Buick enjoyed record sales in the early 1980s, peaking in 1984 with more than 1 million units sold. Buick sales had suffered during the 1970s fuel shortages as Japanese automakers produced cheaper cars. Japan's North American automotive market share grew by about 50 percent between 1975 and 1980. However, Buick's revitalized V-6 engine that originated in the early 1960s, and a downsizing program for its cars, revived the automaker.
By 1980, the Regal's wheelbase shrank from 115 inches to 108 inches. It received a significant facelift in 1981 that gave it sharper, more aerodynamic lines. It came equipped with one of two V-6 engines: the 3.2-liter or the 3.8-liter. The move made the upscale car more economical to drive. A turbocharged version of the 3.8-liter V-6 was available as an option, and was standard on the Grand National models. In 1986 and 1987, Buick also offered the 5-liter V-8 as an option.
The LeSabre was a full-size car on a 116-inch wheelbase through 1985, and managed to retain much of its original luxury through the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989, J.D. Power and Associates ranked the LeSabre No. 1 in quality in North America and No. 2 among vehicles worldwide. Buick downsized the car to a 110-inch wheelbase in 1986, and in the process lost much of its luxury looks, although quality remained. It featured sharply angled lines and an overall body style similar to Detroit's mid-range offerings of the decade. It received the standard 3.8-liter V-6 or the optional 350 V-8.
The Century was another Buick "boat" riding on a 112-inch wheelbase, only to see it whittled down to just 104.8 inches by 1982. Buick offered the Century as a coupe or sedan, with the station wagon arriving in 1984 to replace the Regal station wagon. Like all Buicks of the 1980s, the Century came with the 3.8-liter V-6, but in an failed attempt to bring more fuel efficiency to the car, Buick also offered the troublesome 90-horsepower four-cylinder "Iron Duke" and 4.3-liter Oldsmobile diesel V-6 engines.
The venerable Electra, which debuted in 1959, had one of the longest wheelbases among North American cars. In the 1970s, it was 127 inches, which Buick reduced by 17 inches by 1985. During the first half of the decade, Oldsmobile V-8s were options, but the second half of the decade saw the V-8s disappear in favor of V-6s, including the Olds diesel V-6. The Electra ended its production run in 1990.
The Skylark had died and been revived twice before the last incarnation of 1975 to 1998 models. Buick abandoned the rear-wheel-drive configuration for front-wheel drive in 1980, and placed it on a new mid-size platform in 1982. It came as a sedan with either two or four doors. The standard engine was the Iron Duke four-cylinder and the only option was a modest 115-horsepower, 2.8-liter V-6. The Riviera also featured front-wheel drive. It was a step ahead of the Skylark in 1980, with the Buick 350 V-8 or the turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 as optional engines. The following year the Riviera lost the 350, but gained the 140-horsepower Oldsmobile 5-liter V-8.
