Buick introduced the 1997 Century in late 1996 and was a far departure from its predecessor, which was already an outdated-looking vehicle.

After almost seven years after introducing the fifth generation of the Century, Buick refreshed it and brought it to slightly modern standards, keeping the car on the showrooms' floors for a few more years before facelifting it again.

Following a new marketing strategy, Buick renamed its models in the mid-'30s, and the Century nameplate was born as a replacement for the Series 60 model.