these 60s B’body Buicks; as typical ‘old guy’ rides when new they ought to have fairly high survival rates…?
“Old guy” rides?
When I was 17, my second car was a white 1961 Buick Invicta convertible. A few cars down the road at age 19, I had a baby blue 1962 Electra 225 convertible.
And as for Buick as a whole, a ’70 Riviera, a ’71 Riviera and a ’72 Riviera.
I like Buicks as well as Cadillacs
There aren’t that many of us, in 1965 at age 18, I had a 1962 thunderbird convertible – my friends thought it strange.
At 18, I had a ‘60 Cadillac Sedan DeVille – my friends thought it strange as well but didn’t hesitate to pile in on “cruise night.”
Maybe it has occurred to you that you weren’t the archetypical Buick buyer…?
Nothing wrong with Buicks, or ‘old guys’ for that matter – they’re usually careful drivers and baby their rides for decades. Honestly I think we have many of those ‘old guys’ to thank for many of the vintage vehicles that has survived to our time. I’m confident there are still many, many thousands like the featured LeSabre stashed away in barns or garages with only minor imperfections that were Grampa’s pride and joy and never intended to leave the property.
And – at least judging by all the targeted marketing for blue pills or hair loss snake oil that come to my junk mail folder – I get the impression that even at 45 I’m about to enter ‘old guy’ territory… 😏
Hear, hear, Angel–I Iike them too.
Of course, Oldog, back then the boys had their Camaros and Firebirds Mustangs. Girls either had brand new foreign cars or Mommy’s station wagon. I got the same looks as you did with your Thunderbird. My 1st car in high school…. 1962 Lincoln Continental 4 door convertible. I got invited to parades, they didnt
1962 Lincoln……😲😲😲😲😲👏👏👏👏👏😍😍😍😍😍
Angel,
My everyday car in high school was a 1948 Packard Deluxe 8 sedan. One evening I arrived at a “first time date” [first time for the 2 of us, that is!], her parent’s house was in the posh Chevy Chase, MD neighborhood. When she came out and saw the car, she asked what it was and I said “Packard”. She excitedly said they had a Packard in the garage.
Well, dinner and a movie would have to wait, as an inspection of the garage was warranted! Sure enough, under a huge layer of dust was a 1954 Packard Caribbean convertible. WOW!
Turned out both the house and the Packard were bought new by her uncle, the famous bandleader Paul Whiteman! So we went in to talk with her mom, and I asked if the Packard was available. When she heard I wanted to get it running again and not junk it like everyone else wanted to do, she opened a drawer in a kitchen cabinet and pulled out the original Maryland title from 1954. She gave me the title with a copy of Mr. Whiteman’s death certificate already stapled to it, and declared the car was now mine!
The next day my father made me go right back and return the title, as he said I didn’t have the time, work place, or money for such a car. I said it was ok to keep the car in their garage while I worked on it, but dad was not about to let me keep the car, so I had to give the title back.
I let everyone know in the Packard Club that the car was for sale, and one of the members in Michigan ended up with the car, and did a great restoration. The car is still around in the club too.
Ummm…. *La*Sabre?
Anyway, these were indeed great cars, both to look at and to drive. Wish I still had my LeSabre. Got it from my dad but had to trade it in when my family grew. That’s life.
Gotta be careful with those Le(s) and La(s).
Automobiles have genders too!!
This sure brought out comments about age and gender. I love Buicks my very first car I bought on my own was a 55 Buick Super, I was 16 when I bought it in 1964. This is a sweet convertible that’s priced to buy and drive. I could park this next to my 64 Riviera with much pride. My late wife’s first two cars were big convertibles, first a Chrysler then a 63 Cadillac. She was a hit in her home town of Sharonville, Ohio in those cars. That was in 1973 when she was 18 years old and lived with her parents. Not all young people drive small sporty cars.
God Bless America
My first car also was a Buick. A 1949 Super convertible for $10 and $10 to tow it home. 15 years old in 68; I recently told some of the grandkids about it at a get together. They’re response… “$ TEN DOLLARS !!!??”
Good times for sure, come to think of it, you can’t buy 2 gallons of gas for ten bucks today.
My parents had a 1964 LeSabre and kept it until 1975. Always ran great and rode smoothly. Ours was a hard top and I spent many long trips laying in the back window above the back seat curled up. Thank God no accidents while sitting up there. Never really rusted. Truly a great car. My mom mostly drove it so it was out of the question for me to drive it when I got my license though I do remember having to pass another car on a winding road going uphill rather scared to death. My mom yelling “hit the gas and pass that guy before he swerves over and hits us!” All I could think about was not turning quick enough and pounding both cars into the side of the mountain. I would drop a picture if I knew how but ‘Old Cloyd’s Mountain Road still exists. Thankfully but Route 100 doesn’t go that way anymore. Many an accident and death occurred in that nasty curve.
Two nice mid sixties full size convertibles in Barn Finds today. Reasonable prices too. I can enjoy either the Ford or Buick. I love this era of vehicles. Beautiful designs, all the power and features you could want; what’s not to like. GLWTS!
I learned to drive in a ’65 LeSabre. Not a convertible, sadly. I later owned a cherry ’66, and I agree with the Diva that the taillights on the ’66 were nowhere as stylish as these are.
I bought a ’63 Fleetwood when I was 19 and drove it for four years, so I was another example of an odd duck. I did also have a ’68 VW convertible, though. Took turns driving them to college every week.
Premium fuel for a 300 CID 4 barrel. How would that be done now? Super unleaded with the lead additive? Highly doubtful it’s been rebuilt with hardened valves with that mileage.
Bill Mc
Great story! For a minute there I thought you were going to say you and your date eventually got married and used the Packard convertible in the motorcade.
I traded a ’74 Vega for a ’70 Cadillac Eldorado. My father made me switch it back, too
Angel,
Well we never did get married. I stayed in touch with her older brother and the last I heard she was living in South Carolina and had 4 grown kids.
She did like old cars, and when she heard me talking about my part-time after school job at an antique car restoration shop [I basically swept the floors and helped the shop owners when needed], she wanted to see the place. I asked to borrow the keys, and one evening I gave her a tour, ending up in the back seat of a large European 7-passenger town car. It was to be a very memorable and fun evening in the roomy back seat of that car, for both of us.
Fast forward 40+ years, and I see that very same town car at a car show, and the owner’s name on the windshield card is the same name as the owner 40 years ago, but now with the addition of “III”. It was still in the hands of the same wealthy family. Father to son, now passed to the grandson.
I spoke to the owner and explained how I had seen it in the shop decades ago, and I asked him if he wanted to hear about my “adventure” in the car. He said “Of course”, so I told him a sanitized version of how that car made 2 people very happy that night. He smiled and replied; “My girlfriend [now wife] and I had a similar experience as well, thank you for sharing!”. Later that afternoon I was invited to ride in the back of the car as the owners were leaving the show, and while it was an all-too-brief ride, it brought back fond memories!