1994 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon Wagon No Reserve on 2040-cars

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Buick trademarks several variants of Electra name

The Buick Electra was a sometimes-handsome full-size car that sold for decades, but its time came to an end in the early 1990s as the automaker moved toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. That will soon change, as Buick and parent company General Motors recently filed for a series of trademarks for the name. Motor Authority reported that GM filed trademark names ranging from Electra E1 to E9. Though Buick unveiled the Wildcat EV concept earlier this year, it is GM’s only brand without a publicly announced electric vehicle. It has said that an Electra EV would be coming to the U.S. but has not confirmed when itÂ’ll arrive or what it will look like when it does. The automaker says its first EV will come in 2024 and notes that it will offer an all-electric lineup in the U.S. and Canada by 2030, though, so itÂ’s only a matter of time. General Motors already trademarked the Electra GS name last month, which could indicate a high-performance variant in the model line. ItÂ’s unclear if Buick will stick to the Electra formula and make a sleek electric car or if it will use the name on a line of electric crossovers, following the rest of its vehicle catalog. GM Authority spotted an electric crossover testing in China in late October, which could be our first look at the automakerÂ’s newest EV.   The Electra will likely ride on GMÂ’s Ultium platform, whatever the form. The architecture underpins the GMC Hummer EV and will carry the upcoming crop of electric SUVs and trucks from Chevrolet and GMC. Related video:

Last-ever Buick Grand National heads to Barrett-Jackson auction

This 1987 Buick Grand National brought the curtains down on a heap of General Motors history. When this black beauty rolled down the line at 5 p.m. on December 11, 1987, it represented the end of manufacturing at GM's Pontiac Assembly Plant after 60 years building cars. This was the last car to sit on GM's G-Body platform, having supported legendary names like Monte Carlo, Cutlass Supreme, and Regal. And this was the last-ever Buick Grand National, a big coupe that in just five years on the market had helped make the Buick Regal lineup an object of sincere lust among enthusiasts. Powered by a 3.8-liter turbocharged and intercooled 3.8-liter V6, the engine made 245 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque. The only car above it in the lineup was the exceptionally rare GNX, which made 276 hp and 360 lb-ft. The Buick Grand National is headed to the Barrett-Jackson auction block in Scottsdale next month.    Louisiana resident Bob Colvin bought this car from the factory. The Drive spoke to Colvin, who explained that then-GM President Roger Smith told him he could have the penultimate Grand National, but Buick planned to put the last car on display. When Colvin arrived at the plant, though, Colvin said the plant manager told him, "I'm running this plant and you've gone through the effort to be here. It will be a real celebration," and got him the last car made. As proof, a GM film crew followed the car down the line, plant workers and two GM execs signed various parts of the engine, including current GM President Mark Reuss. The car comes with all of the autographs and signage the autoworkers created to go with the car, as well as the original window sticker. Colvin and his wife built an addition onto their house to display the car. Save for a trip to the Buick Centennial Celebration in 2003, the Buick has lived in its special place all its life and has just 33 miles on the odometer. Behind the new-car plastic that shrouds the interior, the only flaw appears to be a tiny crack in the steering wheel center cap where a bolt might have been overtorqued. The car is being offered with no reserve, the pre-sale estimate landing right around the $500,000 mark. That would about double recent auction sales for low-mileage GNX's this year, but there's every reason to believe this car's one-of-one place in history could get auction paddles waving. 

2022 Buick Envision Plus three-row crossover is like an Envision, plus

Buick exited the sedan segment when it axed the Regal, but it's going all-in on crossovers and SUVs. It released a dark preview image that gives us an early look at a three-row family-hauler named Envision Plus. Announced only for the Chinese market as of writing, the Envision Plus is — as its name implies — positioned above the Envision in the company's range, though it's smaller than the Enclave. It's mechanically related to the crossover it shares its nameplate with, but it appears to receive a specific design with a new-look front bumper and a more upright grille. It also wears a boxier silhouette that allowed Buick to add a third row of seats. Extra seating aside, we expect the Plus will offer an interior close to the standard Envision's, which we described as "a scaled-down take on the Enclave's interior" in February 2021. Similarly, Buick will likely offer the Envision Plus with the same turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the smaller model. It produces 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the front or the four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Buick will release more details about the 2022 Envision Plus in the coming weeks, and it will unveil the model at the 2021 edition of the Shanghai auto show opening its doors on April 21. While the company hasn't confirmed plans to sell its latest crossover in its home market, we wouldn't be surprised if it arrives here before the end of 2021. Auto shows were put on hiatus in 2020, at the height of the on-going coronavirus pandemic, and the upcoming Shanghai show is the first major industry event in over a year. In addition to the Buick people-mover, we'll discover Toyota's first global electric car. It will arrive as a near-production concept close in size to the hot-selling RAV4. Related video: 2021 Buick Envision Running Footage