After almost half-a-century of courting undiscerning octogenarians with somnolent sedans, Buick is back with a revamped portfolio that’s the most heartening dispatch from Detroit since the last PT Cruiser rolled off the line. We’d like to pay tribute to the storied marque's comeback by highlighting some of the cars that defined the brand for what it once was. We know what you’re thinking. “Photos of classic Buicks? I might as well be looking at pictures of a shirtless Donald Rumsfeld!” Even the company’s Wikipedia entry includes “See Also: Old man’s car.” But before Buick -- the best-selling brand in China, by the way -- became the automotive equivalent of Denny’s Early Bird Special, it had a storied past. From Harley Earl’s sublime Y-Job to the groundbreaking Riviera, Buick was a leader in style and technology. We’d like to think the latest Regal and LaCrosse are descendants of these legendary Buicks, cars that couldn’t be more different from a boxy Century with chrome and vinyl glued onto the roof. So enjoy these classic Buicks, and imagine what’s yet to be. Above: 1938 Buick Y-Job It’s hard to believe Harley Earl designed the Y-Job more than 72 years ago, for the design remains as appealing now as then. Before Earl came along, automakers never built concept that wouldn’t see production, because it was considered a waste of resources. Earl changed that with the Y-Job, promising that he could judge the public’s reaction to a new design with public appearances of a real-life flashy, attractive car. The Y-Job was innovative for its day, with features like power headlights. It often was seen with Earl behind the wheel. The car still runs today and has more than 25,000 miles on the odometer.

Harley Earl’s Wildcats Earl’s design aesthetic dominated the concept cars at GM's Motorama. In 1953, the Buick Wildcat I appeared alongside its fiberglass stablemates of the Cadillac LeMans, Oldsmobile Starfire X-P Rocket and, of course, the Chevrolet Corvette. Only the Corvette made it to production, but the Wildcat was a stunning car featuring a panoramic windshield and “Roto-Static” hubcaps that stayed still even as the wheels turned. The 1954 Wildcat II (shown above) had styling cues reminiscent of the Corvette, but was far more radical. Free-standing headlights were connected to the bumper, while fenders were cut away for open front wheels. Finally, the Wildcat III of 1955 had a similar appearance to the Ford Thunderbird but never made it into production.

1955 Buick Roadmaster The massive Roadmaster topped Buick’s range from 1936 through 1958, with the early ’50s models with nascent fins ranking as our favorites. With a Nailhead V-8 under the hood, four portholes and sweepspear side trim, it was the very embodiment of the Buick brand. It’s truly a shame that the name got recycled on a rebadged, bloated Caprice in the ’90s.

1965–66 Super Wildcat The Super Wildcat took what was already nearly a muscle car and added performance to match looks. A Wildcat with a 360-hp V-8 got dual carburetors, an upgraded suspension, posi-traction rear end and all-important whitewall tires.

1963–1965 Riviera Designed to compete with Ford’s Thunderbird, the Riviera was lighter than other Buicks and was an agile performer as a result. With a three-speed automatic and a 325 V-8 as standard equipment, the Riviera managed to hit 0-to-60 in 8 seconds with a quarter-mile time of 16 seconds. Compare that with a contemporary Porsche 911’s 0-60 of 8.8 seconds and quarter-mile of 16.2 seconds, or the 1964 Ferrari GTO’s numbers of 0-to-60 in 6 seconds and quarter mile in 13.5. Production was limited to fewer than 40,000 cars in order to increase demand, a marketing strategy that would clearly confuse the fleet-happy sales mentality that dominated GM until quite recently.

1971–1973 Boattail Riviera With a memorable rear end that echoed the Corvette Stingray, the third-generation cars heralded an era of “personal luxury coupes” that were more show than go. As the cars got bigger, engines were crippled by EPA requirements, and the combination sapped performance. Still, the Riviera got by on good looks. Instantly recognizable, the boat-tail cars are collectible to this day.

1970 Buick-Opel GT While not a Buick, the Opel GT was sold at Buick dealers in the United States and was by far the best-looking car on the lot. Here it is with the GT that Opel brought back in 2006. The new Buick Regal is based on the Opel Insignia and is currently the best-looking car on the lot. Both cars show what GM can do if it looks to Europe for inspiration.

1975 Electra 225 At nearly 19 feet, the “deuce-and-a-quarter” flaunted its 225-inch length with a nameplate to match, and it carried the size well. In 1975, Buick offered more options to choose from than a Starbucks menu, including an obscure option known as an Air Cushion Restraint System — passenger and driver airbags — the first time the now-ubiquitous safety features would ever be offered.

1987 GNX In 1987, Buick took the already impressive Grand National and made it truly terrifying. At 276 hp and 360 pound-feet of torque, the car was produced by McLaren Performance Technologies (now Linamar) and ASC, and was as far from your Aunt Donna’s Regal as minute steak is from a live cow. The GNX got a Garrett turbocharger, a custom transmission torque converter and a ladder bar to increase traction. Only 547 of this ultimate sleeper car were ever built.