1955 Buick Century Convertibile. The Buick Century first appeared in the 1930s, and the name commemorated the company’s first model to reach 100 mph. After a hiatus that spanned two decades, Buick revived the name in 1954 for their new performance offering. Based on the smaller Series 40 Special chassis and body, the new Century received the Roadmaster’s more powerful 322-cid V-8 engine rated at 200 hp. About half the Centuries in this era received Buick’s Dynaflow automatic transmission, while