Buick Park Avenue
The Buick Park Avenue was one of the spring of 1990 to the summer of 2005 offered under the American automobile brand Buick in two generations luxury saloon from General Motors (GM).
The Park Avenue was the top model of Buick. The first vehicle with this name was built by fall 1988 to spring 1990, where she represented luxurious facilities of the former top model Buick Electra at the time. The actual first generation was produced from early 1990 to mid- 1996 came from 1991 to Europe.
It was based on the C platform of General Motors front-wheel drive and was with the Buick LeSabre, the Oldsmobile 88/98 and the Pontiac Bonneville as well as the Cadillac Deville / Fleetwood related, but had a number of stand-alone technical features.
The name Park Avenue was used by Buick since 1975 equipped for particularly rich versions of the predecessor Buick Electra. Downsizing from an exterior length of 5.64 meters in the spring of 1984, giving the name Electra was retained, but was gradually replaced by General Motors by Park Avenue.
From 1988 to 1990, therefore, is indeed in the type name, the name " Electra ", but the successor to refrained completely and the model was called henceforth " Park Avenue ".
Production ended in summer 2005, is succeeded by the Buick Lucerne.
Electra Park Avenue (1988-1990)
The Facilities Park Avenue had already been formed from time immemorial the name for the luxury version of the Electra.
The model name of Electra had at Buick a great tradition since the fall of 1958 as Electra, Invicta and LeSabre along with a new design formed the basis of the top models of the Buick range ( therefore also symbolizes that used to date Buick emblem with its three coats of arms, those three series ).
The Electra was in April 1984 - parallel to the technically always related Oldsmobile Ninety- Eight and Cadillac Fleetwood / deVille - evaporated in an almost unimaginable degree by American standards and lost more than half a meter external length and a half ton curb weight. General Motors therefore felt compelled to make it clear with an elaborate advertising campaign and special brochures to buyers that they needed to worry about with the new model is not a step backwards. This was extremely successful despite the radical cure in size and weight. Because the new Elektra offered more interior space and the same comfort noise as the old, but could produce three to four liters of savings in fuel consumption.
This was primarily due to the taking the place of the old that provided by Oldsmobile 5.0-liter V8 3.8- liter six-cylinder Buick. This engine pushed far above the average torque and thus subjectively the same power as the V8, but could be moved significantly less than 10 liters per 100 km at American driving.
For the 1989 model year Buick introduced a second generation of V6 in the first "real" Park Avenue, which differed from the first generation by a current in the motor - V balancer shaft, the case of a V6 with a cylinder angle of 90 degrees technically unavoidable mass forces of the second order - non-technical talk so vibrations - eliminated.
This Ultra is not just for the compressor engine remarkably but also because of its consisting of extra soft Nappa leather seat upholstery and the front seats with a 18 -fold electric seat adjustment. Only the Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special 1989 offered with a 22 -fold adjustment even more.
However, the Park Avenue of the first generation also offered other " James Bond " extras such as a keypad as she offered Buick since 1981 for the operation of air conditioning and a " keyless entry system " with another keypad in the chrome trim of the driver's door, which made it possible to open the car and the trunk lid by entering a numerical code and the door key made redundant.
Despite the fears of GM, they would suffer with the downsizing losses on the sales of the top model Park Avenue, the Park Avenue proved remarkably good salable model.
Park Avenue (1990-1996)
Buick Park Avenue (1990-1996)
The Park Avenue debuted in April 1990 as a base model as well as something more refined tip model called Park Avenue Ultra. Both versions were initially of a Buick 's 3.8 -liter V6 with 127 kW ( 173 hp), which transferred its power through a standard four-speed automatic of type GM Turbo Hydra -Matic 4T60E to the front wheels.
Compared to the decidedly small -looking because of the energy crisis of the early 1980s styling of the first generation laid the Park Avenue Park Avenue of the vintage 1990 almost a quarter of a meter and demonstrated with a Jaguar -inspired styling again size and elegance.
From 1992 Park Avenue Ultra received a 153 kW ( 208 hp) supercharged version of the V6. Fitted with mechanical supercharging models also had other wheels in contrast to the standard model bumper is completely made of reinforced plastic and partly depending on the model year and customer's request. The interior was also slightly upgraded, what zugutekam also the standard models in the later years of construction.
1993 made easy touch-ups to grille and tail lights; 1994, the performance of the compressor motor increased in Park Avenue Ultra to 168 kW ( 228 hp). At the same time the equipment to a passenger airbag has been extended.
In 1995, the base model of a completely newly designed cast-iron 3.8 -liter V6 ( Series II ) with 153 kW, the supercharged variant made initially 168 kW. 1996, the performance of the compressor motor at 179 kW was raised (243 hp).
The two first generation of Park Avenue was sold in Europe; these versions differed from the U.S. models with orange indicator lenses, a larger recess for the license plate between the taillights, larger rear view mirrors and the waiver of the on the hood above the grille - even if some early export models still had these. In the last two years of construction, the European version got new bumper with a much lower metal content and new body side moldings. The Park Avenue Ultra supercharged engine, however, was never officially offered in contrast, in Europe.
The second generation of Park Avenue was distinguished by a very good aerodynamics, its drag coefficient ( drag coefficient ) was only 0.31, which corresponded to one of the main demands of the specifications of development.
Another peculiarity was that for a car of this size relatively low curb weight of 1604 kg ( Ultra: 1651 kg ), which caused in conjunction with the very low level of speed for a and restrained driving style amazingly low fuel consumption (this is even more true for models from 1995 onwards with the newly constructed V6). Therefore, this series came and because of comfort and reliability, even in Europe, especially on long-haul routes used. The 3.8 -liter V6 effortlessly achieved mileages far beyond 300,000 miles.
From the first generation Buick Park Avenue made from spring 1990 to mid-1996 a total of 410,000 copies.
Park Avenue (1996-2005)
Buick Park Avenue (1996-2001)
In the summer of 1996 Buick launched a new Park Avenue and Park Avenue Ultra, this time on the G- platform of the Buick Riviera. Wheelbase and body fell slightly larger than its predecessor, which improved the interior space. The drive took over unchanged the 3.8-liter V6 Series II in normal execution at the Park Avenue base model and compressor version at Park Avenue Ultra.
From 1998 came the second generation airbags used that worked at a lower pressure.
In autumn 2001, the Ultra has received a revised grille and called on the front fenders Ventiports. This was to trim panels with indicated air outlets (which in some models but were also functional), a design element that since the late 1940s and over again was used by Buick.
In mid-2003 also received the Park Avenue in the base version of the revised grill, but not the Ventiports. At the same time there have been changes at the rear, and a chrome strip with "Park Avenue " lettering was mounted above the license plate.
In summer 2005, Buick discontinued the production of the Park Avenue. He was succeeded by the Buick Lucerne.
Buick Park Avenue (China)
Since summer 2007, offers Shanghai Buick in the Chinese market as the Buick Park Avenue Holden Statesman Series WM to which with a 3.6 -liter V6 (187 kW/250 hp), but also with a not available in Australia 2 0.8 -liter V6 (150 kW/201 hp) can be fitted. The prices amounted (as of February 2008) 329000-499000 yuan (about € 31500-48000 ).