1938 Buick Series 40 Special Special Opera Coupe

This 1938 Buick Special Series 40 Special Opera Coupe was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held at Meadow Brook. It is powered by a 248 cubic-inch engine that produces 107 horsepower which is sent to the rear wheels with the help from the three-speed manual gearbox. There are hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels and the elegant two-door coupe body sits on a 122-inch wheelbase. This aerodynamically crafted vehicle is finished in Botticelli Blue Metallic paint and is an original factory color. It has been treated to a comprehensive restoration and was offered without reserve and estimated to sell for $40,000 - $50,000 at auction.

It is equipped with two fold down jump seats, dual side mounted spares with hard covers, radio, clock, twin driving lights, windshield wipers, and red steel wheels with chrome covers and rings wrapped in whitewall tires.

For 1938 Buick offered a broad line of vehicles including the Special, Century, Limited, and Roadmaster. This wide range of vehicles catered to many buyers' requests that ranged from engine size, price, bodystyle, and type of vehicle. Even during the market stagnation of the 1930s, Buick was able to sell 170,000 examples of their vehicles in 1938, and earned an overall fourth place within the American automobile industry in sales.

This Special Opera Coupe did find a new owner at auction with a winning bid of $33,000 including buyers premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2010