Buick Electra IV photos

Arriving for the 1971 model year, the fourth-generation Buick Electra 225 stood as the largest passenger car ever built by Buick, stretching over 230 inches in overall length with a 127-inch wheelbase on GM's full-size C-body frame. Offered as a 2-door coupe and 4-door hardtop or pillared sedan, the convertible was discontinued. The sole powertrain throughout the generation was the 455 cu in (7.5-liter) Buick big-block V8 paired with the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic transmission. Due to tightening federal emissions regulations and the 1973 oil crisis, power output dropped from 315 gross hp down to roughly 205 net hp. The 1974 model year introduced mandated 5-mph impact bumpers, revised frontal styling, and GM's pioneering Air Cushion Restraint System (airbags). The generation also introduced the ultra-luxurious Electra Limited and Park Avenue option packages.