Following a call from nine influential design, fashion and food bloggers to create Pinterest boards speaking to their personal style and passions, the company unveiled the winning pinner on Wednesday night at the New York Auto Show.Perhaps coincidentally, the colors fall within the family history of Buick, reminiscent of the sea foam blue/green shades prevalent in the late 1950s and early 1960s (and even later eras) especially the sea foam blue interior. (see examples below.) It's even possible that this color was even original to Buicks of a bygone era, and they pulled out the color sticks to match it.
The "Pinterest to Dashboard" contest is a part of an effort to connect with a younger audience and show a different, more playful side of the brand.
The top collection came from a Pennsylvania-based bed and breakfast owner Michael Wurm Jr. — who has nearly four million followers on Pinterest. His boards, which featured sea foam-colored tones and beach scenes, were picked as the inspiration for new color palates, textures and design features in the existing car.
While ostensibly the contest sought to reconnect (or connect for the first time) with younger drivers, this may actually help reconnect with OLDER drivers, especially former Buick owners who want to recapture that '60s look and feel that Buick somehow lost over the past few decades.
It would actually go beyond the "interesting" into "awesome" territory if each interior was to be completely customizable to each customer's taste. Of course all cars are, up to a point, but what if the palate was wide and extremely varied? A truly bespoke Buick like this would be a major boost for the Buick division - taking it from ho-hum luxury to bespoke luxury on a Bentley level. Imagine what that would do for the brand.
A quick note on the styling of the vehicle itself, the word "handsome" comes to mind. While surely a small vehicle, the front proportions seem well rounded and properly sized, although some will squint and see a larger version of the Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix.
1978 Buick Skylark:
