Buick Wildcat
Introduced in 1962, the Wildcat was one of the first personal luxury coupes. It featured a performance-tuned engine and other go-fast options. Of course, since it was a Buick product, the luxury appointments and upscale options were guaranteed. Even before the Rivera GS or the start of the muscle car craze, Buick noticed that there was a big market for full-size coupes with the performance of a sports car (via How Stuff Works).
Young, successful people wanted an upscale product that looked expensive. But they also wanted it to have enough power and driving dynamics to make driving fun. In those days, luxury coupes like Thunderbirds or Eldorados were big, heavy cruisers with soft handling. That’s why Buick introduced the Wildcat with a name that suggested more excitement than standard Buick products.