Independent · Source-led · American performance history Issue 01 · 1951–2023
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1965 · Buick · United States

1965 Buick Wildcat

Second-generation B-body Wildcat on a 126-inch wheelbase in standard, Deluxe and Custom series; the 1965 total is disputed between published lineages.

United States · researched through 2026-09-22

Champagne 1965 Buick Wildcat two-door hardtop, front three-quarter, on grass
1965 Buick Wildcat hardtop coupe Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For 1965 the Wildcat moved to the redesigned second-generation B-body on a 126-inch wheelbase, and a mid-line Deluxe sub-series joined the standard and Custom Wildcats for this year only. The 401 four-barrel remained standard, with the 425 optional at 340 hp (one four-barrel) or 360 hp (two). Total 1965 production is itself disputed: the Standard Catalog lineage gives 68,233, while TeamBuick's ten separate body-style rows across all three series, from 4,398 to 15,896 each, sum arithmetically to 98,737 with no total stated by that source at all. This record keeps the 68,233 figure but marks it disputed, since neither lineage names the underlying Buick factory record either total would need to rest on.1,2

A narrower dispute sits inside the wider one: TeamBuick gives 7,449 for the standard-series four-door hardtop (46239) against OldRide's 7,499 for the same body. Convertible production is harder still to pin down. OldRide's own footnote states that its 4,616 convertible figure is a combined count for the standard and Deluxe convertibles together, while TeamBuick lists no separate standard-series convertible row at all, only a Deluxe one; a standard-series convertible price of $3,431 is nonetheless carried in this record's own price table, identical to a separately printed Custom convertible price that this record treats as a likely repeated entry rather than confirmation of a genuine match.2,3

The 401 is rated 325 hp, SAE gross, with no separate rpm or torque figure found in an accessible documented source for this specific year. The optional 425 carries two ratings, 340 hp with a single four-barrel and 360 hp with two, drawn from a Wikipedia passage covering the engine's 1964-to-1966 span generally rather than 1965 specifically. The Wildcat's own engine-code table lists LT for the 325-hp 401, LV for a low-compression export 401, LW for the 340-hp single-carburetor 425, and LX for the 360-hp twin-carburetor 425.1,2

Factory prices ran from $3,117 for the standard sedan up to $3,651 for the Deluxe convertible, with the two priced Custom bodies, the four-door hardtop and sport coupe, at $3,552 and $3,493 respectively; no separate, unambiguous Custom convertible price was found once the $3,431 repeated entry is set aside. Shipping weights across all eleven priced and counted body/series combinations ran from 3,812 to 4,160 lb, with the Custom four-door hardtop the heaviest of the range.3

Fifteen exterior colors were charted from a Buick-wide 1965 list rather than a Wildcat-specific one, from Regal Black and Arctic White through Champagne Mist and Silver Cloud, most of them marked as polychromatic finishes on the chart itself. Interior trim varied by series: the standard Wildcat offered four colors in cloth-and-vinyl, the Deluxe ran to nine trim-code groups including a bucket-seat-adjacent Aqua and several Black and Blue vinyl variants, and the Custom's seven trim groups marked bucket-seat codes with an asterisk distinct from bench-seat codes in the same color. The VIN itself carried a two-digit series code distinguishing Wildcat (62), Wildcat Deluxe (64), and Wildcat Custom (66), a body-style pair distinguishing the four body types (37, 39, 67, 69), and a plant letter drawn from nine assembly locations.2

Brochure spread: red 1965 Buick Wildcat hardtop in side view at the Kentucky Derby
1965 Buick Wildcat sport coupe, from the 1965 Buick full-line brochure

Fact sheet · 1965 · United States

The numbers

1965 Buick Wildcat — Second-generation B-body Wildcat on a 126-inch wheelbase in standard, Deluxe and Custom series; the 1965 total is disputed between published lineages.

Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.

Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.

