1935 Buick Series 90

The Buick Motor Company is ranked among the first American marques of automobiles, was started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick, and was one of the businesses William C. Durant brought together to form General Motors in 1908. The Buick marque established a reputation as a builder of stylish, reliable cars, and developed a certain status in communities and, as such, were dubbed 'the doctor's car.' They were not inexpensive and considered a step above a Chevrolet, Oakland, or even an Oldsmobile. The performance was not forgotten, and an 11th place finish at the 1932 Indianapolis 500 helped remind the public of its racing pedigree.

Buick vehicles adopted eight-cylinder engines for 1931, replacing the previous overhead-valve inline-6 that had served the company well for many years. The all-new designs created by Harley Earl's Art and Colour department of 1929 were updated year-over-year, keeping them fresh and modern. Major updates were applied for 1933, complete with new front and rear fenders with deeper valances and more sweeping curves. In the front was a vee-shaped grille and wheels were now either artillery or steel spokes. A new X-cross member frame accommodated a 2.25-inch reduction in body height, and the addition of free-wheeling allowed the driver to select the direct drive or freewheeling as desired. All Buick's received the Fisher No-Draft ventilation and a new type of headlight with a passing beam illuminating the pavement edge while a far dimmer light shed light on the traffic side. The lighting system received more updates for 1934, now with 20 percent more illumination and four different light patterns for city, country, parking, and passing situations.

The 1935 Buick model lineup consisted of the entry-level Series 40 resting on a 117-inch wheelbase, powered by a 233 CID inline-8 with 93 horsepower, and priced from $795 to $930. The Series 50 was priced from $1,110 to $1,230 and used a 119-inch wheelbase and a 235 CID inline-8 with 88 horsepower. The Series 60 had a 128-inch wheelbase, a 278 CID inline-8 with 100 hp, and was priced from $1,375 to $1,675.

1935 Buick Series 90
The Buick Series 90 was the top-of-the-line model, resting on the longest wheelbase (at 136-inches) and powered by the largest and most powerful engine in Buick's arsenal - a 344.8 cubic-inch inline-8 with overhead valves, mechanical valve lifters, five main bearings, a Marvel carburetor, and delivering 116 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed sliding gear, synchromesh transmission with a single dry plate clutch, and floor shift controls. The mechanical drum brakes on all four wheels provided the stopping power, and the suspension was comprised of solid axles with leaf springs.

Buick offered a vast range of body styles for its paragon model, with the most popular being the seven-passenger sedan priced at $2,055 with 609 examples built. 573 examples of the club sedan were built at a base price of $1,965. The least expensive Series 90 was the $1,875 sport coupe, although only 41 examples were built. The most exclusive was the two-door sport coupe priced at $1875 with just 10 examples built. 32 examples of the Victoria Coupe ($1895) and 38 of the Convertible Phaeton ($2145) were constructed, and 191 examples of the seven-passenger Limousine ($2175). The combined 1,611 examples of the Series 90 produced in 1935 were just three percent of Buick's total production.

For 1936, the Series 90 became the 'Limited' and body styles were trimmed down to an eight-passenger sedan and limousine, a 6-passenger sedan, and a formal sedan with seating for six. The wheelbase grew by two inches and the 320.2 CID inline-8 gained a slight boost in power to 120 bhp. A left-side external tire mount was standard on all Series 90 vehicles.

Buick used the 'Limited' name from 1936 through 1942, and again in 1958. Beginning in 1965, the 'Limited' name was used on various models often denoting the highest trim level in the model range.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2021