Palm Springs Automobilist: July 2021

Here's an interesting blast from the past- I came across a box of photos of the 1992 Buick Display at the Milwaukee Auto Show.

But first a bit of background. In 1992 I was a District Sales Manager in Downtown Milwaukee. My job responsibilities included calling on Buick dealers, helping them with their sales needs, solving their incentive problems, stuffing their ears full of inventory (whether they needed them or not) until they screamed and turned blue, and also interestingly enough, auto shows.

These shows were a team effort. We would start in the late summer with an ordering party- we'd get together with the metro Milwaukee sales managers and configure the new cars for the January show. My counterpart and I would polish the orders, make sure they reflected the new models. colors. and options, and then submit them to the zone.

The cars were all shipped to a cooperative dealer where the service reps would toil over making sure they were prepared to show condition and were worthy reflections of Buick quality. A couple of back-up cars were ordered in case any of the show cars turned out to be a "dud," like the Platinum Beige '89 Park Avenue with Red Leather that the sales manager at Rank and Son INSISTED was "sharp." We used the Rosewood one instead that year.

1992 was an interesting year for Buick. The two-seat Reatta was no more, the full-size Le Sabre sedan was fully redesigned and based on the one-year old Park Avenue. A brand new very full-sized Roadmaster sedan joined the one-year old wagon (it debuted in 1991.) Both sported rear wheel drive and rode on a perimeter frame. But there was news in the compact segment as well- a fully redesigned Skylark coupe and sedan, complete with a prominent beak which, whilst on an acid trip, bore a slight resemblance to a 1939 Buick, or so I was told. For contrast, Buick sent us a cute little 1962 Special Deluxe convertible from the permanent collection. I will allow the viewer to decide which design has stood the test of time most beautifully.

Move in day was intense. Both metro sales and service reps were on hand as the show cars arrived off the transporter. It always snowed during set up so we trucked them for minimal weathering. Once set in place we spent a day and a half cleaning and detailing. The VIP Preview took place on the night before the show opened, it was not unheard of to change from detailing clothes to my Tuxedo in the men's room behind the exhibit.

So sit back. ladies and gentlemen, and enjoy the Buick Display at the 1992 Milwaukee Auto Show- brought to you by your Metro Milwaukee Buick Dealers: