Buick has taken the design of its Riviera concept, shown in Shanghai last year, and evolved it into a mid-size sedan for the U.S. and China. Designers from both countries worked together with the goal of creating a truly global vehicle that they hope can't fail.

The concept's name comes from the Latin word for 'invincible' and was used for a short time in the U.S. as recently as 1963. The Invicta takes the Riviera coupe's general design and adds two more doors creating another vehicle in the previously oxymoronic four-door coupe category.

Using virtual reality in Warren, Mich., and in Shanghai, designers collaborated to create a modern, flowing form that also incorporates themes from Buick's heritage. The cat-eye headlamps and wraparound taillamps are connected along the body side by the sweepspear design cue popularized on 1940s Buicks. The familiar Buick portholes are placed not on the fenders but instead atop the hood. The Invicta has three portholes per side and is therefore a "three-holer," a term historically used to differentiate between the pricier models ("four-holers") and those that cost less.

The concept's high beltline and consequently small side glass openings help to further impart the coupe look. Buick says the grille design was borrowed from the Velite concept first shown at the 2004 New York auto show. The polished aluminum wheels measure a concept-oversized 20 inches and would most likely shrink to 17 or 18 inches for a production car.

The interior gets the same cohesive, flowing design treatment as the exterior with the doors carrying into the instrument panel, which in turn waterfalls down the center console. The interior does a good job of incorporating current GM switchgear and looks nearly production-ready. A glass roof covers 100 cubic feet of passenger space.

Power comes from Buick's first turbocharged and direct-injected engine. The four-cylinder makes 250 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine is most likely a version of GM's turbo Ecotec that was first shown in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line roadsters and now finds a home in SS models of Chevrolet's Cobalt and HHR.

When a production version arrives in the States it will likely replace the current LaCrosse. Buick's mid-size sedan may keep the LaCrosse name, or possibly adopt the Invicta badge. If the latter is chosen, Buick had better be very confident that the sedan will match the brand's success in China.

Buick's obligatory entry in the SUV/wagon field is the Centieme, French for 100th, in recognition of Buick's 100th anniversary. The concept vehicle seats six in three rows of seats and features GM's Versatrak all-wheel drive. A twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6 provides 400 hp; the chassis uses a strut front suspension and an control arm rear setup, with 22-inch wheels and 15-inch brakes. The two-tone leather and suede interior--with woven leather on the floor--is far nicer than that in any current Buick. Word is that the Centieme indicates the direction of the Rendevous replacement, which certainly would be a change for the better.

In the early 1950s, Buick dazzled the automotive world with two concept cars, the XP-300 and the LeSabre, low-slung two-seaters that pointed to the future. Inspired by the tremendous reaction to his "dream cars," Harley Earl conjured up the Skylark to celebrate Buick's golden anniversary in 1953. The ne plus ultra of the Roadmaster series, it was essentially a handbuilt factory custom.

Buick's V-8 premiered in 1953, so the Skylark, appropriately, was designed to exude an aura of power and unrestrained elegance. Offered only as a convertible, its windshield was cut down for a lower silhouette, and the wheel wells were opened up to impart a sporting sensibility, complemented by forty-spoke wire wheels. Completing the picture was a rakish rear fender dip that visually lightened the 4300-pound cruiser's appearance.

Skylarks were equipped with just about every possible add-on that was optional on lesser Buicks, plus a sumptuous leather interior and the owner's name engraved on the steering-wheel hub. Paradoxically, something with which every other Buick was equipped was not even offered on the Skylark: portholes. These signature "ventiports" were eliminated from the Skylark to give it an unfettered, cleaner look. Priced higher than most Cadillacs, the Skylark attracted lots of attention but few buyers.

The Skylark returned in 1954 with a new look. Now a free-standing series built on the shorter Century chassis, the Skylark no longer had a chopped windshield. As if to compensate for the loss, chromed tail fins sprouted on sloping rear fenders, both elements unique to the Skylark. The wheel cutouts were exaggerated with the inner wheel wells painted in contrast to the body color. Again, portholes were conspicuous by their absence. Sales were slow, and the Skylark name was put out to pasture.

The original Skylarks were very much cast in the mold of the coachbuilt classics of the '30s: powerful and smooth-riding, they stand apart from the crowd. But the Skylark delivers more than appealing looks and assured power; this is a machine of real substance. Unlike most prewar classics, Skylarks are thoroughly roadworthy in a modern context. With prices soaring for prime examples, it might be a gut-wrenching proposition to merge one onto a busy freeway, but you'll have no problem keeping up with the flow. Should you be fortunate enough to find yourself in this position, try to relax and look the part. You'll merge but you certainly won't blend in.

VITAL INFO

WHAT TO PAY
The recent range has gone from the mid $70,000s to almost $190,000. Strangely, '54s have been fetching higher prices than the more refined '53s.

BODY STYLE
Six-passenger, two-door convertible.

PRODUCTION
Total production for both years: 2526. Buick built more than twice as many '53s as '54s.

WATCH OUT FOR
Difficult to find Skylark-specific trim pieces. Wire wheels mandate tube tires, and the spokes require regular tensioning.

READ MORE

Buick: 1946-1960 Photo Archive
by Byron Olsen, Iconografix, $30. www.amazon.com

Standard Catalog of Buick, 1903-2004
by John Gunnell, Krause Publications, $25. www.krausebooks.com

SPARES AND DEALERS

Cars, Inc.
908-369-3666 www.oldbuickparts.com

The Buick Farm
770-214-0145 www.buickfarm.com

CLUBS

'53-'54 Buick Skylark Club
http://members.aol.com/buick5354

Buick Club of America
www.buickclub.org

OUR CHOICE
The '53 is - to use the vernacular of the time - swank. The cut-down windshield and rear fender dip trump the '54's fins. Make ours pinehurst green.

It was not that long ago that Buick had a huge lineup of cars, all of them similar in their mission and target consumer. For the 2008, there are just three vehicles with Buick badges on them, a sign that the manufacturer is attempting to focus its offerings.

The most important of those three is the new Enclave crossover SUV. This could be one of Buick's most important models ever, so it had better be good. And it is, with thoroughly modern mechanicals and features that keep it highly competitive with the leaders of the segment. The Enclave is large enough to accommodate up to eight passengers, just like a Chevy Tahoe. Unlike the Tahoe, however, it is powered by a V-6 engine making 275 hp that returns superior fuel mileage. The Enclave joins corporate twins from Saturn and GMC, but it is more luxurious than those two. Among its impressive feature list is a standard power liftgate, a second row that can execute more flips than Cirque de Soleil performers, and a back seat DVD system with a large screen.

Buick's sedans, the Lucerne and Lacrosse, are largely the same as last year's except for one thing: they're Super. Or, to clarify, they can each be ordered as Supers. Back in the day, super was the Buick way of saying that the car was the most powerful and luxed-up of the lineup. And they get Buick's portholes on the fender. On the LaCrosse Super, that means a 5.3-liter, 300-hp V-8 that takes the place of lesser models' V-6 engines. Sadly, this power is still routed through the front wheels, making wheelspin a problem. The top dog Lucerne Super's Northstar V-8 makes less power - only 292 hp. Which makes it slightly less, um, super.

This concept was first shown in China and is now making its North American debut in Detroit.

Believe it or not, Buick-one of America's oldest car brands-actually sells more units in China than in the States. Of course, Buick also has a wider product line in China, with everything from a rebadged Suzuki Reno hatchback to a minivan. To show its love for its loyal Asian buyers, Buick decided not only to have its Chinese studio design this new concept, but also to debut the car in Shanghai.

The Riviera concept revives a name that hasn't been seen since the last generation car died in 1999, and it's a very important nameplate for Buick. When the original Riv' was unveiled in 1963, it blew the world away with its elegant, timeless design. It is still looked at as one of GM's best designs of all time, and the car was even on our "25 Most Beautiful Cars" list in September of 2006. This new design is meant to bring some excitement back to the Buick brand, not just in China, but around the world - the Riviera demonstrates a new design language that will be used on all future models.

Based on GM's Epsilon architecture, the Riviera concept is about the size of a Pontiac G6 and uses a hybrid powertrain (heading to production in China next year) driving the front wheels. Those may seem like the wrong drive wheels for a sports coupe, but there has also never been a rear-drive Riviera. The body is made completely out of carbon fiber, other than the glass roof, and the doors swing up gullwing-style to show an elegant cabin with 2+2 seating. Twenty-one-inch wheels and badges that glow at night add great details to the car's appearance. Some Buick fans might think that this concept is too sporty for the brand, but we think that Buick needs a change. Just as the original Riviera looked to the future and brought some soul back to Buick, this concept looks at a changing market and, if it sees production, might just save the fledgling brand here in its motherland.