Yahoo Autos The Regal T-Type Showed a New Way Forward
In trying to create something different from other American performance cars of the time, Buick created something well ahead of its time with the Regal T-Type. This car proved a high-tech V6 could do a V8's job all while returning better fuel economy, foreshadowing the engine-downsizing trend that dominates the car industry today. And it did so with style.
While a 1984 T-Type might look quaint today, this old Motorweek review reminds us that this car was once a serious head-turner. People knew that this was no ordinary Buick.
And its performance wasn't regular Buick either. MotorWeek recorded an eight-second 0-to-60 mph run in the T-Type, and 16.5-second quarter-mile. Not big numbers today, but impressive from a six-cylinder car built just a few years after the oil crisis. And for all that power and torque, MotorWeek saw 24 mpg in its testing, which was great considering the performance.
The chassis wasn't really up to the performance-car standards of the day, but the T-Type wasn't designed for handling. Rather, it was a comfortable, fast luxury car.
We love a good old American V8, but the Regal T-Type proved that it wasn't the be-all end-all many thought. This car may seem old-fashioned today, but it pointed the way forward for American performance.
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