page_title: Buick V6 engine
section_title: L36 SII Naturally Aspirated
hierarchical_section_title: Buick V6 engine / 3800 V6 / Series II / L36 SII Naturally Aspirated
caption_attribution_description: English: 3.8&#160;litre L36 V6 engine (Ecotec V6) of a Holden VT Commodore.
context_page_description: The Buick V6, popularly referred to as the 3800, originally 198 cu in and initially marketed as Fireball at its introduction in 1962, was a large V6 engine used by General Motors. The block is made of cast iron and all use two-valve-per-cylinder iron heads, actuated by pushrods. The engine, originally designed and manufactured in the United States, was also produced in later versions in Australia.
  The 3800 was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines of the 20th century list, made Ward's yearly 10 Best list multiple times, and is one of the most-produced engines in history. To date, over 25 million have been produced.
  In 1967, GM sold the design to Kaiser-Jeep. The muscle car era had taken hold, and GM no longer felt the need to produce a V6, considered in North America an unusual engine configuration at the time. The energy crisis a decade later prompted the company to buy the design back from American Motors, who had by that point bought Kaiser-Jeep, and the descendants of the early 231 continue to be the most-common GM V6 as it developed into a very durable and reliable design.
context_section_description: This engine was used in the following vehicles:
  1996-2005 Buick LeSabre
  1995-2005 Buick Park Avenue
  1996-2004 Buick Regal LS
  1995-1997 Buick Riviera
  1995 California only, 1996-2002 Chevrolet Camaro
  2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala
  1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina LTZ
  1999-2004 Chevrolet Omega CD 3.8 V6
  1998-2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (Z34, LT, SS)
  1995-2004 Holden Commodore (VS, VT, VX, VY)
  Holden Caprice (VS, WH, WK)
  Holden Ute (VU, VY)
  1995-1996 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
  1995-1999 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight
  1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  1996-1998 Oldsmobile LSS
  1997-1998 Oldsmobile Regency
  1995-2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  1995 California only, 1996-2002 Pontiac Firebird
  1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
caption: A variation of the L36 engine in a 1998 Holden VT Commodore
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