1954 Buick Wildcat II Concept

GM’s interest in developing small, powerful cars with lightweight fiberglass bodies resulted in the creation of the Chevrolet Corvette and Buick Wildcat in 1953, but something very different by the next year.

The 1954 Buick Wildcat II had very little in common with the original Buick Wildcat of 1953. Originally billed as an “American Adventure in Tomorrow’s Design,” the newer Wildcat featured just as many “retro” styling cues as progressive details. The “flying wing” front fenders and biplane bumpers had the look of a 1930s speedster. Freestanding headlights and chrome spoke wheels provided nostalgia as well.

Many concept cars are simply rolling hulks and were never given power trains as they were only designed for auto shows. This Wildcat II was specifically made “runnable” in case GM chief Harlow Curtis decided to have one built for his personal use. The car is powered by a 220 horsepower 322 cubic inch V-8.

There are only two 1954 Buick Wildcat IIs. The original Buick Wildcat Concept Car made its debut in 1953 at GM’s Motoramas. The second Wildcat Concept (the Wildcat II) waws a rakish sports convertible with a fiberglass body and powered by a 220 horsepower V-8 engine. Buick described it as ‘a revolutionary front-end design with flying-wing fenders that flare straight out from the body, exposing the entire front wheel and part of the front-end suspension.’