Buick debuted the Nailhead in 1953 to replace its already legendary Straight 8. Coupled with the engine’s potent V8 power, its propensity for making serious noise when revving made it an instant hit with the muscle car set. But Buick had broader plans for the Nailhead than merely feeding the need for speed of the muscle car set that basked in its 8-cylinder, 340 horsepower glory.
Of course, the Nailhead didn’t quite match the V8 beasts produced by its GM siblings at Chevrolet and Pontiac for sheer road-ravishing power. Still, Buick’s own V8 beauty gave a bit of punch to various models of the Skylark during its heyday, as well as the manufacturer’s Invicta, Electra, Wildcat, and Riviera, among others. The Nailhead was also under the hood of Buick’s more luxury-forward cruisers like the Electra and LeSabre. Perhaps more surprisingly, the engine also ran its family-friendly late-60s Sport Wagon.
Even as Buick began phasing the beloved engine out in the late 60s, its power alone reportedly made it ideal for a most unexpected task before its retirement, with Buick fusing a pair of Nailhead builds into a high-powered starter for Lockheed’s famed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance plane. That was perhaps the wildest job the Nailhead was ever tasked with, and it’s proof positive that the engine’s legacy among muscle-loving gearheads is far from overstated.
