1939 Buick Series 40

Description

Buicks were bery popular cars in the late 1930's, and this lovely example shows you why. The grille would usher in a Buick styling trademark for the next 15 years and with plenty of room for the family and straight-8 power, it's a wonderful tour car that's always ready to go.

Sequoia Cream was a popular color in 1939 and this great-looking 4-door wears it well. Fitted to a 122-inch wheelbase, it's roomy and well-proportioned and that long hood isn't just for style's sake. The smooth front end was all-new with a fine-toothed grille that gave the Special a very sleek look. The wonderful restoration has preserved all the details that make these cars so attractive and the quality of the work is all out of proportion to its affordable price. All four doors fit well, the butterfly-style hood latches easily and sits flush, and there's a quality look in the way it all comes together. Flowing fenders are the epitome of '30s fat-fendered cool with enough aerodynamic styling to make it look sleek. You'll note that all the chrome has been refinished, an expensive proposition by itself, and things such as the rubber running boards and deck lid-mounted turn signals are in excellent condition.

The handsome cloth interior is a big part of why the Special was so popular in 1939. Dressed like a far more expensive car, the affordable 4-door is a full-sized luxury machine in every sense of the word. There's room for six and the wide bench seats are comfortable enough for all-day touring. Matching door panels and correct carpets give it a highly finished feeling inside and the beautifully woodgrained dash and garnish moldings have been expertly restored. A big banjo-style wheel with horn ring is the perfect helm for a car such as this and all the gauges were restored before being slipped back into the dash. Buick's all-new pushbutton "Sonomatic" AM radio was optional, as were the heater and defroster, so this is a nicely optioned Special that includes both. Shifting was also moved to the steering column in 1939 and it's the familiar "3-on-the-tree" setup so you'll feel at ease within moments of firing it up. There's also a sizable trunk out back which has been fully outfitted with carpets to give it a luxurious look, as well as a full-sized spare and a tool set.

Buick's famous "Dyna-Flash" straight-8 displaced 248 cubic inches and made 107 horsepower in 1939, and with smart gearing in the transmission and rear end, it's quick enough to keep up with modern traffic. The long engine fills the engine bay and wears gray paint that's pretty close to the original hue. Reproduction decals make the valve cover really pop, and it still inhales through the original carburetor and oil bath air cleaner. Depress the throttle to the floor and the engine spins to life easily and idles so smoothly and quietly that Buick engineers had to build in a safety system to keep you from trying to re-start it after it's already running. The 3-speed transmission shifts easily and with 4.40 gears out back, the little eight feels zippy around town. Buick's suspension was quite modern for the era, offering coil springs all around as well as an independent front end and powerful manual drum brakes so it's quite competent out on the road. Color-matched wheels with contrasting red pinstripes, correct hubcaps, and shiny trim rings make the 6.50-16 BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whites truly sparkle.

Buicks were always superior road cars and this Special sedan offers a lot of virtues and no vices for the hobbyist looking a high-quality, affordable car. Call today!