In the early thirties, Harlow 'Red' Curtice of General Motors inaugurated a program to make Buick the GM forerunner for styling and performance. Model numbers were replaced by dynamic-sounding model names as $65 million was spent upgrading production facilities. Chief engineer Charles Chayne responded with innovations like all-around coil spring suspension, semiautomatic transmissions, and 'Dynaflash' engines. For 1941, there were two in-line eight-cylinder engines; the 'light eight' which was used in the smaller chassis cars, and the 'big eight,' which was used in the larger cars as well as in the Century model, a 'muscle' car of its day, with the big engine in the small chassis. With 320.8 cubic-inches, the 'big eight' produced 165 hp, sufficient to move the 4,760-pound limousine at speeds of up to 80 mph. There were 669 examples of this car produced in 1941, at a list price of $2,465.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2007