Key facts

  • Wildcat production 68,233 (Standard Catalog lineage).1

Production

Totals
What was countedCountBasisStatus
Wildcat, all bodies and trims1 Wildcat (all trims) · all bodies · not stated by source 68,233 built, model-year Disputed
By body style and series
What was countedCountBasisStatus
Wildcat 4-door sedan (46269)2,3 Wildcat · 4-door sedan · not stated by source 10,184 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat 4-door hardtop (46239)2,3 Wildcat · 4-door hardtop · not stated by source TeamBuick 7,449; OldRide 7,499. Unknown built, model-year Disputed
Wildcat 2-door sport coupe (46237)2,3 Wildcat · 2-door hardtop · not stated by source 6,031 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat Deluxe 4-door sedan (46469)2,3 Wildcat Deluxe · 4-door sedan · not stated by source 9,765 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat Deluxe 4-door hardtop (46439)2,3 Wildcat Deluxe · 4-door hardtop · not stated by source 13,903 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat Deluxe 2-door sport coupe (46437)2,3 Wildcat Deluxe · 2-door hardtop · not stated by source 11,617 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat Deluxe convertible (46467)2,3 Wildcat Deluxe · 2-door convertible · not stated by source OldRide states 4,616 is the combined figure for the Wildcat and Wildcat Deluxe convertibles; TeamBuick lists no standard-series convertible. 4,616 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat Custom 4-door hardtop (46639)2 Wildcat Custom · 4-door hardtop · not stated by source OldRide: production "Not Available". 14,878 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat Custom 2-door sport coupe (46637)2 Wildcat Custom · 2-door hardtop · not stated by source 15,896 built, model-year Reported
Wildcat Custom convertible (46667)2 Wildcat Custom · 2-door convertible · not stated by source 4,398 built, model-year Reported

Package rows are subsets of the total.

TeamBuick's ten 1965 Wildcat rows add up to far more than the 68,233 series total recorded from Wikipedia; the rows are reported as printed and the total is marked disputed. No source seen states that the rows partition a total.

Prices when new

ModelPriceBasis
Wildcat 4-door sedan (46269)3 $3,117 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat 4-door hardtop (46239)3 $3,278 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat 2-door sport coupe (46237)3 $3,219 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat convertible (standard series, 46267)3 $3,431 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat Deluxe 4-door sedan (46469)3 $3,218 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat Deluxe 4-door hardtop (46439)3 $3,338 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat Deluxe 2-door sport coupe (46437)3 $3,272 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat Deluxe convertible (46467)3 $3,651 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat Custom 4-door hardtop (46639)3 $3,552 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965
Wildcat Custom 2-door sport coupe (46637)3 $3,493 factory price as listed by secondary compilation (Standard Catalog lineage), basis not further stated, 1965

Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.

Engines

EngineFactory ratingAvailabilityBuilt
401 V-81 401 cu in · 4-barrel 325 hp (SAE gross) standard Not yet sourced
425 V-8, one or two 4-barrels1 425 cu in · 4-barrel or two 4-barrels 340 hp (SAE gross); 360 hp (SAE gross (dual 4-bbl)) optional Not yet sourced

Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.

Paint

CodeColorBuilt
A Regal Black2 Not yet sourced
C Arctic White2 Not yet sourced
D Astro Blue (poly)2 Not yet sourced
E Midnight Blue (poly)2 Not yet sourced
H Seafoam Green (poly)2 Not yet sourced
J Verde Green (poly)2 Not yet sourced
K Turquoise Mist (poly)2 Not yet sourced
L Midnight Aqua (poly)2 Not yet sourced
N Burgundy Mist (poly)2 Not yet sourced
R Flame Red2 Not yet sourced
S Sahara Mist (poly)2 Not yet sourced
T Champagne Mist (poly)2 Not yet sourced
V Shell Beige2 Not yet sourced
Y Bamboo Cream2 Not yet sourced
Z Silver Cloud (poly)2 Not yet sourced

Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.

Interiors

CodeTrimBuilt
401 Wildcat: Blue, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
403 Wildcat: Fawn, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
400 Wildcat: Green, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
402 Wildcat: Silver, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
416 Wildcat Deluxe: Aqua, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
428, 478 Wildcat Deluxe: Black, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
448, 488 Wildcat Deluxe: Black, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
418 Wildcat Deluxe: Black, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
411 Wildcat Deluxe: Blue, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
421, 441 Wildcat Deluxe: Blue, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
413 Wildcat Deluxe: Fawn, cloth and vinyl2 Not yet sourced
427, 447, 487 Wildcat Deluxe: Red, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
429, 449 Wildcat Deluxe: Saddle, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
658, 678* Wildcat Custom: Black, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
671*, 651 Wildcat Custom: Blue, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
654, 674* Wildcat Custom: Green/Ivory, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
674 Wildcat Custom: Ivory, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
657, 677 Wildcat Custom: Red, vinyl2 Not yet sourced
679*, 659 Wildcat Custom: Saddle, vinyl2 Not yet sourced

Specifications

MeasureValueApplies to
Shipping weight range3 3,812-4,160 lb all 1965 Wildcat bodies as listed

