Buick introduced the 1997 Century in late 1996 and was a far departure from its predecessor, which was already an outdated-looking vehicle.
While the fifth Century generation tried to hide its front-wheel-drive architecture of the A-body platform with a cab-rearward design, the 1997 model played the right card and boldly shown a cab-forward look. It was built on an entirely new W-body Gen 2 platform shared with other vehicles such as the Chevrolet Impala, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Buick Regal, to name just a few.

Its rounded design featured sweeping headlights with rounded margins towards the main oval grille on one side and the turn signals on the other. The Century was a fine example of bio-design, but its customers didn’t appreciate it since most of them were already AARP members. Buick managed to create a vehicle that was luxurious enough and subtle at the same time.

Inside, the carmaker made a waved-like dashboard with a curved upper side above the instrument panel and sloped-down on the passenger side. Buick offered enough room for four occupants, with wide, comfortable seats at the front and a bench in the rear profiled for two passengers. The base trim levels offered a high-quality velour, while the upper trim levels got a leather-clad interior. The four-spoke steering wheel featured buttons for the sound system and an airbag in the middle.

Under the hood, GM installed a 3.1-liter V-6 engine available in two power options for the U.S. market, while the Chinese customers received a smaller, 3.0-liter unit and even a four-banger paired with a manual transmission.