2014 Buick Enclave Premium on 2040-cars

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The last Buick Cascada unceremoniously rolls off the assembly line

Motorists in the market for a new Buick Cascada need to act fast. Peugeot-owned Opel has built the last example of the drop-top model in its Gliwice, Poland, factory, and there's no replacement in sight. Buick announced the Cascada's demise in early 2019, and GM Authority learned the model went out unceremoniously. There's no indication that the final example received a commemorative plaque on its dashboard, or is headed to a private collection; photos of it aren't even available. The dealership who ordered it might not know it's about to receive the last specimen of the breed. As a non-luxury, front-wheel-drive convertible, the Cascada was marooned on an island that Buick's rivals abandoned halfway through the 2010s. The Chrysler 200 Convertible and the Volkswagen Eos were discontinued after the 2014 and 2015 model years, respectively. Landing in a class of one likely raised more than a few eyebrows in Buick's product planning division, but it was a semi-enviable position that helped the firm sell about 17,000 units of the Cascada between the 2016 and 2019 model years. It proudly pointed out about 60 percent of buyers were new to General Motors. Left-hand-drive examples of the Cascada were sold under the Buick and Opel banners. Right-hand-drive models joined the Vauxhall range in the United Kingdom, and they wore a Holden emblem in Australia. The four flavors were identical with the exception of some brand-specific trim pieces and powertrains. None will get a successor; the aforementioned carmakers are no longer operating under the same roof, and the global convertible segment is steadily shrinking.  The Cascada's multinational provenance made more sense before General Motors sold its Opel and Vauxhall divisions to PSA Groupe, the Paris-based carmaker that owns Peugeot, Citroen and DS. The French firm pledged to keep producing cars for Buick for as long as necessary, but the former sister companies tacitly agreed to stop co-developing vehicles. The sedan and station wagon variants of the Regal are now the only Opel-designed, PSA-built model left in the the Buick portfolio.

2013 Buick Encore

Ignored On Arrival, But Coming On Strong
An image exists out there that perfectly conveys the fate we thought would befall the Buick Encore after its world debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The shot shows the just-unveiled Encore on stage, basking in the glow of spotlights but surrounded by a large display area that's bereft of both cars and people. Two journalists are sitting on a couch over to the side, both facing the Encore but ignoring it as they inspect their swag, and a solitary custodial engineer pushes a vacuum back and forth across a sea of gray carpet.
Like a kid with his birthday cake at a party no one came to, this little crossover's debut was largely, almost cruelly, ignored. Who can blame us, though? Two shows ago, the Motor City's main stage welcomed the redesigned Aston Martin-esque Ford Fusion, the 3 Series-assassin ATS from Cadillac and the return of Dodge to the small car game with the Dart. A fourth model for the wayward Buick brand, especially one so arguably un-Buick in form and function, did not seem to deserve the attention paid to its peers that year.

Neil Young's 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark brings $400,000 at auction

Singer-songwriter Neil Young's extensive collection of model trains have fetched nearly $300,000 at auction, along with classic cars and musical equipment owned by the 72-year-old folk-rock icon. Young, a model train enthusiast for decades, offered more than 230 pieces at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles from his collection of Lionel trains, including a custom-painted Commodore Vanderbilt 4-6-4 locomotive that sold for $10,000. Several cars that Young owns were also sold. A 1953 Buick code 76X Roadmaster Skylark convertible with a steering wheel hub that says, "Customized for Neil Young," went for $400,000, the auction house said on Saturday. Young, best known for his Woodstock-era songs as well as his work with the bands Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young has said the vast model train layouts at his California ranch helped him connect with his son Ben, who has cerebral palsy. Other items auctioned off on Saturday included some of Young's guitars, amplifiers and microphones. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Bridge School in California, which Young's ex-wife Pegi Young co-founded in 1986 for children with severe speech and physical impairments.Reporting by Joseph AxRelated Video: