For 1992, Buick took a step into the past with the rear-wheel drive, V8-powered Roadmaster, resurrecting a grand name that dates back to 1936.

The Buick traditionalists among us are going to enjoy this original factory promotional film for the 1992 Roadmaster, for it opens with a gauzy retrospective featuring one of the Golden Anniversary Buicks, a stunning 1953 Roadmaster Model 72R Sedan. Of course, the messaging from the Buick marketing folks is crystal clear here: If you loved the classic Buick Roadmasters of the past, you’re going to love this new one, too. And in many ways, this new Roadmaster was indeed a step back into yesteryear, with body-on-frame construction, rear-wheel drive, and a traditional cast-iron Detroit V8 under the hood.

This latest incarnation of the Roadmaster was actually introduced the year before as the 1991 Roadmaster Estate, a station wagon that shared its B-body platform with the Chevrolet Caprice. In March of ’91, a four-door sedan was added as a ’92 model with the engine upgraded from a 5.0L Chevy-built V8 to a 5.7L small-block with 180 hp. These big Roadmasters (and their Caprice brethren) are comfortable, enjoyable cars to drive and they have an enthusiastic following even today. The cabin is as roomy and luxurious as most any Detroit car’s of the period, while the styling seems deliberately designed to project as much bulkiness as possible. But here’s a little secret: The Roadmaster is not quite as enormous as it looks. It’s pretty close in wheelbase (115.9 in) and overall length (215.8 in) to the ’77 Chevy Impala, which was based on a very similar platform.

Thanks in part to the extra-long model year, the Roadmaster put up some fairly respectable sales numbers for ’92 with more than 85,000 vehicles sold. But sales quickly dropped off from there and the model was dropped at the end of ’96. Today, Buicks are front-wheel drive crossovers, and increasingly, sold in China. This film sends us back to an earlier time when a Buick could still be a rear-drive sedan with pushrod V8 power. Video below.