That's tall, y'all. For contrast, the Chrysler LHS, targeted by Buick as a key Park Avenue Ultra competitor, stands 55.9 inches. So does the Lincoln Continental. Because in the evolving mission of Buick automobiles, a mission that's driven by GM's sharpened focus on individual brands, comfort takes precedence over sheer style. The car is a bull's-eye on both counts.
Interior space is vast, a word that also applies to the trunk.
But the real achievement in the new Park Avenue is that it embodies these virtues in a shape that's also graceful and quietly elegant. It may not turn heads like the Riviera. The cars attracted little attention during a day of prototype driving in and around Santa Barbara, an area that's heavily populated with Mercedes and BMW products. The other major change in the Park Avenue wouldn't offend Mr. Earle's sensibilities, since it's beneath the new and expanded skin. Although the '97 Park Avenue looks like an evolutionary update on the current car, it's all new, with underpinnings based on the Riviera-Aurora chassis.