General Motors' Buick brand occupies an uncomfortable spot at the present moment. Previously something of a conduit for Opel's distinctly German cars to reach the US market, that door was shut when GM opted to sell off most of its European business, relegating Buick to the uneasy status of a less-than-Cadillac seller of semi-premium pedestrian crossovers.

It's an unfortunate turn of events for a brand with a storied 117-year history, which established General Motors back in 1908. We can't help but wonder: what if things had been different? What if GM decided to give Buick the support and latitude necessary to develop some truly daring, brand-exclusive products?

If that ever happened, it might look a little something like this.

What you're looking at is a Buick concept sketch by Geoffery Richmond, Senior Exterior Designer at Buick Advanced Design. That means, of course, that it has essentially zero chance of ever becoming a flesh-and-blood concept, much less a production vehicle; otherwise, GM wouldn't be showing it off publicly.

And that's really a shame because it's a terrific-looking car - low-slung, curvy, and sporty, with massive shoulders stretching neatly over a set of oversized wheels. There's nothing about the design that necessarily shouts "Buick" - apart, perhaps, from the vaguely Buick-esque grille bar - but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

More than anything, this sketch concept is a reminder of the luxurious full-size Buick car that we never got.

A few years ago, after Buick unveiled its striking Avenir sedan concept at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, GM stated that Buick would be given the greenlight on a car based on the excellent Omega platform that underpinned the Cadillac CT6. Obviously, that car never materialized, and the Omega platform died with the CT6. Had that not happened, this might have been the design direction for the flagship Buick. What a pity.