The Buick Regal began life as a blinged-up submodel of the 1973 Century coupe, with a sedan version arriving the following year. It remained the Century Regal through 1977, then became a model in its own right when GM's midsize rear-wheel-drive platform got the downsizing treatment in 1978 (the year its Chevy Malibu sibling did the same by ditching the Chevelle name). That version of the Regal stayed in production all the way through the 1987 model year, and here's a magazine advertisement for the fuel-efficient '83 model.
Although the Regal was supposed to a slightly devilish personal luxury machine and later became genuinely fast in GNX trim, the sedan and wagon versions of 1983 threw a moist woolen layer of staid over its image. No matter; it sold well enough to pay its keep. Emphasizing fuel economy still looked like a wise marketing move that year, so soon after the 1979-1980 oil crisis, but gasoline prices were already beginning the plunge that would make both Houston and the Soviet Union go broke later on in the decade.
