What’s in a Name: 1959-63 Buick Invicta

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From 1959 through 1963, the Invicta held down the middle spot in the Buick lineup, offering a happy medium of pricing and features. 

 

1959 Invicta Hardtop Sedan

The name Invicta means “unconquered” in Latin, and it came to Buick as part of a complete realignment of the product line in 1959. The 1957-58 economic recession had been a tough one for the General Motors division, which saw its total volume fall 62 percent between and 1956 and 1958. A rebranding was deemed in order. In the new lineup, the Special and Century were replaced by the LeSabre, the Roadmaster and Limited became the Electra and Electra 225, and the Super’s traditional slot in the middle of the lineup was taken by the Invicta.

As the middle sister in the Buick range for ’59, the Invicta shared the shorter 123-in wheelbase of the entry-level LeSabre. But instead of the LeSabre’s 364 cubic-inch nailhead V8, the Invicta received the same 401 CID V8 as the Electra, offering 325 hp. The Twin Turbine two-speed automatic transmission was also standard equipment, while the three-speed Triple Turbine was an extra-cost option. Both automatics were enhanced versions of the original Buick Dynaflow, (By the way, a three-speed manual transmission was actually standard on the ’59 LeSabre, but they’re rare. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen something.)

 

1960 Invicta Estate Wagon at the DeWaters Art Center in Flint 

The usual wide range of body styles was offered in ’59: two and four-door post Sedans, a Hardtop Coupe, a Hardtop Sedan, a convertible, and a wagon. That arrangement continued for 1960, but in 1961 the choices were reduced to three: Hardtop Coupe, Hardtop Sedan, and Convertible. The post styles were gone, and wagons were now only available in LeSabre trim. That decision was reversed in 1962 when the Invicta wagon was reinstated in both 6-passenger and 9-passenger form.

 

1961 Invicta Hardtop Coupe

 

Priced in the $3,500 range, the Invicta held down a comfortable middle spot in the Buick lineup, and sales were sort of in the middle, too. The price-leader LeSabre was the volume leader as well, while Invicta and Electra sales were very roughly equal. In 1962, Invicta sales peaked at around 56,000 cars, while total Buick volume had recovered to the 400,000 level.

In the spring of 1962 there was an addition to the Invicta lineup called the Invicta Wildcat, featuring bucket seats, a console, a vinyl top, and other sporty features. That was a foreshadowing of another realignment at Buick, as in 1963 the Invicta badge was phased out in favor of Wildcat, a more appropriate name for the go-go sixties. There was an Invicta in 1963, but it was only available as a four-door station wagon.

 

1962 Invicta Wildcat Sport Coupe 

6 thoughts on “What’s in a Name: 1959-63 Buick Invicta”

  1. 1965- fifth grade- our homeroom teacher, who was also the girls gym teacher, drove a 60 LeSabre 2dr sedan with a stick shift. I knew what all the teachers drove.

    • My late father (a Chevrolet dealer back then) would have commented, “A typical teacher.” to that description. He always hated selling to teachers, considering them the cheapest, most penny-pinching, of all his customers. Which says something about how they were paid back then. This was really driven home a few years later when one of my old high school teachers bought a 1969 AMC Ambassador with the factory delete option for the standard in-dash air conditioning . . . . and then had an clunky aftermarket under-dash air conditioner installed. All to save something like $15.00.

  2. As much as I dislike 1959 Chevrolets, the other makes were really, really unattractive.

  3. The dad of a neighborhood buddy drove a white ’59 Invicta 4-dr post sedan, ca. 1967 or so. He worked construction, always hauling tools and other workers. For the entire time he owned the car, it had no muffler. That thing was loud, loud – and it would run, run. I recall how the dashboard lights looked at night – so cool.

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