Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1969 Buick Electra 225 Custom. Buick was thinking far into the future when it launched the Electra nameplate back in 1959. Some 64 years later, the automotive industry is swiftly evolving with electric vehicle technology. In fact, the Buick saw fit to resurrect the Electra nomenclature on a line of electric vehicles, including the E5 compact crossover that recently debuted in Shanghai. Up for grabs on AutoHunter is one of the earlier Electra models: a 225 Custom convertible in Cicero, Indiana which is powered by a 430cid V8 and a three-speed automatic transmission.
This third-generation Electra rides on a General Motors C-body platform which received a mild refresh for model year 1969. Among the changes were a one-inch wheelbase increase to 127 inches in total. The exterior of this convertible was refinished in white and is accompanied by good-condition brightwork, a black vinyl power-retractable top, color-keyed wheel skirts, and an antenna. The selling dealer says that there is some minor rest on the driver side.
Completing the look is a set of wire hubcaps and steel wheels wrapped in a mixed set of Hankook Optimo and Broadway Classic whitewall tires.
The Electra was positioned as a high-end model, and this black vinyl-trimmed convertible’s interior is no exception. Included in the options list are factory air conditioning, power windows, and power steering. A newer Premier AM/FM/CD audio system has been added for modernized tunes. Worth noting, too: headrests became standard equipment in 1969 as part of a federal safety mandate.
Up front, we find a big-block 430cid V8 that the selling dealer says has only 5,000 miles on it. This powerplant was rated at 360 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque when new, and power is fed to the rear wheels through a column-shifted three-speed automatic transmission.
Now that the Electra name is coming back, it will undoubtedly cast increased collector focus on older models such as this one. For those wondering, the “new” Electra will have an Ultium lithium-ion battery and share a platform with the Chevrolet Equinox EV. This 1969 version would make a grate stablemate to the new one. It probably sounds better driving down the road, too.
The auction for this 1969 Buick Electra 225 ends on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 12:45 p.m. (PDT)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery
Source: www.classiccars.com