1997 Buick Century: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

3 builds left the factory as a 1997 Century, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN.

  • 2 main configurations
  • 547 vehicles built

Which Century is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Century

What actually differs

Custom Limited
Vehicles built 384 162
Same on every 1997 Century
  • Engine 3.1L 6-cyl
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sedan
  • Doors 4-door
Will it hold value?

A Century typically keeps about 14% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $805 today.

Century depreciation by year →

What 2G4WY52M-V means

2G4 WY52M · V
2G4
the World Manufacturer Identifier Buick registered — assembled in Canada
WY52M
together encode the Century line — Sedan, 3.1L 6cyl — as Buick filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
V
in position 10 — model year 1997
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
1 rare configuration — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Century?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.