Buick's beautiful Blackhawk concept

And borrowed from a 1996 Buick Riviera – one of the most luxurious of all Buicks -- is the heavily modified Blackhawk interior. That includes buff color leather for the door trim and seats, plus design of the instrument panel and center console (though the wood-rimmed steering wheel is unique). The custom car was created in the spring of 2000.

Even the name is borrowed. Buick introduced a subcompact Skyhawk for 1975 and the hawk symbol became an icon for the entire Buick line through the 1980s.

"I’ve worked on a lot of great concepts for Buick, but this is No. 1 for me," said Doble, on the eve of his retirement after 35 years with GM. "We’ll drive it – and I emphasize drive it – to custom and hot rod shows. In this car, we’ll be displaying design elements that gave Buick its character. And the message will be: ‘Buick is proud of its design and power heritage. And that we’re creating a new look based on that heritage.’ "