1939 Buick Special Business Coupe (RHD)

Description

Buick, the oldest name still actively making passenger cars in America, has a long and proud tradition of building quality cars. Under the inspired leadership of William C Durant, Buick rose to become the most largest auto maker in America and an integral part of the General Motors family following its establishment in 1908. Thanks to a well founded reputation for quality, Buick was riding high in the years immediately following the First World War, the best selling car in the General Motors line-up and responsible for more than half of all profits made by the Company in this period. Buick's 1939 line-up saw revised styling distinguished by the radical two-piece curved radiator, with vertical bars and semi-recessed headlamps for a more streamlined, European appearance. Four distinct models were offered, all powered by Buick's range of smooth, torquey straight eights - the Special Series 40, Century Series 60, Roadmaster Series 80 and Limited Series 90. The Special's wheelbase was reduced by two inches (to 120-inches) and the big news was the new transmission and clutch, both major improvements. Running boards were virtually eliminated on models sold with the optional 'Streamboard' metal rocker panels, while the interior was trimmed with walnut finish moldings. Factory body styles included Touring Sedans (in both two and four-door guises), a Convertible Coupe, Phaeton and both Business and Sport Coupes. The Special's eight-cylinder engine displaced 248-cid and was rated at 107 horsepower, affording plenty of performance. Like most American cars of the period, the '39 Buick combines lovely Art Deco styling with plenty of power and excellent road manners, making them both very usable and extremely affordable classics when compared to most European marques of the same era.