Identification

VIN
Plate on the left front door hinge pillar and stamped on the engine block; e.g. 444275H101555. Digit 1 = division (4 Buick); 2-3 = series (Wildcat 62, Wildcat Deluxe 64, Wildcat Custom 66); 4-5 = body style (37 2-door hardtop, 39 4-door hardtop, 67 convertible, 69 4-door sedan); 6 = model year (5); 7 = plant (H Flint, C South Gate, Z Fremont, X Kansas City KS, Y Wilmington, D Atlanta, B Baltimore, K Kansas City MO, V Bloomfield); last six = production number.2
Engine codes (Wildcat)
LT: 401, 325 hp, 10.25:1, 4-barrel; LV: 401, low-compression export; LW: 425, 340 hp, 4-barrel; LX: 425, 360 hp, two 4-barrels.2

Decode a VIN →

Where the sources disagree

1965 Wildcat total production

  • 68,233 (stated series total)1
  • ten body rows 6,031 to 15,896 whose arithmetic sum is 98,737; no total stated2

The Wikipedia total is kept but marked disputed; the TeamBuick rows are shown individually. Neither lineage names its Buick record, so the page does not choose.

1965 Wildcat 4-door hardtop (46239)

  • 7,4492
  • 7,4993

Row shown as disputed with both figures.

Identification

Read a 1965 Buick VIN

The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:

Same model year

Also in 1965

  • Buick Riviera The Gran Sport arrived with the dual-quad Super Wildcat 425 and a 3.42 axle; 3,354 of 34,586 Rivieras had it.
  • Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX Buick's first Gran Sport was a Skylark option with the 401 'Wildcat' V-8 rated at 325 hp; a production tabulation counts 15,780.
  • Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The Malibu SS continued with 327 options, and late in the year RPO Z16 put a 375 hp 396 into 201 Chevelles.
  • Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova The 327 V8 appears in the source engine table; several body-style counts are unavailable. Enthusiast-compiled production: 122,800 cars; Super Sport 9,100.
  • Chevrolet El Camino SS No factory Super Sport El Camino is documented for this year; the record carries the host El Camino production as context.
  • Chevrolet Impala SS The record Super Sport year: 243,114 built, as the 409 gave way to the 396 mid-year.
  • Chrysler 300 letter series The last letter car: a slab-sided restyle on a 124-inch wheelbase, one 360 hp 413, no cross-ram, and an illuminated grille medallion; 2,405 hardtops and 440 convertibles.
  • Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee The 1965 performance Coronets were competition-only Race Hemi lightweights, not showroom muscle cars, and even their number is published two ways.
  • Ford Fairlane A restyled small-block Fairlane whose performance ceiling was the 271-hp K-code 289 High Performance V8, offered with the Sports Coupe.
  • Ford Falcon Sprint The last Sprint moved to the 289 V8 and a new V8 front suspension; the club records 2,806 hardtops and 300 convertibles.
  • Ford Galaxie A new full-size body with the LTD added above the Galaxie 500 XL; the 427 continued in Q-code (410 hp) and R-code (425 hp) form.
  • Ford Thunderbird A mild update of the 1964 body kept the 300-hp 390 as the standard engine; production fell to 74,972.
  • Mercury Comet and Cyclone The Cyclone was the performance Comet hardtop: vinyl roof, chrome wheels, bucket seats and console, tachometer and a 225-hp 289 as standard.
  • Mercury Marauder and S-55 The last year of the first Marauder generation: 74,590 Marauder-roof cars across Monterey, Montclair and Park Lane, per mercurystuff.com.
  • Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The 4-4-2 package moved to a 400 cu in V-8 rated at 345 hp, the name was reread as 400 cubes, 4-barrel, 2 exhausts, and production rose to 25,003.
  • Oldsmobile Starfire A 425 V-8, Turbo Hydra-Matic and a rarely ordered four-speed; 15,260 built.
  • Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda The first full-year Barracuda introduced the Formula S package and the 235-hp 273 Commando, and production reached 64,596.
  • Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite The Belvedere became Plymouth's intermediate line, with the bucket-seat, V-8-only Satellite hardtop and convertible at the top and the 426 Street wedge as its hottest regular-production engine.
  • Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty The 2+2 gained a standard 338 hp 421 and reached 11,521 cars, its best year.
  • Pontiac GTO Ratings up to 335 and 360 hp, and GTO production more than doubling to 75,352.
  • Pontiac Grand Prix New 121-inch body and a 333 hp standard 389; 57,881 built.
  • Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The LeMans adds a four-door sedan and the four-barrel 326 is rated at 285 hp.
  • Rambler and AMC Marlin AMC's six-passenger fastback, introduced in February 1965. Its best year was 10,327 cars.