By Drew Johnson
Tuesday, Jun 19th, 2012 @ 9:31 am
 
A recent United States trademark application indicates General Motors could be considering a revival of its Buick Electra nameplate. The application, filed June 5, seeks to use the "Electr" name for automobiles.

Last used in 1990, the Electra nameplate has historically been reserved for Buick's range-topping models. Buick launched the Electra nameplate in 1959 to replace its flagship Roadmaster and Limited models.

No other details were revealed in the filing, so it remains unknown what kind of plans GM actually has for the Electra name.

Given the Electra's top billing in the Buick lineup, it could be possible that GM is planning a version of the Cadillac XTS sedan for the Buick brand, which would essentially be a long-wheelbase version of the LaCrosse. However, we're not sure how big the market would be for a stretched LaCrosse and it's doubtful that GM would want to blur the line between its Buick and Cadillac divisions.

Another possibility is that GM is developing a Buick version of its Chevrolet Volt. GM has already given the green light to a Cadillac version of the Volt in order to defray costs, and the Electra nameplate seems perfectly suited for an electric vehicle. Of course this is all speculation at this point, so stay tuned as we track down more details.