What exactly does "SCO" mean?

[442w30]

I've seen references to this Buick term plenty of times, and I usually infer it to mean some type of special order.

I have a list of production figures by color in the book compiled my Mike T., and it has colors listed that weren't RPO for the GS (although, presumably, available on other Buicks like the Riv and full-size cars). There also is a listing of total SCO cars built. Is there a difference between the two? Or maybe the SCO number given is a combination of those in the Buick/GM palette and those outside the RPO colors?

Some clarification would be stellar! :TU:

[buick64203]

As far as I can tell, it stands for Special Color Order.

Back in the day, you could order any GM color on any GM car for an extra fee. You could also order any color that wasnt on the GM palette as well. A good friend of mine has a 68 GS 400 that was factory painted in British Racing Green. The trim tag has two dashes. Then there's also the plum crazy Stage 1 that one of the members had for sale a few years ago

I think the SCO term was used for special options as well other than special colors, such as buckets in a 71-72 convertible, etc.

[Brad Conley]

SCO= Special Car Order. Was used, in Buick's case, for any type of special order options, especially for GSX's in 1971 and 1972. Could also be used for non-recommended color combinations (red car with green interior), non stock colors (Ryder truck yellow), combination of parts that were not normally available (6 cylinder with 4 speed floor shift), etc.

[442w30]

The reason for the initial post was due to a discussion on the Plum Crazy GS in another site.

However, are you sure the "C" in SCO stands for "color?" Indeed, you mention the buckets in the '71-72 car that also were SCO cars, but that was an equipment issue and not a color one - maybe it's something like "Special Car Order?"

Interestingly enough, the 4 optional colors for the F85/Cutlass/442 (the most familiar ones are Rallye Red and Sebring Yellow, with a gold and Agean Aqua being the other two) gave you two dashes in the data plate, even though they were RPO colors. I don't know why it was that way but seems to be contrary to what the rest of GM did.

[442w30]

OK, Brad, didn't see your post before I posted mine.

Was the cost for a SCO color in the GM palette different than what was outside the palette like this Plum Crazy car? The latter seems to be much less common and, perhaps, outside the usual channels that GM had in place?

Thanks for your responses!

[Brad Conley]

I really don't know if the cost was different between and GM color and an outside color. The plum crazy car was done, if I am not mistaken, by Buick for Buick, somewhat like my GSX. It was owned by Buick and moved around to various dealers, I believe, on the west coast as a draw for the showroom.

At the end of its use by Buick, it was sold to a dealer and ultimately to a customer as a, at least, demo car.

[Guy Parquette]

SCO= Special Car Order. Was used, in Buick's case, for any type of special order options, especially for GSX's in 1971 and 1972. Could also be used for non-recommended color combinations (red car with green interior), non stock colors (Ryder truck yellow), combination of parts that were not normally available (6 cylinder with 4 speed floor shift), etc.

So technically you could have SCO ordered a Skylark with a 455 stage1 drivetrain....not that it was ever done?

[jamyers]

So technically you could have SCO ordered a Skylark with a 455 stage1 drivetrain....not that it was ever done?
Or a 4-door Electra with a 250 and column-shift 3-speed? :Dou:

[gd2227]

Jason- there is an SCO 69 GS 400 4 speed (built in the Wilmington plant) here in RI with a '0-0' or 'O-O' on the cowl tag.. Believe it was painted Rivi- only Deep Grey Mist with pearl white interior. Alan has the grille 'ears' with the factory paint still on them..

PS Alan- I NEED those!

[JSteele]

At some point GM offered any of the GM paint as a $100 option, and wasn't considered an SCO(special car order) unless it was a non-GM paint. Can anyone verify this?