Long before it became a rebadged Opel Insignia, the Buick Regal used to be closely related to the Chevy Monte Carlo, El Camino, and Pontiac Grand Am. It also used to be rear-wheel drive, and the engine options, as far as the first generation is concerned anyway, comprised one V6 and two V8s.
Sporting head-turning looks, the original Buick Regal was offered as a coupe (back when coupe literally meant two doors) and sedan, and had a wheelbase almost as long as the one in the latest BMW 5 Series.
In 1977, Buick replaced it with the second generation, after five years in production. The exact number of units made is unknown, but the 1976 example, depicted on video down below, is one of them. And you don’t have to be a classic car fanatic to tell that it has been restored, with a modern and albeit flashy twist, as all it takes is a brief look at the body.
Finished in black all around and decorated by a few white and mint stripes, this 1976 Buick Regal Coupe wears its bling at both ends. It also has LED headlights, an illuminated logo on the grille, and chrome window surrounds. Still, the most eye-catching feature is that oversized wheelset. According to the video uploader, the chrome alloys are 26 inches in diameter and are probably enough to make some confuse it with a donk, though that term is reserved for the 1971-1976 Chevrolet Caprice and Impala.
Black leather upholstery, combined with minty accents, bedeck the cabin that also sports a modern infotainment system, linked to a sonorous audio with two big subwoofers mounted in the trunk. The design of those big alloys has been replicated on the steering wheel, and besides these mods, the car also rocks a big and very loud engine, as you are about to see.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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