In the dark corners of the car hobby we all know and love lie some very strange vehicles, and among the strangest were the Neoclassical cars built during the height of the Malaise Era. This movement, seemingly brought on by the quest for overindulgence and opulence during the 1970’s and 1980’s, brought some of the weirdest custom creations ever made to market. Typically based on existing sporty cars (like the Corvette and the Ford Fox Body) or mid-to-full sized rides (like the GM G-Body or big Lincolns), these cars took styling cues from the true classics of the prewar era, like the Mercedes SSK and Deusenbergs, often with mixed results. Put it this way: Liberace had a few of these things, with candelabras attached everywhere he could fit them. We’ve featured them before, and some of them can get very strange. But this one… this one has something that sets it apart from the rest: Buick Turbo Power!
Well, it’s carbureted Buick Turbo Power, being that this vehicle was built in 1982, but it’s still interesting enough to take a look, right? Sure! Let’s do it!
This, folks, is a 1982 Baroque Motorcars Coupe. Much like many of the other Neoclassicals, the Baroque has the 1930’s-style front end with the long hood, external side pipes, running boards, and pontoon fenders. We are assuming that it’s G-Body based, and judging by the doors, interior, and engine choice, we’re probably correct in that assessment. They also built these in a variety of flavors, including a drop top and a family-friendly 4-door sedan. Imagine your spray-tanned dad dropping you off to junior golf lessons at the country club in one of these!
If you squint, you can see that the center section is most likely from a Regal. This car has a lot of modification, but that Buick core is apparent. And what neoclassical would be complete without REAL wire wheels? Classy!
Did you think that they would build this thing without a bustleback? If you did, well, you would be wrong. For a very brief time in the early 80’s, NOTHING said luxury like the bustle-butt. This car was built in 1982, so it’s a given that it would have the bustle-booty. This trend would mercifully fade away by the late 80’s. This one is exponentially more luxurious due to the faux continental kit built into the lid.
Curiously, the hood opens on each side, just like the 1930’s classics. So obtrusive, yet so fancy!
Taking a peek under that winged hood shows the familiar engine bay of an 80’s GM intermediate. Check out the weird compartment in front of the core support. It appears they stuffed the battery up there, since the narrowed engine bay no longer has room where it originally would go. And no word on if the side pipes are functional, but I’m guessing that they are nothing more than fancy dryer vent hose.
Looking in on the passenger side, you can see the A/C suitcase is all there, and the turbo plumbing is tucked in there as well. There’s a lot going on under there, and wrenching on it with that split hood must be a royal PITA.
Here’s a closer look at the telltale red carb hat, letting you know that turbocharged things are happening in there. And yes, it’s not as powerful as it would be with a later Grand National EFI-intercooled mill, but it was built in 1982 and this is as cool as it got! It’s unusual to see any hint of performance under the hood of a car like this.
Looking inside, you can clearly tell that it’s all early G-Body Regal in here. There are some additional touches, like that wood steering wheel and the Burl of Lost Souls woodgrain, but the builders of the Baroque Coupe felt that GM was luxurious enough on its own to make any major changes.
Here’s an interesting factoid: The totally rad Tojan Firebird you see here was built by the same company as the Baroque Coupe. Knudsen Automotive Design, run by Russell Knudsen, built custom cars based on GM vehicles for much of the 1980’s, and even built cars for TV and movies. His company’s creations could be seen on TV shows like Miami Vice, and in movies like Collision Course (starring Jay Leno and Pat Morita who are detectives who are investigating a stolen turbocharger design, and yes, it’s ridiculous). His son also builds custom cars with his company RAGE, which customizes late model Mustangs and Corvettes. No word on any future Neoclassicals based on those, though.
Out of all the weirdness that encompasses the Neoclassical car subgenre, this Baroque Coupe may be the coolest of all. If I had access to one of these, it would get the full GNX treatment under that winged hood, ditching the hot-air carb setup for modern EFI. And if I couldn’t fit the turbo in that narrowed engine bay, I’d add a PAIR of them, one on either side, on the OUTSIDE! External turbos are way classier than external candelabras, trust me!
If you have $19,500 burning a hole in your Baroque-Era pantaloons, you may want to give the Baroque Coupe a shot. You can find the Craigslist ad HERE, and for posterity’s sake, the ad text is listed below. Someone buy it and make it hilariously fast, please!
1982 Baroque 2 coupe, very rare and unique car, only 11 in the world, 41k miles 3.8L V6 Turbo Grand National engine,
automatic transmission, built on a GM Buick Chassis, This car not a kit car, manufactured in Southern California By the
Baroque company in the early 80s, fully loaded, sunroof, power steering and brakes, power windows and door locks,
A/C blows cold, runs and drives great, this car can be used as a daily driver or put into a Museum, all books and records
One owner vehicle,
50 photos.
This car was built and designed by Russell A. Knudsen. MR. Knudsen. has building and designing cars Since the 70s.
