Mario's Tribute to the 1953 Buick Wildcat Concept Car

1 1953 Buick Wildcat. L-R Ed Ragsdale Buick Mfg Mgr; Verner Mathews (seated) Buick GM; Ivan Wiles Buick President and Albert Belfie General Sales Mgr.

2 A 1953 GM Motorama ad features the five GM Concept car models in the show. Corvette by Chevrolet; Wildcat by Buick; Parisienne by Pontiac; Starfire by Oldsmobile and LeMans by Cadillac.

3 The fiberglass bodied 1953 Buick Wildcat that starred in the 1953 GM Motorama was supposed to have been destroyed by General Motors edict. Fortunately, it was not.

4 Concept car collector Joseph Bortz standing by the car somehow located that long-missing show car in the 1980’s and restored it to its past glory.

5 1953 Buick Wildcat Convertible Show Car original Advertisement. For its time, this vehicle was considered to be revolutionary.

6 Show Car original Advertisement. The new fiberglass material was easy to mold, making it perfect for trying out experimental designs along with the Chevy Corvette.

7 1953 Buick Wildcat new 322 cid OHV V-8 engine that was rated at 188 horsepower. All-aluminum engine for weight savings.

8 Power was supplied by Buick's then-new 322 cubic-inch OHV V8 engine backed by a Dynaflow automatic transmission.

9 The body was fiberglass, and the front wheel hubs remained stationary as the wheels spun around.

10 Considered to be Buicks first performance vehicle, the Buick Wildcat had a wrap-around front windshield.

11 The Buick Wildcat included a concave grill, buffer bombs integrated with a massive wrap-around front bumper.

12 The Wildcat was a boulevard cruiser showcasing GM’s new drive-line developments. Seen here with soft convertible top.

13 The 1953 Buick Wildcat had many unique design and technical features, such as push-button doors.

14 A highlight of the Buick Wildcat was its pioneering Fiberglass body. Unique Fiberglass over Steel Chassis.

15 Colorful Two-tone steering wheel with rolled and pleated leather interior.

16 Chrome instruments nicely laid out for the driver's convenience.

17 There were hydraulically operated windows and seats, a very roomy bench seat for two and a fancy curved windshield.

18 Nice to see full instrumentation rather than just the old Idiot Lights.

19 Close up of some of the instruments.

20 Easily operable and convenient Heat, Defrost and Vent levers.

21 A hydraulically operated top disappeared beneath a rear panel.

22 Prominent rear tail fins with built-in lights and double finned trunk.

23 The Front Hubcaps called Roto-Static brake cooling discs used a cooling duct that remained stationary providing fresh air to the front brakes for cooling.

24 On both rear fenders above the skirts were a row of 15 vertical slats.

25 The front-end styling was later used on the 1954 Buick models.

26 The Buick Wildcat had a unique concave grille with the Wildcat emblem in the center.

27 Twin Side Hood scoops aided in brake cooling.

28 Buick's famous Portholes on top of the front fenders.

29 Unique Wildcat emblem adorns the trunk.

30 Sloping ribbed trunk adds a modern design touch.

31 In the back are large dual exhausts protruding through the fascia and integrated tail lamps wrapping over the rear fender tops.

32 Advertisement introducing the new Buick Wildcat.

33 In 1949, GM made concept cars a public attraction with its Motorama car show. Shown here are the 1955 GM Motorama show cars at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC.

34 The 1953 Buick Motorama pavilion displaying Concept Cars and the latest 1953 Buick models celebrating its 50-year anniversary.

35 For the 1953 Motorama, Buick debuted the captivating Wildcat, a low-slung, two-seat convertible with a raked-back wraparound windshield.

36 The complete General Motors line up of cars for 1953 along with several Concept Cars are displayed at the 1953 GM Motorama in NYC.

37 Stylistic features of the Wildcat included a huge front grill with buffer bomb guards called Dagmars, chrome conical-shaped bumper guards which would appear on Buicks for years to come.

38 The 1953 Buick Wildcat Concept Car is now part of the Petersen Auto Museum and is featured in GM’s Marvelous Motorama Exhibit.

39 Diecast Model 1953 Buick Wildcat Front.

40 Diecast Model 1953 Buick Wildcat Rear.

41 1953 Buick Wildcat advertisement.

42 1953 GM Motorama pamphlet.