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Malaise Era Junkyard Gem: 1979 Buick Electra Limited

In the fall of 1973, the Arab members of OPEC shut off the oil taps, and Detroit got busy making many of their full-sized land yachts a lot smaller. By model year 1977, the downsized fifth-generation Buick Electra was ready to go ... just in time for the 1979 Iranian Revolution to squeeze the supply of the black stuff even further. You won't see many of the 1977-85 Electras these days, but I spotted this faded but solid '79 Limited sedan in a Denver self-service yard last week. General Motors must have bought up the entire world's supply of blue velour around this time, because you'll see this stuff in just about every car they made for the following decade or so. By this time, GM was doing a lot of mixing-and-matching with engines from its various divisions, which meant you could buy an Oldsmobile 88 with a Chevrolet 350 V8 engine, a Chevrolet Monza with a Buick 231 V6 engine, or— as in this case— a Buick Electra with an Oldsmobile 350 V8 engine. Do you want to know how many horses this engine delivered to this 3,631-pound car? 155 horsepower out of 5.7 liters of engine displacement. Times were tough during the Malaise Era. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1979 Buick LeSabre in Colorado Junkyard View 20 Photos Buick Automotive History Luxury Classics Sedan malaise era

Buick Electra-L, Electra-LT concepts lead the Wildcat to production

Buick loves the Beijing Motor Show, and why shouldn't it? Working with its local partner, SAIC, the brand seems to saves up so much mojo for April in Asia and shows up with stunning designs. Here are another two takes on the brand's latest sheet metal philosophy, penned by the SAIC-GM Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center and riding on GM's Ulitum platform, the Electra-L sedan and Electra-LT wagon concepts. The Electra-L could be seen as a production version of the Wildcat EV concept from 2022 (not the Wildcat from 1985) that launched Buick's new design language. All the major forms and curves are there, so too the turbine-style wheels, but the fastback roof's been stretched to create adequate headroom for a quartet. The edges of the front fascia have been redrawn to be less aggressive and form a canvas for illuminated ornamentation. The four-door stretches 198.3 inches long on a 118.1-inch wheelbase, meaning less than an inch difference in both dimensions between the Buick and the new BMW i5. Power comes from a single motor on the rear axle making 342 horsepower. A battery of unknown capacity is claimed to be good for a 435-mile range under China's CLTC test loop. The light-sensing glass roof hovers over a rectilinear instrument panel with a floating main display and a retractable 7-inch screen for the front passenger, four pressure-sensitive "zero-gravity" seats wrapped in an eco-friendly fabric, and rear quarters with a small inductive cooktop for enjoying tea in the custom tea set.  SAIC and Buick had less to say about the Electra-LT. Looking like the Allroad version of the Electra-L, it's got fender extensions framing the "titanium metal armor" wheel design, an air suspension that can lift the body by 1.6 inches, and that roof box to broadcast its light adventure credentials. Fitted with the same basic interior layout as the sedan, the wagon might add a third row; the description says its "eConnect smart cabin system supports 7-screen interaction." We're not sure if something got left out of the powertrain description, though, as the Electra-LT said to be powered by a 342-hp motor on the rear axle while also possessing "independent four-wheel drive."    Two years ago, Buick said it would introduce five all-new EVs in China by 2025. The sedan is rumored to be headed to the Chinese market next year, a production version perhaps ready by the time of the 2025 Auto Shanghai.

38k GM eAssist hybrids recalled for circuit board, fire risk

General Motors has issued a recall covering 38,197 2012 and 2013 model-year Chevy Malibu Eco, Buick LaCrosse and Regal sedans equipped with eAssist, and sold in the United States. The automaker will check the generator control module for proper operation. Only vehicles built before December 2012 are being recalled.
According to the automaker, a malfunctioning generator control module could slowly drain the battery, causing an indicator to light up in the dash. If that indicator is ignored, the driver may experience a stalling engine, and in some cases, "a burning or melting odor, smoke, and, in rare instances, a fire in the trunk."
GM says the issue is not with the eAssist battery pack; the smoke and fire comes from overheating of the control board. One trunk fire has been reported, but no injuries are known. Scroll down below for the official press release from GM.