Buick Apollo

In the heart of the ‘bumper strength era’— 1973, 1974, 1975. the Buick Apollo reigned in dealerships. An obvious cousin of the Chevrolet Nova, they were different enough to be recognizable as a Buick. Simulated engine portholes, a Buick-unique grille, headlamp bezels, hub caps, and taillamps completed the exterior. Body styles duplicated other X-bodies of the time— sedan, coupe, and hatchback coupe. Base engine was the bulletproof Chevy 250 I-6, with a 350 CID 2bbl Buick V8, or a 4bbl Buick 350 as the optional offerings. The gear changers available were a 2-speed automatic, 3-speed automatic, 3-speed manual or a 4-speed manual. The 2-speed automatic was dumped for 1974. A now rare Apollo GSX model could be had for the car’s middle year, which included blacked out trim, special striping, and upgraded side mirrors.

For 1975, the squared off redesigned X-body Buick was very briefly available with an Apollo nameplate, as a 4-door only, then the model was dropped-midyear.